Choosing an office coffee machine based only on the number of employees can lead to an expensive mistake. A 20-person office where everyone drinks coffee throughout the day may put more pressure on a machine than a 50-person workplace where many employees work remotely.
The better approach is to start with cups per day, then consider peak usage, drink preferences, water supply, milk requirements, available space and maintenance.
For a UK workplace, this matters because coffee consumption is rarely evenly distributed. Morning arrivals, meetings, breaks and busy office days can create short periods of heavy demand. Current UK guidance from commercial coffee suppliers consistently recommends sizing a machine around actual drink consumption rather than simply counting employees.
At Coffeeology, the commercial range includes bean-to-cup, traditional and instant coffee machines, as well as different configurations for workplace environments.
This guide explains how to choose the right commercial coffee machine for an office, whether you have 20, 50 or 100+ staff.
Quick Answer: What Size Coffee Machine Does Your Office Need?
There is no universal machine size for a particular headcount. However, you can use daily coffee demand as a starting point.
For example, if 20 staff members collectively use around 40–60 coffee drinks a day, a machine rated comfortably above that volume may be appropriate. At 50 staff, demand can easily reach around 100–150 drinks a day. A 100-person office may require 200 or more drinks per day, particularly when attendance, visitors and peak periods are taken into account.
Some UK commercial coffee providers use approximately two to three drinks per coffee-drinking employee per day as a planning assumption, while others recommend calculating actual workplace consumption before selecting equipment.
The important point is this:
Do not buy a 50-cup machine simply because you have 50 employees. Buy a machine that can comfortably handle your expected daily drinks and your busiest periods.
How to Calculate Coffee Demand in Your Office
Start with the number of people actually present in the workplace rather than the total number of employees.
This is particularly important for hybrid businesses. A company may employ 100 people but have only 50 or 60 people in the office on an average day. Conversely, a company with 50 employees may have almost everyone on site every day.
A simple starting calculation is:
Number of coffee drinkers × average drinks per person = estimated daily coffee demand
For example:
20 staff × 2 drinks = 40 drinks per day
50 staff × 2 drinks = 100 drinks per day
100 staff × 2 drinks = 200 drinks per day
These are planning figures rather than guarantees. Actual consumption can be higher or lower depending on working patterns, coffee preferences, visitors and the availability of tea and other drinks.
Some current UK office coffee guidance uses two to three drinks per coffee drinker as a general planning range.
It is also sensible to leave some headroom rather than choosing a machine that operates at its stated maximum every day.
Office Coffee Machine for 20 Staff
A 20-person office will usually have very different requirements from a large corporate workplace.
If around 15 people drink coffee and each has two drinks during the working day, that is approximately 30 drinks. If nearly everyone drinks coffee twice, demand could be around 40 drinks. Add meetings, visitors and occasional heavier-use days and the required capacity can increase.
For this size of workplace, a compact commercial bean-to-cup coffee machine can be a practical option where staff want fresh coffee without having a dedicated barista.
The machine does not necessarily need to be physically large. What matters is having sufficient daily capacity, a suitable bean hopper, enough water capacity or a mains connection, and a cleaning routine that fits the office.
Coffeeology's Franke A300, for example, is a compact commercial bean-to-cup machine with a published capacity of up to 80 drinks per day. It can operate using either tank-fill or plumbed water and includes a 4-litre milk fridge in the Coffeeology configuration.
That makes this type of machine worth considering for a smaller workplace where expected demand sits comfortably below its rated capacity.
A small office should also think carefully about counter space. Paying for a much larger machine can be unnecessary if the office rarely approaches its capacity.
Office Coffee Machine for 50 Staff
A 50-person office is where machine sizing becomes more important.
Using two drinks per coffee drinker as an initial planning figure, 50 people could generate around 100 drinks per day. At three drinks per person, the figure becomes 150.
That puts a 50-person office into a different equipment category from a small workplace.
