Demand for coffee shows no sign of abating, thanks to the growing popularity of coffee culture, the increased availability of specialised varieties and the expansion of café chains. Refreshment spoke to a number of manufacturers of professional, automatic coffee machines to find out how their recent innovations have been designed to capitalise on consumer demand for premiumisation and customisation.

Coffee is enjoyed in almost every country in the world, and is imported, roasted and consumed in staggering numbers. According to Mordor Intelligence, the value of the global coffee market was estimated at $132 billion this year, set to grow at a rate of 4.72% to reach an expected $166 billion by 2029.

Growth in the sector can be attributed to a range of factors, including increased demand for a premium product and for customised and personalised beverages. In recent times, advancements in machine innovation have showcased a surge in smart and connected devices, alongside a rise in single-serve and pod-compatible options, as well as an emphasis on eco-friendly machines.

Personalisation

A key driver of innovation in the coffee machine market is the premiumisation and individualisation of beverage offerings, according to Axel Fähnle, head of marketing at coffee machine manufacturer WMF Professional.

“Customers now have significantly higher expectations in terms of product quality and user experience,” said Fähnle. “At the forefront of this are new coffee creations using vegan milk alternatives–whether made from soy, oat, almond, coconut or pea milk. Plant-based dairy alternatives have developed and will continue to develop as an independent beverage category. This is changing the way the world drinks coffee, and our customers must address it: the big coffee chains as well as petrol stations, hotels, catering companies and so on.”

Masters of milk

James Howcroft, head of sales at Swiss manufacturer Franke Coffee Systems UK, identified drinks customisation – such as people wanting a stronger or weaker coffee or a beverage flavoured with syrup – among the key trends in coffee in recent years.

In response to this, Franke introduced its proprietary FoamMaster technology a number of years ago, allowing operators to choose the amount of foam in individual coffee-based drinks. Adjustable air and speed parameters through FoamMaster allow the machines to handle different types of milk while providing a perfect foam. “This might be more liquid foam for lattes and flat whites or stiffer foam for cappuccinos,” explained Howcroft.

“When we look at vegan coffee culture, we have ‘Dynamic Milk’, a premium system for processing milk alternatives,” Fähnle told Refreshment.

“Equipped with this, our fully-automatic machines can produce four different consistencies for hot milk foam and three variants for whipping cold milk foam, depending on the recipe. There is also the WMF 2-Milk-Solution, with which a caterer can process and offer several varieties, including plant-based milk alternatives such as oat, soy or pea drinks, in one machine.”

Fähnle continued: “We have also recently launched our new WMF MultiMilk solution on the market. Thanks to multiple lances, the service staff can dose individual varieties. In other words, dairy milk, for example, runs in the machine’s integrated milk system, while plant-based drinks are fed into the machine via the MultiMilk lances.”

Key to offering consumers greater choice, and a commonality across Franke’s A line of modular coffee machines, is the interactive touchscreen control, which provides users with the ability to easily make drinks with flavours and syrups.

According to Howcroft, this feature is greatly appreciated at service stations, convenience stores, train stations and offices alike.

He said: “With the touchscreen…the customer can adjust all the individual ingredients to create their own product. Many of our loyal customers comment on the different beverages and choices available, such as cappuccinos, lattes with hot or cold milk foam or seasonal coffee drinks.”

This large and intuitive touchscreen is particularly important for the self-service sector, Howcroft shared. “People can select the drink they want on the spot, as they can already see all the drinks on offer on the screen.”

Variety in the workplace

Daniele Foti, vice president of marketing at Flavia, a manufacturer of single-serve coffee systems and part of the Lavazza portfolio, similarly maintains that “variety is paramount” for innovation in coffee vending machines – particularly in the workplace.

“As the day goes on, consumers’ needs get more complex. Specifically, for a workplace beverage solution, you have to be able to meet the needs and varying tastes and preferences of all employees,” she told Refreshment. “In the post-Covid workplace, consumer preferences have changed. Categories such as cold brew, espresso-based beverages and flavoured waters are constantly growing.”

Foti believes that a multi-beverage, multi-brand platform is the answer–designed for convenience and built specially to satisfy the wide range of drinks needs in the workplace.

