I have about $5k or a little more to get a setup for the office. I'm thinking Rocket R58 or R60V and Mazzer Mini.

Any other suggestions for a semi-auto setup around $5k?

I'm fighting for a semi-automatic machine but there is an argument for a super automatic. Are there any super automatic machines worth getting? It's kind of the opposite of what I would want but majority rules...

Profitec Pro 700 and a k30 or a peak.

It sounds like When you're buying for an office or some other communal situation, it's hard to go any route other than super auto when lay users are involved. I would recommend doing everything you can to make it skill/care indepentant:

Duel Boiler
Volumetric Dosing
Plumbed in
Plumbed out
Time/Weight based grind on demand grinder

I think a Compak E10 or F10 and a La Spaziale Dream would be the best alternative to a large super-auto within your budget. That's $2300 for the F10 and $2300 for the Dream. If you can't plumb in and out directly, I would make the extra effort to run off of a FloJet with water bottles. If you're going to be doing milk, I strongly recommend a counter top Rinser (a little pricy from EspressoParts, cheaper ones can be had elsewhere).

Or you could just get a Breville Oracle or Grinder/BDB combo and see how things go...

Rocket R58 and Mazzer Mini would be a good choice.

LMLM and k30 Vario!

R58, Mazzer, and a cheap superauto for the people who don't care to learn.

Can I come work there?

Portlandia wrote:LMLM and k30 Vario!

+1

But seriously, if this is for community use, you should really go with the below

russel wrote:It sounds like When you're buying for an office or some other communal situation, it's hard to go any route other than super auto when lay users are involved. I would recommend doing everything you can to make it skill/care indepentant:

Duel Boiler
Volumetric Dosing
Plumbed in
Plumbed out
Time/Weight based grind on demand grinder

As anyone here can testify, there is a lot of variables that go into espresso extraction that, if uncared for, will leave the end user highly unsatisfied. Even if you train your staff on how to use it, a lot of them may not care enough to grasp it and might end up in a place where they see the semi-auto+grinder as a waste of money and space, or the one guy who knows what he's doing get's conned into making everyone's drinks (which, if it were me, I honestly wouldn't mind). A super-auto is hard to argue against in your particular situation. Yeah, it won't make absolutely stellar, fruity, sweet shots, but it gives everyone in the office - who must be considered in this situation - the quickest, most user-friendly coffee acquisition experience.

I agree that a super auto is the way to go for an office situation unless it's an office of all engineering types who would enjoy the challenge of making good coffee and are prepared to back flush regularly etc.. Ensure you have a good maintenance contract and don't skip on the quality of the coffee. We have a great super auto in our office but because the beans are crap it produces coffee that tastes like stale drip. Unfortunately I don't know much about super autos so I can't recommend a specific model or even brand. Something like this at least hits your price point: https://www.wholelattelove.com/products/jura-giga-5

How many people are we talking here?

Seems like with time/weight-based grinder that is consistent, the Espro calibrated tamper, and a commercial semi-auto machine (not an HX to avoid the cooling flushes), many (most?) people could learn how to pull reasonable shots semi-consistently. Couple thoughts:

- Get a machine that can pull shots back-to-back. Someone should be able to walk up and pull a shot without worrying if the temp/pressure has recovered.
- As was mentioned above, I think you'll want to plumb in or rig something with 5gal bottles so you don't have to worry about filling a cold-water reservoir. - I'd put the machine on a wall outlet timer so it powers on an hour before the office is typically opened and turns off at the end of the day so nobody has to worry about warm-up time.
- You choose the beans and dial in the grind fineness and dosage (or grind time, if it's a time-based grinder).
- Print simple instructions and put them on the wall

If people are having trouble, just let everyone know that you'll make time to help them. As was suggested above, maybe also buy a cheap Keurig-style machine for the coffee-challenged.

Seems simple enough. Honestly, for as many people who drink terrible coffee at Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, etc, I think nobody will notice if they pull a bad-mediocre shot. It might be hard to teach people to steam/froth milk well...but again at many chain stores, the steamed milk comes out pretty awful and nobody seems to care.

FWIW, we just bought a Londinum 1 for our small office setting (lab research group) with similar intentions as I outlined above. I wouldn't use this machine in an office environment with more people and sometimes visitors/guests (recovery is slow, lever would be a tough sell, etc), but it fit our budget and the coffee needs of us 5 engineers.

Thanks for all the replies, I like the suggestions. I also like this idea...if it's in the budget right?

Headala wrote:R58, Mazzer, and a cheap superauto for the people who don't care to learn.

Can I come work there?

LMLM would be nice...

It would be fully plumbed and have someone come service it as needed. So with that kind of investment involved the super auto talks start to crop up. If it were a setup under $2k that I filled with water over on the back table I would just get that and be done with it and 4 of us would use it. But we want it to be a little more than that so now the discussion is getting bigger. It's hard to go through all that and not include more people's desires.

So right now we have a pour over station with V60, Chemex and a Baratza Forte. I make sure we have good fresh beans all the time. There are about 15-20 of us but then clients and other people roll through. I'd say only 6 or 7 of us do the pourover. Even if I show them or print out instructions, people don't care or can't taste the difference. We're designers and mechanical engineers so you would think more would care!

There is an automatic Moccamaster for when there are more people or for those who don't want to do a pourover. The other half just go downstairs and get starbucks or drink the "swill" that the company provides at the main kitchen.

So like everyone has mentioned with the semi auto I might be making coffee for everyone which could be more fun than the day to day. Maybe a sub $1k superauto will suffice the non manual crew.