A machine rated at 80 drinks per day, for example, would not provide much headroom for a workplace regularly consuming 100–150 drinks. This is why looking at the published daily capacity is more useful than matching the machine's name or marketing category to the number of employees.
Coffeeology's commercial range includes larger Coffetek and Franke bean-to-cup machines for workplaces requiring greater capacity. The Coffetek Vitro S1 Espresso, for example, is designed as a professional bean-to-cup machine and Coffeeology publishes a daily capacity of up to 250 cups for its table-top configuration. Coffeeology
The important distinction is that maximum daily capacity is not the same as ideal daily workload. You should not deliberately choose a machine that will be pushed to its published maximum every working day.
For a 50-person workplace, also consider whether the machine needs to serve:
- Espresso and Americano
- Cappuccino and latte
- Flat white
- Hot chocolate
- Tea or hot water
- Fresh milk
- Decaffeinated coffee
- Different drink strengths
A larger menu can influence the machine configuration even when the number of staff remains unchanged.
Office Coffee Machine for 100+ Staff
Once you reach 100 or more staff, daily volume and peak demand become much more important than simple machine size.
If 100 employees each have two coffees, that is approximately 200 drinks per day. At three drinks each, the requirement rises to around 300.
And that is before considering visitors, meetings or unusually busy office days.
For a large workplace, choosing a machine with insufficient capacity can create queues, frequent refilling and unnecessary interruptions. Current UK commercial guidance also highlights that larger offices may require machines capable of 200+ cups per day or even multiple machines, depending on usage. UK
Coffeeology's range includes machines designed for substantially higher commercial demand. The Franke A1000, for example, is listed with a capacity of up to 300 cups per day, a 2kg whole-bean capacity and options for one, two or three bean hoppers.
The A1000 also includes a 12-litre milk fridge, integrated cleaning programmes and a hot-water function, making the configuration relevant to larger self-service workplace environments.
For some 100+ staff workplaces, one high-capacity machine may be suitable. For others, two strategically positioned machines may provide a better experience.
That depends on the building layout, number of floors, kitchen locations and where employees naturally take breaks.
Why Peak Demand Matters More Than Daily Capacity
This is one of the most overlooked parts of choosing an office coffee machine.
Imagine your office needs 150 drinks over an eight-hour working day. On paper, a machine rated for 150 drinks might appear suitable.
But suppose 70% of those drinks are made during a two-hour morning period.
That means roughly 105 drinks are required in two hours.
The problem is no longer simply the machine's daily capacity. It is how quickly the machine can produce drinks while maintaining a reasonable user experience.
Recent UK office coffee guidance specifically highlights peak periods such as mornings and breaks when calculating workplace requirements.
This is why Coffeeology recommends thinking beyond a single "cups per day" figure.
Ask yourself:
When are most of the drinks being made?
If everyone arrives between 8:30 and 9:00am and immediately heads for the coffee machine, throughput becomes much more important.
Should You Buy One Large Machine or Two Smaller Machines?
For a large office, two machines are not automatically better.
One larger machine can simplify:
- Cleaning
- Refilling
- Servicing
- Bean management
- Staff training
- Space planning
However, two machines can make sense when demand is spread across different areas of a building.
For example, a 120-person office occupying two floors may benefit from one coffee station on each floor rather than forcing everyone towards a single kitchen.
There is also a resilience advantage. If one machine requires servicing, another machine can continue to serve employees.
The decision should therefore consider location as well as capacity.
Bean-to-Cup vs Traditional Coffee Machines for an Office
The number of employees is only one part of the decision. You also need to consider how coffee will actually be prepared.
A bean-to-cup coffee machine automatically grinds coffee beans and prepares drinks at the machine. This can make it suitable for self-service workplaces where employees want a range of drinks without requiring barista skills.
Coffeeology's commercial range includes bean-to-cup machines from brands such as Franke and Coffetek.
