Under-specifying means queues at 9am. Over-specifying means paying for capacity you don’t need. Here’s how to match a machine to your headcount and peak demand accurately.
One of the most common mistakes businesses make when choosing a coffee machine is specifying it for average daily demand rather than peak demand. Your machine doesn’t need to serve 80 people over eight hours – it needs to serve 40 people in 45 minutes between 8:30am and 9:15am.
A machine that can’t keep up with your morning rush will cause frustration, queues, and staff skipping the office altogether to buy coffee on the way in. Getting the capacity right from the start is straightforward – once you know what to measure.
Cups per day: 30-80
Peak hour demand: 15-30 cups
Plumbing needed? Usually not
Recommended: Compact bean-to-cup or pod machine. A water tank unit is usually sufficient. No plumber required.
Cups per day: 80-200
Peak hour demand: 40-80 cups
Plumbing needed? Usually
Recommended: Mid-range bean-to-cup with a fresh milk system. Plumbed-in connection strongly advised to avoid constant tank refilling.
Cups per day: 200-600+
Peak hour demand: 80-150+ cups
Plumbing needed? Essential
Recommended: High-throughput commercial bean-to-cup (Franke A600/A800). Dual-boiler or multiple machines for very large teams. Plumbed-in with water filtration essential.
| Headcount | Est. Cups / Day | Peak Hour (cups) | Machine Tier | Plumbing | Vero Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 people | 15-40 | 5-15 | Compact | Tank fine | Bestir BM30, Lavazza capsule |
| 10–20 people | 40-80 | 15-30 | Compact–Mid | Tank or plumbed | Bestir BM30/40, Franke A300 |
| 20-40 people | 80-140 | 30-55 | Mid-range | Plumbed recommended | Franke A300, Bestir BM40 |
| 40-80 people | 140-280 | 55-100 | Commercial | Plumbed essential | Franke A600/A400, Bestir BM 50/80 |
| 80-150 people | 280-500 | 100-175 | High throughput | Plumbed essential | Franke A800/A600 |
| 150+ people | 500+ | 175+ | Multiple units | Plumbed essential | Multiple Franke A800 / custom fit-out |
Estimates based on typical Irish office consumption. Coffee-heavy industries (tech, finance, media) typically run 20–30% higher. Speak to our team for a tailored assessment.
Most commercial coffee machines are rated by cups per day – but that figure is almost meaningless in a real office environment. What matters is cups per hour at peak, typically the 45-minute window between 8:30am and 9:15am.
Two factors determine whether your machine can handle that window:
A machine with a fast output but a slow recovery will produce good coffee for the first 10 cups, then increasingly poor coffee as the boiler struggles. High-end machines like the Franke A600 and A800 use dual-boiler systems that maintain consistent temperature and pressure throughout a rush – exactly what a busy office needs.
If more than 25% of your team drinks coffee at roughly the same time each morning, you should spec for peak demand rather than daily average. Tell us your headcount and your morning window – we’ll calculate the right machine for you.
For a 30-person office, a mid-range bean-to-cup machine such as the Franke A300 or Bestir BM40 is the right starting point. Expect around 80-120 cups per day with a peak demand of 30-50 cups in the first hour of the morning. A plumbed-in connection is recommended at this size to avoid daily tank refilling. Contact our team for a free recommendation based on your exact setup.
A 50-person office typically needs a commercial bean-to-cup machine with a high hourly output and a dual-boiler system. The Franke A400/A600 is a common choice at this size – it handles up to 200 cups per day and can sustain consistent output during the morning rush. Plumbed-in with water filtration is essential at 50+ people.
It depends on coffee consumption habits, but for a standard Irish office of 100 people, a single high-capacity machine like the Franke A800 can handle the volume. If your team is particularly coffee-heavy or has split break times, two mid-range machines in different locations can be more practical than one large unit. We recommend a site assessment for offices of 80+ people.
Recovery time is how long a machine’s boiler takes to reheat to optimal brewing temperature after producing a drink. On a low-end machine, this can be 30-60 seconds, meaning the 10th person in a queue gets a noticeably weaker coffee than the first. Commercial machines with dual or twin-boiler systems maintain temperature independently for brewing and steaming, so there is effectively no recovery time – the machine is ready for the next drink immediately.
Two machines offers redundancy – if one needs a service, the other keeps running. It also allows you to place machines in different areas of the office, reducing queue time. For offices of 80+ people split across floors or areas, two mid-range machines is often more practical than one large unit. For concentrated single-floor offices, a single high-capacity machine is usually the simpler and more cost-effective choice.