Commercial cold brew machines help coffee businesses increase their profitability by making the process of cold brew production faster, safer, and more consistent.
In the highly competitive and margin-intensive coffee shop market, every minute saved is reflected in better end-of-year financial reporting. Choosing the right machine involves a few key factors.
One is volume: how much cold brew your business serves per day. The second is space: how much free space on your premises do you have to dedicate to cold brew production? The third is cost: how much are you willing to spend on a commercial cold brew machine, and how quickly do you want to see a return on your investment (probably as fast as possible)?
We spoke with Rakan Alnajjar, team leader and store development manager at Starbucks, to learn more.
Why can brewing cold brew coffee be problematic and expensive?
Traditionally, cold brew is prepared over a 12-24 hour period. In order to achieve the correct brewing extraction without traditional brewing variables like heat or pressure, cold brew takes far longer to make.
The basic process has remained the same since the mid-17th century: coarsely ground coffee is steeped in cold water until the extraction is complete, then filtered and decanted. This usually results in a cold brew concentrate, which is then diluted for consumption.
Today, cold brew is a popular coffee shop order. Since 2016, cold brew consumption has increased by 300%, driven by the appeal of its naturally less acidic, more mellow flavour, customizability, and suitability as an RTD coffee product. According to the Specialty Coffee Association, 32% of consumers have brewed cold brew at home.
“We absolutely have seen more people ordering cold brew,” says Rakan.
“In the summer season especially, people get positively cold brew-aholic about it! The preparation of the beverage adds a depth of unique and layered flavours that you just don’t find in an iced Americano or iced coffee.”
Other key F&B and lifestyle trends further underpin cold brew growth. Cold coffee consumption is increasing on the whole; modern shoppers are more inclined to choose more natural, less synthetic beverage options, and younger generations especially love convenience.
As a coffee shop, offering cold brew is a no-brainer, and yet many struggle to do so, especially in a cost- and labour-effective manner.
Operationally, brewing cold brew presents challenges. At the very least, you need a dedicated workspace for the brewing utensils and trained staff dedicated to setting up, packaging, and cleaning the equipment. Even then, you are limited by the time parameters: cold brew takes a long time to brew and only lasts a few days when stored in something other than a sealed can or bottle.
For business owners, a cost-benefit analysis for selling cold brew may not add up. Spending money and effort to brew a batch, only for demand to unexpectedly drop the next day or to sell out too quickly and have to turn customers away, is all too familiar.
Cue commercial cold brew machines.
How do commercial cold brew machines make cold brew profitable and worthwhile?
Commercial cold brew machines have drastically improved cold brew coffee brewing. Coffee quality is better, yields are increased, health and safety are more closely controlled, and alternative beverage options are made available.
Consider the Hardtank 20, our commercial cold brew machine designed for higher-volume clients looking to scale their cold brew operation. This piece of equipment can brew up to 1,250 200 ml portions of cold brew per day, or 250 litres. Your cold brew can then be kegged, bottled, or canned for sale across a portfolio of cafés, restaurants or e-commerce platforms.
The Baby Hardtank, our award-winning commercial cold brew machine for smaller formats or in-store brewing, can brew up to 300 200 ml portions of cold brew per day on your coffee shop counter. One brewing cycle takes less than an hour to complete, allowing café owners to remain agile and flexible, brewing according to fluctuating demand and satisfying more customers.
Using patented recirculation technology, Hardtank commercial cold brew machines maintain a more frequent and consistent interaction between coffee grounds and water. This speeds up the brewing process without sacrificing quality. Instead, you get the same level of total dissolved solids in an hour that a traditional brew requires at least 12 hours to achieve.
In addition to faster brewing, there is also a higher yield: commercial cold brew machines work more efficiently, producing a higher amount of finished product than traditional brewing methods when the same amount of ground coffee is used as a base.
With 325 grams of ground coffee, a traditional brewer can expect to produce 910 grams of cold brew concentrate or 2285 grams of ready-to-drink cold brew (once diluted to the correct TDS level). However, using a Baby Hardtank instead produces almost double the yield volume, which is nearly double – 4193 grams of RTD cold brew.
Serving just 20 200 ml portions a day via a Baby Hardtank, a coffee shop can expect a return on its €4,200 equipment investment in just 58 days. Larger businesses, utilising the Hardtank 20 and serving 90 portions per day, will break even after just 39.
Both machines offer convenient beverage customizability, too. The Baby Hardtank, for example, can be used to brew cold brew teas as well as cocktails and mocktails, helping business owners capitalise on additional day parts and consumer need states – i.e. adding an evening service period to their operation.
The Hardtank 20, meanwhile, can dispense nitro coffee directly from the unit, with the addition of Hardtank-designed nitrogen draught taps (either one or two dispensing taps). According to the World Coffee Portal, 62% of coffee industry leaders expect nitro to become a coffee shop staple by 2027.
As discussed, adding product variety to a coffee shop menu is key to appealing to younger consumers, and commercial cold brew machines allow businesses to do so without further equipment investment or extra labour costs.
Visit our website or contact us directly to learn more about Hardtank’s commercial cold brew machines and find out which model best fits your needs.
If you missed our recent RTD coffee masterclass, you can still catch a recording here.
Commercial cold brew machines
