In this article, you’ll discover:
- The core functions and rapid production capabilities of commercial iced coffee machines
- How to expand your menu beyond iced coffee to teas, mocktails, and custom creations
- Key operational benefits: speed, consistency, space-saving, and staff efficiency
- How automated systems ensure hygiene and food safety
- Answers to common questions about these machines
Versatility is crucial for coffee shops, bars, and restaurants serving iced coffee. Today’s busy consumers demand drinks served quickly without compromising on quality or flavour.
This is easier said than done, however, due to the inevitable constrictions of hospitality settings. For example, as staff prepare iced coffee and other drinks to order, the waiting time may put off customers and lose sales. Cleaning the equipment between each use also slows down the process and introduces human error that may lead to food safety issues.
To address these concerns, commercial iced coffee machines improve operational efficiency and make your business more versatile. More than simply brewing iced coffee, these multifunctional tools can produce a near-endless range of drinks and adjust to customer demands and order volumes. To learn more, I spoke to Neil Wood, National Sales Manager at Magrini Ltd.
What does a commercial iced coffee machine do?
A commercial iced coffee machine, such as the Baby Hardtank, is a machine that quickly and consistently produces iced coffee and other drinks.
To do so, you start by adding your chosen brewing ingredients, like ground coffee, tea leaves, whole spices, or fruit pieces, to the filter basket. The machine then agitates these to create beverages such as cold brew, concentrated coffee, iced tea, or infused bases for cocktails, pumping the finished liquid into an under-counter keg.
For customised iced coffee drinks, components like milk, dairy alternatives, and syrups are typically introduced after the base coffee or concentrate is brewed, ensuring the best taste and machine care. For instance, the system is ideal for making coffee concentrate in bulk, which staff can then quickly combine with milk and flavourings to serve a variety of iced coffees.
Coffee shops, bars, and restaurants have traditionally produced iced coffee manually and to order. This method of pulling an espresso shot and pouring it over milk is time-consuming and only produces one serving at a time. By contrast, a commercial iced coffee machine such as the Baby Hardtank produces up to four litres of iced coffee in 45 minutes.
The faster production time of a commercial iced coffee machine allows businesses to meet the rising demand for cold coffee drinks. In 2024, the global iced coffee market was valued at over $11 billion USD, with over 37% of its consumption coming from the US.
“We are seeing many customers wanting to replicate their hot drinks menu in a cold form,” says Neil. “Serving iced or cold coffee drinks allows customers to customise drinks and lends itself to creating Instagrammable moments that Gen Z crave.”
These developments have affected coffee businesses of all sizes. Starbucks, for example, reported in the second quarter of 2023 that 75% of its US beverage sales were cold drinks. Iced coffee is fast becoming the backbone of a coffee shop’s menu, making automated production equipment essential. Not only does it help businesses meet these demands, but it is also faster and more consistent than manually making iced coffee.
How versatile is a commercial iced coffee machine?
While meeting the ongoing demand for cold drinks is the primary benefit of iced coffee machines, their capabilities are limited only by the ingredients you use. Some of them, such as Hardtank’s equipment, allow you to put all kinds of ingredients into the filter basket before brewing.
A commercial iced coffee machine also enables hospitality businesses to adapt the drinks they offer based on consumer demand or trends. Modern consumers want more control over their coffee, from the type of milk used to its flavour notes. For example, if you notice a particular demand for pumpkin iced lattes on an autumn day, you can quickly prepare a large batch of your base coffee or coffee concentrate using the Hardtank.
To create the pumpkin iced lattes, the pumpkin spice syrup would then be added along with milk after the coffee is brewed and dispensed. This method allows you to efficiently produce the coffee component in bulk, ensuring you can meet demand and give your customers exactly what they want.
Commercial iced coffee machines, like the Baby Hardtank, also have fully customisable brewing profiles that you can adjust for each drink. If you’re using medium or dark roasted coffee, for example, you can alter the extraction time to suit the roast profile. Most modern equipment also has built-in memory, retaining specific extraction times for your staple offerings to streamline the process.
Due to their adaptable features, commercial iced coffee machines are also suitable for a range of other beverages. By adding the required ingredients, you can easily make fruit teas or oolong to vary your drinks menu, or even adding tea leaves to make a hibiscus spritz, for example. Compared to the limited scope of regular iced coffee techniques, this range of drinks – made fast on demand – gives businesses a competitive edge.
