Help! Coffee Maker Advice

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Roxanne Trees

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
122
Reaction score
45
I am considering a new coffee maker for the hall beverage center outside the guest rooms.
Right now I have a regular coffee maker that brews into a thermos for early guests that want a cup before they come down to breakfast. Of course, there are issues. I have had people get up and drink the entire pot before anyone else gets any. I have also had folks hit the brew button and then not drink any or only one cup leaving me an entire pot of coffee to pour down the drain.
I am thinking of a commercial one cup at a time brewer. I do not like the Keurigs as I do not think they brew very high quality coffee.
BUNN makes a one cup commercial machine that is designed for elevations over 4,000 feet (me). The drawback is that it is a pour-over type which means a potential mess for each cup. I am thinking that machine with a reservoir? Does this exist?
Each cup would be more expensive but the savings in entire wasted pots and the hassle of setting it up each night would be a good trade off. Also, folks who would like coffee (or tea) in the evenings can be accommodated. It is annoying to get the pot set for the next morning and have someone brew it that evening for one cup. Then I have to repeat the set-up process and waste the rest of that pot. Taking the pot upstairs in the morning is not an option because, like the folks who just checked out this morning, some people are up at 5 am...and this innkeeper is NOT!
Any advice, experiences or ideas would be appreciated.
I am pretty well set on commercial equipment. I have found it more than pays to go commercial on everything even though I only have four rooms.
 
We started with a large party type percolator. Changed to a Keurig. Most people love it.
They love that coffee and tea and hot chocolate are available all day.
They love choosing the strength and flavor of their coffee.
We love not having to watch over the coffee pot and the ease of cleanup.
There are rare mumblings about wastefulness and land fills. It is much more expensive than brewing.
But the good outweighs the bad for us.
 
We bought this coffee maker and the guests love it. I know you mentioned you are not a fan of the keurig but you can set it up like a coffee bar. Have a rounder with all kinds of different choices and guests will love this. Its very easy and it has a digital screen to give instructions. No mess. Just something to think about.
 
In the foyer we have an electric red teapot that sits on its "stand". (Stores sell them. We also have one for ourselves.) You push down the button and it heats the water. When it is done, it turns itself off. We keep it full and have individual wrapped packets of coffees, teas, and hot cocoa. (More expensive but worth it) Everyone is happy and it is used year around. It gets a lot of mentions in the air reviews especially in the winter. We have a pitcher of ice water and a container of ice as well. We call it our 24 hour drink bar.
Edited: Found on Ama zon… (Edited again…Tar get has it for same price)
Product Details
Hamilton Beach 1.7L Stainless Steel Electric Kettle 40894
by Hamilton Beach
$28.67 $29.92Prime
Get it by Friday, Sep 30
More Buying Choices
$28.67new(33 offers)
$20.37used(6 offers)
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,192
FREE Shipping on eligible orders See Details

Faster than a microwave, safer than a stovetop kettle
 
In the foyer we have an electric red teapot that sits on its "stand". (Stores sell them. We also have one for ourselves.) You push down the button and it heats the water. When it is done, it turns itself off. We keep it full and have individual wrapped packets of coffees, teas, and hot cocoa. (More expensive but worth it) Everyone is happy and it is used year around. It gets a lot of mentions in the air reviews especially in the winter. We have a pitcher of ice water and a container of ice as well. We call it our 24 hour drink bar.
Edited: Found on Ama zon… (Edited again…Tar get has it for same price)
Product Details
Hamilton Beach 1.7L Stainless Steel Electric Kettle 40894
by Hamilton Beach
$28.67 $29.92Prime
Get it by Friday, Sep 30
More Buying Choices
$28.67new(33 offers)
$20.37used(6 offers)
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,192
FREE Shipping on eligible orders See Details

Faster than a microwave, safer than a stovetop kettle.
I have the same pot up in the coffee center for tea and cocoa drinkers and the guests love it. Coffee is my issue. If I got a K-cup coffee maker it would take care of all beverages.
Another dilemma is whether or not to move the beverage bar down into the dining area on the buffet or leave it upstairs outside the guest rooms in the hall.
The plus side to moving it downstairs would be convenience for me and noise reduction in the hallway. Then folks would have to really, really want that cup o' joe to come down and get it! lol
 
We started with a large party type percolator. Changed to a Keurig. Most people love it.
They love that coffee and tea and hot chocolate are available all day.
They love choosing the strength and flavor of their coffee.
We love not having to watch over the coffee pot and the ease of cleanup.
There are rare mumblings about wastefulness and land fills. It is much more expensive than brewing.
But the good outweighs the bad for us..
If just found the GrindMaster RC-400 online. It has a reservoir (72 oz) or it can be plumbed in.
It uses k-cups for variety and is commercial quality. It isn't cheap at around $600 but you can replace parts.
I get the landfill thing but since I compost everything else I don't feel as guilty as I could.
wink_smile.gif

I will have to study on it.
 
