How to size an office coffee machine for your team

Choosing the right coffee machine for your workplace is more than just picking a model that fits your kitchen counter. If the machine is too small, your team faces long queues and frustration during the morning rush. If it is too large, you are paying for capacity you do not need, leading to unnecessary overheads. Getting the balance right is key to maintaining productivity and workplace morale.

This guide helps UK office managers calculate the right coffee machine capacity by considering your team size, daily drink volume, and workplace demand patterns.
 

Understanding your team needs

Before you look at specific models, you need to understand how your team actually consumes coffee. A simple headcount is a starting point, but it rarely tells the whole story.

Consider these factors:

• The number of employees on-site at peak times, think important meetings, team days, client visits, those moments when you really don’t want a large queue slowing things down.
• Whether your team is hybrid, which may lead to inconsistent levels of attentiveness with cleaning.
• The preferences of your workforce, such as whether they are frequent coffee drinkers, how many need non-dairy milk or prefer tea and cold drinks.

 

Calculating your required volume

The most effective way to size your equipment is to calculate the total number of cups per day. For most offices, a good rule of thumb is to assume each coffee drinker will consume two to three cups during their shift.

Once you have that figure, you need to account for peak demand. Coffee consumption in an office is rarely spread evenly throughout the day. You will likely see a surge before 9:00 AM, during the mid-morning break, and immediately after lunch.

If your team has 50 people, and each drinks two cups, that is 100 cups a day. If 70 percent of those cups are requested during a two-hour morning window, your machine needs a throughput of at least 35 cups per hour to prevent a bottleneck.
 

Choosing the right technology

 
Once you understand your volume, you can look at the type of coffee machines that will support your needs.

For smaller teams or offices with lighter demand, a high-quality bean-to-cup machine often provides the best balance of quality and speed. These systems are designed to deliver consistent results without requiring specialist barista skills.

For larger enterprises, you may need higher-capacity commercial coffee brewers that are engineered to handle high-frequency use throughout the day.
 

Practical considerations

Beyond capacity, consider the practicalities of the installation. Does your chosen location have access to a water supply? If you want to offer dairy free options, ensure the machine you select is equipped to handle those products properly.

Remember that you will also need to source coffee beans regularly to keep your team supplied, and you might want to consider cafe favourites like matcha or white hot chocolate to complement your coffee offering.
 

Summary of steps

• Assess your total headcount and daily consumption habits.
• Identify your peak hours to ensure the machine can handle the morning surge.
• Match your volume requirements with the right type of equipment.
• Check site requirements like water and power access.

 

Contact us

Still unsure about which machine fits your office footprint and team size? Get in touch with our team today for a tailored recommendation, or book a demo to see our machines in action at our showroom.