Coffee In The Office - The In-Cup Machine

There are a wide variety of drinks vending machines available these days, so much so that the choice can seem a bit overwhelming. In this article we take a closer look and one particular type of drinks machine - the in-cup drinks machine.

In cup drinks machines are different from all other types of drinks machine in as much as the ingredients are already prefilled in the plastic cup prior to loading into the machine. The ingredients are purchased from the supplier in this format, so that all that is required is for the stack of prefilled plastic cups to be loaded into the machine.

Therein lies one of the major benefits of this type of system - it is very easy to load and maintain the machine. More traditional types of machine use hoppers or canisters to hold the loose ingredients which can cause some cross contamination of products when the canisters are topped up and are more prone to spillage and general untidiness. This problem is totally alleviated with in-cup ingredients and all the operator needs to do is put the appropriate stack of in-cup drinks in the right section of the machine.

For a small office or workshop the typical machine may offer 5 or 6 drink selections. The drink choices may typically be set up as white coffee, black coffee, white tea, chocolate and a soup. However changing drink choice in an in cup machine is incredibly easy and all that is required is to change the stack of prefilled cups in the machine and amend the selection label on the front of the machine.

Staff or visitors simply make a drink selection, add sugar if required and then add hot water by pushing a button.

Although primarily considered an instant drinks machine many companies choose the fresh leaf tea option. In this case the plastic cups are pre-filled with tea bag and whitener enabling fresh tea to be served from the machine. Some companies may even be able to offer a fresh coffee option too.

It should be noted that since the ingredients are prefilled at the factory it is required to purchase both black coffee and white coffee as separate products as the only thing that can be added by the machine is sugar and water.

In-cup machines are generally extremely reliable as they have very few moving parts and can usually be set up as coin controlled or free vend. This allows the company to cover the cost of the drinks and the machine rental should they wish and even make a profit in some circumstances.

Generally speaking in-cup machines are an excellent choice for the smaller office, work shop or trade counter. They offer excellent value for money, are extremely flexible and are easy to run and maintain.

For more information on in-cup drinks machines and other types of coffee machine visit http://www.cafebar.co.uk/Default.aspx?page=319

Vending Machines In The Schools

If you are considering approaching schools to put in your vending machines, you need to be prepared for some issues. There are plenty of opinions out there about if they even belong in a school or not. If you talk to parents, teachers, and students you will find a mixture of different takes on the issue. For anyone with a vending machine business, you can't help but think of the possibilities for large revenues here though.

More than of students from 7th through 12th grade acknowledge buying items from school vending machines on a regular basis. Their parents aren't aware that they do this with the money they give them for activities and school lunches.

Many parents are angry over vending machines being allowed in schools. They believe it doesn't encourage children to make healthy choices when it comes to the foods they consume. This can lead to a child becoming overweight, not getting the right vitamins and nutrients they need, and it could cause them to be diagnosed with diabetes later in life.

Many schools are attempting to meet parents and vending machine owner's half way. The machines aren't accessible during the lunch period so that if a student wants to eat they have to get something nutritious from the school. Still, many schools quickly find those students that live close by or that have a car go eat what they want from a local store or a drive up window.

Of course if you look at this from the prospective of a vending machine business owner, schools are a prime location. There are plenty of hungry children running around and many of them enjoy sugary drinks and snacks. As parents and schools work together to provide kids with the best nutrition though, this prospective location could end up being a thing of the past for many vendors.

One alternative is to change some of the selections offered in the vending machines. This way they could remain in the schools but offer some healthier options that will be good for the students. Instead of soda drinks offered could include water, sports drinks, and juice. Instead of sugary snacks students could choose from peanuts, granola bars, yogurt, fresh fruit, and crackers.

You just might find offering healthy foods and drinks in your school vending machines increases your sales. Many staff members may start making purchases from them as well. Most adults try to refrain from sugary drinks and snacks on a regular basis so they may really like that you offer them some healthy alternatives.

Be prepared to answer plenty of questions when you approach a school to install a vending machine. You may find the location is open due to the controversial issues. However, if you come in with fresh ideas and offering only nutritious items they may allow you to do so.

Robert Farnham - veteran vending business operator and author. He now writes articles and gives advise to new operators to help them avoid vending locating company nightmares, and the best way to find great vending locations.