We have a Keurig, we hate it.
For breakfast we just bought a new machine. It's the Optimal Brew with 12 cup thermal carafe... it's a different brand here, but shows up under Optimal Brew. Brews a pretty quick pot.
But we really don't offer coffee all day, very few people ask for it, mostly go for tea in the afternoon.
 
We started with a large party type percolator. Changed to a Keurig. Most people love it.
They love that coffee and tea and hot chocolate are available all day.
They love choosing the strength and flavor of their coffee.
We love not having to watch over the coffee pot and the ease of cleanup.
There are rare mumblings about wastefulness and land fills. It is much more expensive than brewing.
But the good outweighs the bad for us..
TheBeachHouse said:
There are rare mumblings about wastefulness and land fills. It is much more expensive than brewing.
But the good outweighs the bad for us.
Get the pods from this company - biodegradable. Then read their blog.
You'll need containers to store them in, I went with glass instead of plastic. Don't buy hot cocoa pods - they clog the machine.
 
We have a 4 cup coffee maker in each guest room, choice of coffee, decaf, tea and hot chocolate, guests have not been wasteful or messy, machine is inexpensive and you get 4 cups for the same cost as 1 cup for those who enjoy their morning coffee,
 
In the foyer we have an electric red teapot that sits on its "stand". (Stores sell them. We also have one for ourselves.) You push down the button and it heats the water. When it is done, it turns itself off. We keep it full and have individual wrapped packets of coffees, teas, and hot cocoa. (More expensive but worth it) Everyone is happy and it is used year around. It gets a lot of mentions in the air reviews especially in the winter. We have a pitcher of ice water and a container of ice as well. We call it our 24 hour drink bar.
Edited: Found on Ama zon… (Edited again…Tar get has it for same price)
Product Details
Hamilton Beach 1.7L Stainless Steel Electric Kettle 40894
by Hamilton Beach
$28.67 $29.92Prime
Get it by Friday, Sep 30
More Buying Choices
$28.67new(33 offers)
$20.37used(6 offers)
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,192
FREE Shipping on eligible orders See Details

Faster than a microwave, safer than a stovetop kettle.
We have this same model, very fast and solves the tea problem.
We also have Keurig, mainly to deal with decaf and flavored coffee at breakfast and all coffee outside of breakfast hours. It meets those needs, most guests are familiar with its operation - a big plus, brews an OK cup.
 
I have a keurig and I love it so obviously I disagree with your opinion about the quality coffee it makes.
For me, it depends on the cleanliness of the unit, the quality of the water and most of all the quality of the coffee.
A fresh, hot cuppa on demand is awesome and I found that guests loved ANY kind of hot coffee if there was a way to get it.
During breakfast and beyond I had huge electric coffee makers and would make one decaf one regular (less of decaf) of very inexpensive name brand coffee. Folks raved about it. Was nothing special in my opinion but I would never contradict a guest.
Just like the water dispenser I had. The bottle was labeled spring water but only because I couldn't remove the label. I filled that with tap water. People would rave about the spring water ... it WAS cold or hot, depending on how you set it. Never would I argue. Just 'so glad you like it.'
 
I agree on going with commercial equipment, even with two rooms as we have here.
That said, I brew the coffee in an old Capresso grind and brew, then pour into small or large(depending on guest load) pre-heated thermal carafes to take upstairs early. (I'm up to prep breakfasts anyway). I refresh coffee area as needed when delivering the carafes.
As a guest, I don't want to make it. I just want it ready to drink, with real half and half, or better, real milk to add. We have a guest fridge in the coffee/tea area outside their doors, stocked with half and half.
I use the old style Capresso because it makes the best darned coffee ever, from the Costco whole bean San Francisco roast. Guests frequently comment favorably on it.
So my system is a bit cumbersome, but no coffee making mess upstairs, no complicated information sheet on how to run an unfamiliar-to-guest machine, so easier in the long run.
 
I have a keurig and I love it so obviously I disagree with your opinion about the quality coffee it makes.
For me, it depends on the cleanliness of the unit, the quality of the water and most of all the quality of the coffee.
A fresh, hot cuppa on demand is awesome and I found that guests loved ANY kind of hot coffee if there was a way to get it.
During breakfast and beyond I had huge electric coffee makers and would make one decaf one regular (less of decaf) of very inexpensive name brand coffee. Folks raved about it. Was nothing special in my opinion but I would never contradict a guest.
Just like the water dispenser I had. The bottle was labeled spring water but only because I couldn't remove the label. I filled that with tap water. People would rave about the spring water ... it WAS cold or hot, depending on how you set it. Never would I argue. Just 'so glad you like it.'.
seashanty said:
I have a keurig and I love it so obviously I disagree with your opinion about the quality coffee it makes.
I don't drink coffee so I have no opinion. All I know is guests want coffee. And I don't want to make it at midnight. Or have the guests trying to get the Bunn running when they know nothing about it. We've had guests ask us to set up the machine so they can start it up at 5 AM. No. Here's the single serve machine, you have to use that.
We have 5-6 different coffee types, including 2 decaf blends. When I buy the pods I look at the chart to make sure I don't load up on weak coffee or too strong coffee. (Because I buy it by the name.)
I dislike Swiss Miss hot cocoa, but if that's all that's on offer I can make do for a couple of days. I hate to say it but some folks just have to get over themselves.
And we have (heaven forbid) tea BAGS. No, no loose leaf tea here. You want tea, you get a tea BAG. If that sends the guest over the edge, they were standing too close to it to begin with.
We've stayed at $400/night properties that didn't even have tea. You don't like Keurig coffee? Too bad. There was nothing else. You'd think they could afford tea and the good hot cocoa!
Well, what wound me up? Sorry, off the soapbox.
 