To highlight the versatility of a commercial iced coffee machine, it can also be used to make non- or low-alcoholic beverages. In the United Kingdom alone, 32% of consumers have reduced their alcohol intake, meaning demand for these drinks is on the rise. Equipment such as the Baby Hardtank can make alcohol-free espresso martinis in an hour, as well as coffee-based mocktails like an Iced Coffee Mojito.
Therefore, choosing a machine that meets a range of needs and consumer demands is the most effective strategy. “The right equipment can be an excellent opportunity for increased sales,” Neil adds.
What are the operational benefits of a commercial iced coffee machine?
Alongside the range of drinks you can produce with a commercial iced coffee machine, equipment such as the Baby Hardtank makes it easier to serve them. This ranges from saving time on drink production to the efficiency of your cleaning and hygiene compliance practices.
A commercial iced coffee machine is particularly useful for high-volume hospitality businesses due to its improved brewing speed. During peak hours, or on especially hot days, this can be the difference between serving a customer and losing a sale. High-capacity machinery such as the Hardtank 20 can produce a total of 250 litres of iced coffee a day, making it especially ideal for larger businesses.
Similarly, the process of preparing iced coffee, either complete or in concentrate form, is automated. Staff can therefore focus on customer service or other tasks while the machine handles the bulk of the preparation. The Hardtank 20 can also come with built-in taps to speed up this process even further.
Consistency is another major benefit of a commercial iced coffee machine. With automated brewing, every iced coffee drink takes the same amount of time to prepare. Since the machinery does all of the preparation, it also ensures that customers get consistent flavour notes and quality each time they visit. By serving high-quality, repeatable iced coffee, you can build loyalty with customers and foster long-term popularity.
Commercial iced coffee machines are designed to be space efficient. Models like the Baby Hardtank are compact and can fit on countertops at cafés, restaurants, and bars. “This allows you to produce cold brew at site for super fast delivery,” says Neil.
Adherence to local food safety standards is essential for all hospitality businesses, and manually cleaning a commercial iced coffee machine can be a difficult process. Hardtank machines are self-cleaning, with automated cleaning modes to activate between uses. They are also made from food-grade stainless steel to guarantee your iced coffee is safe for consumption. It leaves no room for human error in the cleaning and maintenance of the equipment, preventing issues of microbiological growth and poor hygiene.
Therefore, a commercial iced coffee machine extends far beyond a single serving of iced coffee. Modern machinery is versatile and advanced enough to quickly produce large quantities of various drinks. Instead of being limited to just iced coffee, you can expand to iced teas, cold brew, or coffee-based mocktails – and do so in less time.
Since commercial iced coffee machines brew quickly and consistently while complying with food safety and hygiene standards, they are invaluable for hospitality businesses. Similarly, you can adapt to future trends and consumer demands without investing in new equipment and training staff.
Learn more about Hardtank’s commercial iced coffee machines here or get in touch with the team for a quote.
FAQ
What does a commercial iced coffee machine do?
A commercial iced coffee machine, like the Hardtank, automates the brewing of various cold beverages. You add core brewing ingredients like ground coffee (for cold brew or concentrate), tea leaves, fruit pieces, or spices to the filter basket. The machine then agitates these to expertly extract flavours, producing a consistent base (e.g., cold brew, coffee concentrate, iced tea) that is pumped into an under-counter keg, ready for dispensing or further customisation.
What are the benefits of a commercial iced coffee machine?
Key benefits include:
- Versatility: Produce a wide range of beverages beyond just iced coffee, including cold brew, coffee concentrate (for lattes and mocktails), iced teas, and other infused drinks by adding appropriate ingredients like tea leaves, fruits, or spices to the basket.
- Efficiency & Speed: Significantly reduce preparation time for large batches (e.g., Hardtank can make up to 5L of cold brew in about 45 minutes).
- Consistency: Automated brewing ensures every batch has the same quality and flavour profile.
- Improved Hygiene: Many models, like Hardtank, are self-cleaning, minimising human error and ensuring food safety.
- Labour Savings: Automates bulk preparation, freeing up staff for customer service and other tasks.
How efficient are commercial iced coffee machines?
They are highly efficient. For example, machines like the Hardtank can produce a 4-litre batch of cold brew in approximately 45 minutes, a fraction of the time manual methods take. This speed allows businesses to meet high demand. Furthermore, features like automated self-cleaning cycles save significant staff time on cleaning and ensure consistent hygiene, reducing the risk of human error and maintaining food safety standards.