Flavia’s Creation 300 and Creation 600 workplace beverage systems, for example, are designed to meet the demands of high-traffic workplaces, offering customisation options that prioritise freshness, variety and adaptability. Both systems have the option of adding a cold drinks module, which means the machine can brew both hot and cold drinks without adding ice.

“Brewing both hot and cold beverages, along with other innovative features such as in-cup frothing, our offer a complete beverage solution with no need to leave the office to head to a coffee shop,” said Foti.

A consistent brew

One of the advantages of an automatic machine, as opposed to a barista-made drink, is the ability to guarantee a consistently high-quality brew. As Flavia’s Foti stated: “A great-tasting cup of coffee is highly dependent on how it’s brewed.”

WMF machines use intelligent technology to ensure that users always enjoy a top-quality coffee. Sensor-based features such as ‘Dynamic Milk Assist’ and ‘Dynamic Coffee Assist’ independently monitor the quality of the beverage being made, and intervene if necessary.

Franke’s iQFlow technology, meanwhile, allows the operator to customise multiple flavour profiles. Once these pre-set flavours have been established, the iQFlow intelligent technology corresponds in real-time to consistently craft the perfect coffee experience for customers. Tested against other solutions over a four month period, machines with iQFlow demonstrated minimal variance in taste, flavour and aroma.

With Flavia brewers, all drinks are brewed straight from pack to cup with no contact in between. “That means you get a true brew made just for you, with no flavour transfer from previously brewed drinks,” said Foti.

Digital dispensing

As its remit widens, intelligent technology can offer operators far more than simply ensuring a consistent roast. The use of digitalisation is growing across all aspects of the automatic coffee industry, making its way into servicing, marketing, cleaning, payment and more.

WMF’s Fähnle identified how the digitalisation of payment is giving operators the option to extend service hours outside of regular opening hours – widening the opportunity for generating revenue. “Traditional opening hours will increasingly become a thing of the past. Looking at catering concepts in the convenience sector, for example, operators and restaurateurs must ensure that coffee is available around the clock, even though many of them are struggling with staff shortages. In particular, self-service solutions with digital touchpoints and mobile payment options are booming.”

The WMF CoffeeConnect digital platform aims to expand the possibilities and business opportunities of digital hospitality in a targeted manner. Examples of these innovative business concepts highlighted by Fähnle include payment options directly at the machine, networked customer loyalty programmes, unmanned stores and minimarkets as well as robot cafés.

IoT servicing

Marcel van Driel, sales manager at out-of-home coffee machine manufacturer De Jong Duke, highlights IoT-connected coffee machines as a key trend in machine innovation.

“Today’s generation of coffee machines is switching from hardware devices to software devices,” he explained. “IoT solutions…enable higher service at lower cost.”

The Dutch manufacturer has developed its own connectivity tool, ‘ConnectMe,’ which means that all of its coffee machines can be connected online. This has a positive effect on a range of metrics, including sustainability, efficiency and quality control.

“When coffee machines are connected to ConnectMe, additional energy-saving benefits become evident,” said van Driel. “Customers can save up to 30% of energy through an adaptive energy-saving mode, on top of the regular, pre-programmed energy-saving setting. ConnectMe analyses user trends on the machines and automatically activates the energy-saving mode when appropriate, ensuring that the equipment remains operational whenever it is needed.”

Furthermore, the ConnectMe two-way communication solution means that operators can service their machines remotely, allowing them to to change recipes, customise menus and reboot machines–all without being on-site.

Franke machines have a similar connected system, which allows operators to monitor a fleet of machines, keep track of sales records, alter pre-set menus and communicate important messages.

Franke’s Howcroft commented: “In vending, it’s beneficial to have a bi-directional system where [operators] can read key data in terms of performance per location, as well as push new developments, such as seasonal menu updates, without having to send a technician”.

With its rich taste and aroma and its stimulating effects, coffee is an important everyday ritual across both social and professional settings: connecting people and fueling creativity. Automatic coffee machines offer a key opportunity for operators to meet demand for coffee in myriad venues and situations, but without the expense and logistics of a staffed coffee counter.

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