I bring my own teabags ... I like what I like. Just point me in the direction of hot water and I'm all set.
wink_smile.gif
 
I have a 4-liter Zojirushi water reservoir (Himself no longer has the strength to pick up a water kettle - I gave away the one we had) for our tea people and a Keurig for the coffee people for after breakfast hours. They are on the buffet in the dining room. It works for us. I have boxes of pods to choose from (espresso, decaf, kona blend, Donut Shop, and several cappuccinos. For teas, I have an entire hutch full of tins of loose teas (strainers, infusers, etc. there) plus many varieties of tea bags.
 
I have a keurig and I love it so obviously I disagree with your opinion about the quality coffee it makes.
For me, it depends on the cleanliness of the unit, the quality of the water and most of all the quality of the coffee.
A fresh, hot cuppa on demand is awesome and I found that guests loved ANY kind of hot coffee if there was a way to get it.
During breakfast and beyond I had huge electric coffee makers and would make one decaf one regular (less of decaf) of very inexpensive name brand coffee. Folks raved about it. Was nothing special in my opinion but I would never contradict a guest.
Just like the water dispenser I had. The bottle was labeled spring water but only because I couldn't remove the label. I filled that with tap water. People would rave about the spring water ... it WAS cold or hot, depending on how you set it. Never would I argue. Just 'so glad you like it.'.
seashanty said:
I have a keurig and I love it so obviously I disagree with your opinion about the quality coffee it makes.
I don't drink coffee so I have no opinion. All I know is guests want coffee. And I don't want to make it at midnight. Or have the guests trying to get the Bunn running when they know nothing about it. We've had guests ask us to set up the machine so they can start it up at 5 AM. No. Here's the single serve machine, you have to use that.
We have 5-6 different coffee types, including 2 decaf blends. When I buy the pods I look at the chart to make sure I don't load up on weak coffee or too strong coffee. (Because I buy it by the name.)
I dislike Swiss Miss hot cocoa, but if that's all that's on offer I can make do for a couple of days. I hate to say it but some folks just have to get over themselves.
And we have (heaven forbid) tea BAGS. No, no loose leaf tea here. You want tea, you get a tea BAG. If that sends the guest over the edge, they were standing too close to it to begin with.
We've stayed at $400/night properties that didn't even have tea. You don't like Keurig coffee? Too bad. There was nothing else. You'd think they could afford tea and the good hot cocoa!
Well, what wound me up? Sorry, off the soapbox.
.
Morticia said:
seashanty said:
I have a keurig and I love it so obviously I disagree with your opinion about the quality coffee it makes.
I don't drink coffee so I have no opinion. All I know is guests want coffee. And I don't want to make it at midnight.
Ah, another non-coffee drinker! But my aunt loves for me to make the coffee since I do a good job. I have a friend who flies around doing coffees at weddings, etc. He sets up a table with like six different kinds of coffees for the guests. (He roasts, grinds, etc. it all) He gives them all a unique name. His most popular is "The Real Man Coffee".
 
I have a keurig and I love it so obviously I disagree with your opinion about the quality coffee it makes.
For me, it depends on the cleanliness of the unit, the quality of the water and most of all the quality of the coffee.
A fresh, hot cuppa on demand is awesome and I found that guests loved ANY kind of hot coffee if there was a way to get it.
During breakfast and beyond I had huge electric coffee makers and would make one decaf one regular (less of decaf) of very inexpensive name brand coffee. Folks raved about it. Was nothing special in my opinion but I would never contradict a guest.
Just like the water dispenser I had. The bottle was labeled spring water but only because I couldn't remove the label. I filled that with tap water. People would rave about the spring water ... it WAS cold or hot, depending on how you set it. Never would I argue. Just 'so glad you like it.'.
LOL! Do not argue with a happy guest.
I am fortunate in that I do have spring water. I use Trader Joe's Bay Blend Ultra Dark roast and my guests love it.
 
We have a Keurig that is on the counter of our dining room. We keep lots of different pods, cocoa, hot chocolate available 24/7. We also have a selection of tea bags, reg. And herbal. At breakfast we serve French Press freshly ground coffee. Honestly I like the Keurig best.
 
You can add me to the pro-Keurig clan. Rather than have coffee sit and go stale, better to only make a cup when guest needs it. Really trying to get to biodegradable, though.
We actually put one in each of our suites so guests in our two other buildings on property don't have to come to the Main House for coffee.
 
Back
Top