See our listing of commercial super automatic espresso machines.
What is a Super Automatic Commercial Espresso Machine?
A super automatic espresso machine is an espresso machine that uses as much automation as possible to produce espresso-based drinks. There are two types of super automatic commercial machines – one-step and two-step. One-step machines automatically grind, tamp, extract espresso and automatically steam and froth milk at the push of a button. Two step machines do everything but the milk aspects of making drinks. A milk cooler is required for one step super automatics, it is not required for two steps. Some super automatics also have power chambers for flavoring or mocha powder.
Commercial grade super automatic machines are much more robust than home machine variations, and if you are planning a coffee business, we highly recommend that you get a machine that can handle high daily drink volume. Espresso machines that are designed for home use are not meant for commercial use and they cannot handle the kind of volume that a commercial machine can. If you try to use a machine that is too small, the quality of your drinks will suffer, your espresso machine will likely start to have issues, and you will have times when you are unable to make drinks as the machine will need time to recover.
How Many Brands of Commercial Super Automatic Machines Are There?
There are a lot of super automatic espresso machine brands. Some are exclusive to certain brands, such as Starbucks which has its own brand. Others are readily available with most espresso machine retailers. And still others are only made to order and have to be preordered.
We sell all Unic, Faema, La Cimbali and Nuova Simonelli commercial super automatic models. These are the top brands in the country in terms of super automatics. There are also other super automatic brands that we don’t sell, including Cecilware, Rancilio, Franke (a1000 FM, S700, A400 FM, A600 FM), Eversys, and Schaerer. Jura a brand that is sometimes used in office environments. We don’t sell this brand either, but some of the models are pretty popular for offices, including the Giga 5, Giga 6, and W3.
How Much Does a Commercial Super Automatic Espresso Machine Cost?
Commercial super automatic espresso machines start at about $7000 for a small machine to over $30,000 for a very robust machine. If you have an average sized coffee shop, you will need a large enough machine to handle the daily drink volume for your shop, but, more importantly your peak hours. Most coffee shops that choose to get super automatic machines vs a traditional espresso machine usually spend an average of $18,500 for their super automatic espresso machine according to surveys we’ve done and our internal sales data.
For office espresso machines, companies usually either get a high-end home machine or they get smaller commercial machines. The price range for high-end home super automatics start at about $3,000 (for something like the Quick Mill Monza). Offices that have a lot of employees usually spend about $10,000 for their super automatics.
What Country Are Super Automatic Espresso Machine Made In?
Our Faema, La Cimbali, and Nuova Simonelli brand espresso machines are all made it Italy. Unic machines are made in France.
What Is the Cheapest Commercial Espresso Machine For a Coffee Shop?
If you have a lower volume coffee shop, something like a Nuova Simonelli Prontobar or a La Cimbali Q10 could work. It’s also a good machine if you have a general store, ice cream shop, boba tea shop, small to mid-size restaurant, bakery or other treat shop, or an indoor play center for kids.
What is the Difference Between a Cappuccino Machine, a Café Maker, a Latte Machine or a Barista Machine?
Those are all terms that people use to refer to espresso machines. Espresso machine is the correct term, but if you choose to call them by one of these other names that is perfectly ok.
What is the Difference Between a Super Automatic Machine and a Fully Automatic or an Automatic Espresso Machine?
People commonly use the terms fully automatic and automatic to describe espresso machines that are categorized as super automatic machines. Super automatic machines grind, tamp, brew, and in one step variations steam and froth milk. Espresso machines categorized as fully automatic or automatic are not as automated as super automatics. The main thing that defines one of these types of machines has to do with whether or not the machine automatically doses the espresso shot volumes. A side from super automatic type machines, there are three other espresso machine types, lever, semi-automatic, and automatic (or volumetric). A lever machine is operated by a person pulling a lever to pull the shot of espresso. A semi-automatic machine uses a pump to brew a shot and the shot has to be manually started and manually stopped by the barista. An automatic machine also uses a pump to create brew pressure, but the barista only has to activate brewing as the machine will automatically stop itself after a predefined amount of espresso has been dispensed. None of these machine types automatically grind, tamp, brew, stop brewing and dispense the spent coffee, and get ready for the next shot all at the push of a button. Most do not have built in grinders, and more require stand alone grinders. Super automatics are the only design that does everything.
Does Espresso Outlet Sell Used Super Automatics?
No, we don’t. While you can sometimes get good used commercial espresso machines with other espresso machine types, we don’t recommend getting used commercial espresso machines, unless you get a very good deal. The reason is there are a lot of parts in a commercial espresso machine and it’s easier for something to go wrong if the espresso machines were to regularly maintained and can be very costly to fix. If you get a super automatic machine for your coffee business, we recommend getting a new machine, but if you don’t have the budget for that, we recommend getting a less automated type of machine.