Seeking the Best Office Coffee Setup? 3 Options Employees Will Love.

If 2023 was any indication, coffee continues to be a core component of the office experience. Last year, Crafty clients spent 64% more of their F&B budget in the office coffee category than in 2022. 

Ninety percent of companies will return to the office by the end of 2024, and as employees cram offices once again, they’ll be reaching for caffeine to keep them alert. Bringing your team the comforts of a coffee shop is one way to keep them engaged and help them feel appreciated. It’ll also save them money. Grabbing a cuppa from their favorite coffee shop on the way to the office costs them $1.24 to $5 per day.

Crafty is a leading office coffee delivery service for top workplaces, managing 300+ global client offices and serving more than 300,000 employees per month. For workplace teams searching for the best office coffee setup, let us walk you through three options that’ll fit any budget and space. Plus, we’ll share the internal data we’ve gathered to help guide your strategy.

3 Options for Your Office Coffee Setup

Option 1: Single-Serve Cans and Bottles

Cost: $ 

Best for: Small-to-medium-sized offices that want the convenience of grab-and-go coffee drinks without a significant equipment investment.

Pros

• Affordable. Individually packaged beverages don’t have as high of an upfront cost as installing sophisticated espresso machines.
• Easy to implement. While equipment like bean-to-cup coffee machines and kegerators require things like electric and water lines, single-serve cans need nothing more than refrigeration.
• Convenient. Employees don’t need to be amateur baristas. They can just grab their drink and get on with their work

Cons

• Lack of customization. With single-serve bottles, you sacrifice customization for convenience.
• Packaging waste. Single-serve cans and bottles contribute to excess waste. But we encourage you to recycle when possible.

Coffee Station Staples

Single-Serve Cold Brew

Cold-Brew Kegs

Kegerators are a great way to offer cold brew while cutting down on packaging waste. They’re also more affordable, with a lower cost per serving than single-serve cans. A freestanding kegerator can fit into any space you find as long as it has access to an outlet. And our Field Ops team will take care of refilling them and wiping them down.

Tea

Not everyone drinks coffee, so be sure to stock up on both caffeinated and herbal teas to be mindful of your team’s diverse preferences. 

• Pure Leaf Unsweetened Black Tea: This Pure Leaf tea has been a Crafty client favorite and has no added sugar or colors.
• ITO EN Oi Ocha - Unsweetened Green Tea: Your team will love this unsweetened green tea from an AAPI-owned company and Japan's #1 green tea brand.
• Just Ice Tea Berry Hibiscus Herbal Tea: For a refreshing tea without caffeine, this hibiscus herbal tea hydrates and is high in antioxidants.

Kombucha

Kombucha’s main ingredient is tea, meaning most kombucha has caffeine in it, though a lot less than the amount in coffee. 

• GT's Kombucha - Synergy Gingerade: This organic and raw kombucha packs an extra kick with fresh-pressed ginger juice.
• Health-Ade Pink Lady Apple Kombucha: Another organic and raw option, this Health-Ade kombucha has cold-pressed apple juice for a fruitier flavor.

Cocoa

• Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate: For a hot cocoa option, you can’t go wrong with a classic: Swiss Miss.

Option 2: Office Coffee Machine  Setups

Cost: $$$

Best for: Medium-to-large-sized offices that want to give employees the power to craft their own coffee drinks to their liking

Pros

• Customization: Bean-to-cup coffee machines and milk frothers give your employees the highest level of drink customization, whether they’re craving an Americano, cappuccino, or the well-loved latte.
• Premium taste: Nothing beats freshly ground coffee from a high-end machine. It’s why that cup from your coffee shop always tastes better.
• Handles larger capacities: Crafty has machines that can brew 280 cups per hour and beyond. So for enterprises with 200+ headcount, coffee equipment setups are the way to go

Cons

• Larger investment: This coffee setup requires not just the money but also the infrastructure to support it, including countertop space, water and electrical lines, and floor drains.
• Learning curve: It might take some time for employees to figure out all the bells and whistles on a machine.
• Maintenance: Top-of-the-line coffee equipment requires regular maintenance (but with Crafty as your service provider, we’ll take care of that for you)

Coffee Station Staples

For workplaces intent on crafting an immersive coffee shop experience, having bean-to-cup espresso or commercial drip machines onsite is a fantastic investment. Your staff will feel pampered and perked up thanks to this office coffee setup.

When it comes to sourcing equipment, Crafty has many options available for free with a monthly spend, for rent, or for purchase, including:

Nespresso Pod Machine

• Nespresso Momento 100: For a fast single-serve option with a smaller carbon footprint, the Nespresso Momento 100 has you covered. With its QR-scan technology, your team can order coffee right from their mobile device. And thanks to Nespresso's sustainability mission and capsule recycling program, you can enjoy a good cup of espresso without feeling bad. Talk about efficiency! The Nespresso Momento 100 is best for offices of 100 people or fewer.

Bean-to-Cup Espresso Machine

• WMF 1500S+ Three Hopper Bean-to-cup Espresso Machine: This is a coffee lover’s dream. With two bean hoppers, a manual insert for other options such as decaf, a Choc Mixer for hot chocolate, milk systems, and a touch screen display—this is what you install if you want to offer your employees a premium coffee experience and a plethora of options. It’s designed for making an average of 180 cups per day.

Classic Drip Coffee Machine

• BUNN Infusion Twin Tall: When you’re brewing coffee at scale, drip is the way to go. And with the BUNN Infusion Twin Tall, you can serve a staggering 280 drinks per hour. It ain’t fancy, but it’s a workhorse: consistent, reliable, and powerful. If you need less, opt for the Infusion Single Tall.

Option 3: Combination

Cost: $$$$

Best for: Large offices that want to blend the best of both worlds!

Pros

• Highest level of variety and customization
• Premium taste
• Highest capacity

Cons

• Significant investment
• Learning curve
• Maintenance

If you want to communicate to your employees that you truly value them and their office experience, combining single-serve options with premium coffee machines gets that message across loud and clear. 

You can set up a kegerator to keep your team’s favorite cold brew or kombucha on tap (and rotate options!); stock the fridge with a variety of canned coffees, bottled teas, and dairy and plant-based milks; and give them the ultimate gift of customization with bean-to-cup espresso machines and milk frothers. With this office coffee setup, your employees will look forward to coming to work!