A traditional espresso machine is different. It generally requires someone with the skills and time to prepare espresso-based drinks, manage the grinder and handle the milk.
Traditional machines can therefore make more sense where a trained operator is available or where coffee preparation is part of the service being offered.
For a typical self-service office, a fully automatic commercial machine is often the simpler operational model.
Fresh Milk or Powdered Milk: Which Is Better for an Office?
Milk choice can significantly affect how an office coffee station operates.
Fresh-milk machines can provide drinks such as cappuccino, latte and flat white using refrigerated milk. They can be attractive for workplaces where milk-based drinks are popular and drink quality is a priority.
However, fresh milk also means the workplace needs to consider refrigeration, milk storage and cleaning.
Coffeeology's Franke A300 and A600 configurations include fresh-milk refrigeration, while its wider commercial range includes different machine configurations and ingredient systems.
A powdered or soluble milk system can simplify ingredient handling in certain workplaces.
There is no universally superior option. The right choice depends on how important fresh milk drinks are to your employees, how much maintenance your team is prepared to manage and how the machine will be used.
Do You Need a Plumbed-In Coffee Machine?
Water supply is another important consideration when choosing a commercial coffee machine for an office.
A small office may be able to use a machine with a built-in water tank. As consumption increases, repeatedly filling the tank becomes less convenient.
A mains-fed machine can provide a continuous water supply, subject to suitable installation and filtration.
Coffeeology offers machines with different water configurations. The Franke A300, for example, supports both tank-fill and plumbed water options, while its Coffeeology configuration includes installation with a Brita filter.
For a busy workplace, a plumbed-in system can reduce the number of manual refills and make the coffee station easier to manage.
However, installation requirements should always be checked before choosing the machine.
How Much Space Does an Office Coffee Machine Need?
Capacity is important, but so is the physical footprint.
A machine needs more than enough room for its own dimensions. You should also allow space for:
- Cups
- Coffee beans or ingredients
- Milk
- Sugar and stirrers
- Waste
- Cleaning supplies
- User access
Coffeeology's Franke A600, for example, measures 750mm high, 340mm wide and 600mm deep and weighs 38kg.
The A1000 has the same listed height and depth but is 58kg, demonstrating why installation and positioning become increasingly important with larger commercial equipment.
Before buying, measure the intended location rather than assuming the machine will fit.
How Maintenance Changes With Office Size
A larger office coffee machine does not eliminate maintenance.
It changes the scale of it.
As usage increases, you need to think about:
- Daily cleaning
- Milk-system cleaning
- Bean and ingredient refilling
- Waste-container emptying
- Descaling
- Water filtration
- Scheduled servicing
Modern commercial machines can reduce some of the manual work through automated cleaning programmes. Coffeeology's Franke A300 and A600, for example, include integrated rinsing and cleaning programmes.
For a busy office, however, someone still needs responsibility for checking the machine and keeping consumables available.
This is why maintenance should be considered before purchase rather than after installation.
What About Hybrid and Flexible Offices?
Headcount can become misleading in a hybrid workplace.
A company with 100 employees may have only 40 people in the office on most days but 90 people attending on a particular Monday.
If you size the machine around the average attendance, you could struggle on your busiest days.
Instead, look at your peak realistic attendance.
Review:
- Maximum people usually on site
- Busiest weekdays
- Meeting days
- Client visits
- Staff events
- Seasonal changes
- Number of regular coffee drinkers
This approach produces a more realistic picture of what your coffee machine needs to handle.
A Simple Office Coffee Machine Sizing Guide
The following is a starting framework rather than a fixed rule.
| Office size | Starting daily demand | What to prioritise |
|---|---|---|
| 20 staff | 40–60 drinks | Compact commercial machine |
| 50 staff | 100–150 drinks | Higher daily capacity |
| 100 staff | 200–300 drinks | High-output machine |
| 100+ staff | 200+ drinks | Capacity, throughput and location |
These figures assume approximately two to three drinks per coffee-drinking employee and should be adjusted for actual attendance and consumption. UK commercial coffee guidance uses similar consumption-based approaches, while stressing that workplaces differ considerably.
