Public House
Traditional espresso based drinks, once the preserve of fine restaurants and boutique coffee shops, were thrust in to the mainstream just over 10 years ago, with the revolution of the coffee bar chains and the resulting independent outlets. This has been slowly changing until relatively recently. Now remote cafes, petrol and service stations, and even the major fast-food outlets now offer real coffee. It has slowly but surely developed from an added luxury, to an expected necessity.
Whether they be 'gastro' or local village establishments, pubs - especially offering good food - are no exception. It is a common myth that traditional espresso machines are expensive and difficult to use. Many outlets settle for vending or bean-to-cup espresso machines. A single group Star espresso machine is small in size, has all of the features of it's big brothers, operates reliably and represents great value for money. If you have a pub outlet, you can expand your menu and offer all of the drinks available from a traditional Coffee Shop, simply from one machine.
So what does a pub require of it's espresso machine?
- Easy to use. Espresso coffee isn't a bar staff's primary concern. Already having to to deal with multiple orders of varying drinks, a cappuccino needs to be quick and easy
- Small. Usually added to existing premises where every inch is already being used for storing or serving drinks - the machine needs to be compact
- High output. Modern pubs will also produce many hot chocolates and tea. A larger boiler and element in your espresso machine will save you having to allocate more space and funds to an additional hot water boiler
- Low-maintenance. Your espresso machine needs to be reliable and simple to clean - otherwise it just wont get done, manifesting itself in maintenance costs later
- Self-sufficiency. Unlike small coffee shops, the espresso machine is often further down the list of priorities. No individual is really in charge of its well-being, and it sometimes needs to look after itself
How does the Star espresso machine cope with these demands?
- It has all of the features to make it simple to use. Just dose the ground coffee and press the button, then take your time frothing the milk while the coffee is extracted
- The 1-group requires minimal space and only a 13amp electrical supply, so you can slot it near to any standard plug and cold water outlet
- Despite its size, the 1- group still has a whopping 7 litre boiler with plenty of hot water for additional hot drinks
- Back-flushing the group heads is the only demanding cleaning requirement, and even this is rendered trivial by the automatic cleaning cycle
- The machine has several levels of protection and self-diagnostics, both electronic and inherently incorporated within the design. You don't have to put a glass to the side panel, clear warnings are given in plain English on the LCD display to alert you to any problems. Please look here for self-diagnostics details
As with all of these articles, the design, build quality and ability to make a great espresso is a given. If you want more information on these areas, please follow the above links.
If you haven't already, take a look at our quick tour for a good overview of the company, the espresso machine and how we look after you. For prices and additional information about purchasing equipment, please feel free to browse our online shop. If you own a pub and have other questions and requirements that aren't addressed on this site, please get in touch, as we can almost certainly help you.
