Buying a refurbished coffee machine isn’t just a way to save money. It’s also a form of recycling and gives a perfectly good machine a new life and a chance to deliver delicious coffee to even more people.
With prices rising all the time and inflation putting pressure on resources, it’s natural to turn to used or refurbished items to save a little money.
As long as you choose carefully, there’s no reason why you couldn’t get as much satisfaction out of a refurbished commercial coffee machine as you could from a brand new one.
If you’re considering going down this route, there are a few things you should know.
Fortunately, most of the points are exactly the same as if you were buying brand new.
Do your research
Check what features you need from your coffee machine, check what brands provide reliable service over the longer term and what brands can be effectively refurbished.
In our experience, it’s the higher tier brands with better build quality and more steel components that can be most effectively refurbished.
Steel can resist constant use better than plastics or composites and parts can be replaced more easily too.
Assess your needs
We touched on assessing your needs during research, but it’s an important aspect to consider and warrants more discussion.
We would recommend using the same criteria for assessing a refurbished commercial coffee machine as you would a brand new one.
Consider:
You need the right tool for the job in every instance and a refurbished commercial coffee machine is no different.
If you know you’ll need a new feature, such as an ordering app or contactless, then you may have to buy a new machine.
If you know you can do without the latest features, as long as your coffee machine can reliably deliver fresh coffee day in day out, refurbished machines will get you what you want.
Set your budget
Setting a budget is essential with any purchase, business or otherwise. With a market full of products of every shape or size and at every price point, it’s easy to become seduced into overspending.
You need the right tool for the job and for your needs. Once you have assessed those needs and know what you can get for your money through research, you can set a realistic budget.
Budgeting is important. One of the main benefits of buying a refurbished commercial coffee machine is to save money. There’s no point doing that if you’re going to spend similar amounts as a brand new machine.
Check what’s available on the market
Provenance is important with any large purchase. You ideally need to know how old the machine is, who is selling it, whether it has been fully checked or simply cleaned up and prepared for sale.
Quality refurbished commercial coffee machines will have been serviced regularly since new by expert engineers.
These checks should offer better reliability and a much longer operating life than a used coffee machine that hasn’t been looked after in this way.
Choose your seller carefully
We use platforms like eBay and online marketplaces for many things, but we wouldn’t suggest using them for something like a refurbished commercial coffee machine.
While you can find them on the marketplace, there is absolutely no guarantee of quality, whether it has been refurbished or not, whether it has been cared for to a high standard using manufacturer parts.
Those sources are fine for cheaper items or consumables. But we definitely wouldn’t recommend using a marketplace to procure a commercial coffee machine!
While we are obviously biased, we would definitely recommend buying from a supplier you can trust.
A coffee machine supplier with a track record of delivering quality across the board, from coffee beans to bean to cup coffee machines.
In an operating environment where you really do get what you pay for, selecting your source carefully is well worth the time and effort.
Make sure it comes with a warranty
Finally, when you’re buying a refurbished commercial coffee machine, make sure it comes with some kind of warranty.
If it truly has been well maintained using official parts, the seller should have no problem providing a warranty for it.
While it won’t be the full warranty you get with a brand new machine, it should be sufficient for you to be able to assess its reliability and dependability.
The benefits of buying refurbished commercial coffee machines
The above covered how we would recommend going about buying a refurbished commercial coffee machine.
Now let’s take a quick look at the benefits of buying used.
Cost savings
The obvious benefit of buying a used machine is that it should be cheaper than a new one. How much cheaper will depend on the make, model, age and the condition, but you would expect to save a significant amount.
Sensible recycling
Every business has to embrace sustainability in one form or another. It makes a lot of business sense but staff also demand it.
Buying a used item is a small, but important way to contribute to your overall sustainability goals. The coffee machine won’t go to waste and can continue to provide delicious fresh coffee for many years to come.
Buy a better machine than you can afford
Some coffee machine brands are more expensive than others. They tend to justify their price with higher build quality, more features, higher capacity or a combination of all three.
Buying a used model enables you to perhaps enjoy a brand of machine you would otherwise not be able to afford.
You get all the enjoyment and fulfilment of the brand and what it offers, just without the knowledge that you’re the first.
Buying refurbished commercial coffee machines
There is a lot to recommend buying a refurbished commercial coffee machine. They will be cheaper, you can buy a brand you may not otherwise be able to afford and you’re contributing to reuse and sustainability.
When there are few compromises to be made in terms of quality and reliability, buying a used coffee machine makes perfect sense.
As long as you buy the right tool for the job and buy from a quality brand from a reputable seller, there is every reason to think you’ll get amazing value out of your refurbished commercial coffee machine!
Contact Roast & Ground today for expert advice on purchasing a new or refurbished commercial coffee machine.