Coffeeology Machines Worth Considering by Office Size
Coffeeology's range gives businesses several routes depending on expected demand.
For a smaller office, the Franke A300 offers up to 80 drinks per day, fresh milk capability and either tank-fill or plumbed water.
For higher-demand environments, the Coffetek Vitro S1 Espresso is a larger professional option with Coffeeology listing capacity of up to 250 cups per day for its table-top configuration.
For larger workplaces, the Franke A1000 is designed for high-output environments and is listed by Coffeeology at up to 300 cups per day.
The Franke A600 sits within Coffeeology's commercial office range and offers features including a 1.2kg whole-bean capacity, fresh-milk refrigeration, touchscreen operation, cleaning programmes and optional twin bean hoppers.
These should be treated as starting points rather than automatic recommendations. Your actual drink volume, peak demand, menu, space and installation requirements should determine the final choice.
The Biggest Mistake: Choosing by Staff Numbers Alone
The question "How many employees do you have?" is useful, but it should not be the first and only question.
A better assessment asks:
How many people are actually on site?
How many drink coffee?
How many drinks are consumed each day?
When does most consumption happen?
What drinks do employees expect?
Do you need fresh milk?
Is a mains water connection available?
How much space is available?
Who will manage cleaning and refilling?
Once you answer those questions, selecting the right office coffee machine size becomes considerably easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size coffee machine do I need for 20 employees?
For 20 employees, start by estimating actual coffee consumption rather than buying a machine designed specifically for "20 people". Around 40–60 drinks per day may be a reasonable initial planning range, depending on attendance and drinking habits.
What size coffee machine do I need for 50 employees?
A 50-person office could require around 100–150 drinks per day if coffee consumption averages two to three drinks per coffee drinker. A machine with substantially more capacity than the minimum requirement gives you better headroom for busy days.
What coffee machine do I need for 100 employees?
A 100-person office could require around 200–300 drinks per day at two to three drinks per person. At this scale, consider daily capacity, peak throughput, water supply, milk system and whether one or multiple machines would provide the better setup.
Is a bean-to-cup coffee machine good for an office?
Yes, particularly for self-service workplaces that want automatically prepared espresso-based drinks without requiring every user to have barista skills. Coffeeology offers several commercial bean-to-cup configurations for workplace use.
Should I buy a coffee machine bigger than my current office needs?
Some additional capacity is sensible, particularly if your business is growing or has unpredictable attendance. However, buying a substantially oversized machine can increase equipment and operating costs without providing meaningful benefits.
Do large offices need two coffee machines?
Not always. One high-capacity machine may be suitable, but two machines can make sense when employees are spread across multiple floors or coffee demand is concentrated in different areas. The layout of the workplace should form part of the decision.
Is coffee machine capacity the same as cups per hour?
No. A machine's published daily capacity and its ability to serve drinks quickly during busy periods are different considerations. A workplace should evaluate both average daily demand and peak usage.
How to Choose Your Office Coffee Machine With Coffeeology
Choosing an office coffee machine should start with your workplace rather than a particular model.
Calculate your realistic daily drinks, identify your busiest periods, decide which drinks you want to provide and check the available space and water supply. Then compare machines based on capacity, configuration, maintenance and long-term suitability.
Coffeeology's commercial range includes Coffetek, Franke, Gaggia and other professional coffee equipment, covering different workplace requirements from compact installations to higher-output environments.
If you are unsure whether your workplace needs a compact machine, a higher-capacity bean-to-cup system or a larger commercial setup, reviewing your expected consumption with the machine specifications is a better starting point than choosing purely by employee count.
Need help choosing the right commercial coffee machine for your workplace? Browse Coffeeology's office coffee machine range and compare the available commercial options for your expected daily demand.