A great coffee set-up can make a real difference to employee satisfaction, workplace culture and the quality of every cup served.
In our latest blog, we share five key points to consider when choosing a bean-to-cup coffee machine and creating a workplace coffee experience that’s truly best in class.
Americano or flat white? Dark roast or decaf? Everyone has their own preferences and with speciality coffee, it might even change during the course of the day.
Roast & Ground have been hand-picking high-grade coffees to suit office bean-to-cup machines since 2002, offering a stunning range of speciality Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified beans.
We strive to make it easy for staff to enjoy superb coffee in every single cup. If you are thinking of ditching instant coffee at work and trading up to a bean-to-cup machine, here are five points to ensure your coffee set-up is best in class.
1. Choose a coffee that suits all-day drinking
This is especially important if your machine only has one bean hopper, according to Roast & Ground founder and chief coffee taster Richard Gray.
“If you only offer one coffee at work, it needs to be one that people are happy to drink over and again throughout the day,” he advises. “That often means a medium or medium-dark roast with a crowd-pleasing flavour, whether that be rich and complex, or smooth and chocolatey.”
Even within those parameters, you will still have plenty to choose from. Roast & Ground, for example, offers classic Italian-style Forza for luxuriously creamy espresso; bold and energising Revival, with its crowd-pleasing smoothness; and the intense yet well-balanced flavour of Washed Bourbon, a chocolatey premium blend featuring the prestigious Bourbon arabica varietal.
Choose a machine that has two or three bean hoppers and your options expand accordingly. You might want to add a decaf or a lighter tasting coffee such as Pick Me Up, or a charity blend such as Fuel Their Day.
2. Choose a supplier who carefully selects Speciality Grade beans
When it comes to coffee beans, the term Speciality Grade is an objective global standard, not a mere claim.
The Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) scale is the international benchmark which grades beans based on their distinctive sensory attributes, consistency and sustainability. Higher grades mean farmers can earn better prices, encouraging quality over quantity.
Look for the SCA score on your coffee supplier’s packaging, as when it’s good they will want to shout about it. Every Roast & Ground coffee scores 80 or above on the SCA scale and our highest scoring coffees include:
- Lot 84: a smooth and chocolatey single estate coffee from the celebrated Daterra farm in
Cerrado Mineiro, Brazil. SCA score 84+ - Pick Me Up: a single origin Colombian coffee that’s light and naturally sweet with gentle acidity. SCA score 85+
- Pura Decaf: made from fully washed, organically-grown Pache beans, as well as Bourbon, Catimor and Caturra beans, with caffeine removed by the esteemed Swiss Water Process. SCA score 83+
Another signifier your coffee pack may highlight: the altitude at which the coffee was grown, or MASL (Metres Above Sea Level). There is no right or wrong elevation but it does affect flavour.
At high altitudes (1800+ MASL) the coffee cherries are slow growing and therefore have time to develop sweet, complex flavours like jasmine, honey and apricot. Mid-altitude (1000-1800 MASL) the coffees will be balanced and versatile with caramel sweetness and rounded acidity. Low altitude coffees (below 1000 MASL) tend to work best in traditional espresso.
3. Make sure the beans are freshly roasted
Freshly roasted coffee provides peak drinking enjoyment. It has the strongest, most complex flavour and aroma, and produces the best crema. As coffee beans age, they oxidise and start to taste stale, musty or flat.
Roast & Ground roast our coffees to order in the UK, holding no more than six weeks of stock at any time, and offering next day delivery on all orders.
“This means freshness is guaranteed,” says Richard Gray. “And because your bean-to-cup machine grinds the beans to order, this will be highly apparent. The delicious aromas, distinct flavours and the full expression of what makes each coffee special will be right there to taste in each cup.”
You also want your supplier’s coffee beans to be fully traceable through the supply chain. “When you know where a coffee comes from and how it’s been handled every step of the way, you can trust both the flavour in the cup and the impact it has beyond it.”
4. Choose certified eco-friendly coffees with a story behind them
The premium coffee revolution has made people much more aware of considerations in the coffee supply chain and coffee drinkers now want to know their daily brew does some good in the world, whether that be supporting fair prices for farmers, or addressing environmental concerns.
All Roast & Ground coffees are fully traceable and certified either Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade. These are fully independent guarantees that the farmers and communities behind the beans are treated and paid fairly, and that growing practices protect biodiversity and natural ecosystems. As a certified B Corp, Roast & Ground is also held to the highest standards of social and environmental performance across its entire business.
Want to go a step further? Consider a charity coffee; it encourages teamwork, boosts morale and contribution. Roast & Ground’s Fuel Their Day coffee supports Only A Pavement Away, which helps people facing homelessness find employment in the hospitality trade. For every pack sold, Roast & Ground customers donate 25p to the charity; Roast & Ground then matches the donation so that 50p per pack goes to Only A Pavement Away.
5. Make sure the coffee is calibrated to your machine.jpg?width=276&height=437&name=LOT%2084%20with%20caption%20(2).jpg)
The best coffee to serve at work is one designed – and calibrated – to work perfectly in your bean-to-cup machine. In fact, it’s this attention to detail that ensures your workplace coffee is as good as that made by a barista. It is a mistake to buy any old beans you fancy at the supermarket and tip them in the hopper.
“Every coffee is different,” Richard Gray explains. “and there are many factors to consider that influence the final result - bean choice, roast level, coffee machine equipment and set up, including optimal grind and brewing time. And when you work with Roast & Ground, we handle all those tiny details on your behalf.”
Roast & Ground’s expert engineers calibrate every machine ordered to bring out the best qualities of each client’s preferred coffees. The Roast & Ground team will also check your espresso is on point every time they visit, too, so you can rest assured your office coffee will keep tasting wonderful day after day.
In conclusion
Enjoying great coffee at work doesn’t start with the beans, it starts with the right coffee machine partner. Look for a real expert who will advise on the best machine for your needs, handle the installation, keep it running well year-round, and deliver a superb choice of eco-friendly, freshly roasted speciality coffees promptly, too.
Roast & Ground’s handpicked coffee machines come from leading brands including Rex-Royal, Jura and Coffetek, and our fully comprehensive service plans have earned us a reputation for 5-star customer service.
Click here to see the full Roast & Ground range of speciality coffees, and for all enquiries, contact hello@roastandground.co.uk
