In this article, you’ll learn:
- Why automation is so important for businesses serving cold brew
- Which key characteristics you should look for in equipment
- Why hygiene is so important in automatic cold brew machines
For coffee shops, restaurants, and other foodservice businesses, the drinks landscape is more exciting than ever. New drinks and flavours are constantly appearing – with the recent explosion of matcha just one example of the fast-evolving consumer palate.
Similarly, the way businesses prepare and serve drinks in-house is also changing. Developments in cold brew industrial equipment are one example, helping coffee shops to quickly and hygienically prepare fresh cold brew while minimising risk.
To learn more about the role of this equipment and how it is contributing to widespread industry change, I spoke to Joshua Small. He is a creative consultant and industry expert focused on specialty coffee, with clients including Seven Miles Coffee Roasters and Extract Coffee Roasters. Read on for his insight.
Why flavour is a priority for cold brew industrial equipment
For coffee shops and other businesses investing in cold brew industrial equipment, Joshua believes that flavour and quality are the main factors to look for.
“Above all, it’s got to deliver consistency, clean flavour, and a smooth workflow,” he tells me. “Any equipment should extract predictably across batches, protect the coffee’s character, and be built from materials that don’t negatively impact flavour.” With this in mind, equipment made from food-safe stainless steel is the most suitable choice.
Cold brew industrial equipment that uses forced agitation can optimise the flavour of your cold brew. By constantly agitating the coffee grounds it helps create the smooth flavour profile that customers expect from cold brew. Crucially, systems with automated programmes will avoid any over-agitation, which would lead to bitter, astringent flavour notes. Not all agitation systems work the same way. Hardtank’s recirculation-based method keeps extraction controlled and repeatable, which is difficult to achieve with manual or improvised systems.
He also believes that ease of use is incredibly important, especially when multiple staff members need to use the equipment. “In a commercial setting, the equipment needs to integrate seamlessly into the bar workflow,” he says. “It should be easy to clean, easy to train staff on, and durable.” Systems that have a touchscreen interface and pre-saved recipe profiles address these factors, since staff only need to select the preset to start brewing.
The essential role of speed and hygiene
When choosing your cold brew industrial equipment, it’s just as important to choose systems that are not only fast but also hygienic.
Especially in high-turnover settings like coffee shops during the morning rush, speed is a non-negotiable factor. “Just because cold brew has always been slow to produce doesn’t mean cafés can afford slow operations,” he says. “Systems that shorten brew time or streamline batching can be a massive help to businesses in avoiding outages and waste.”
This is where cold brew industrial equipment, like the Hardtank, can be so beneficial. While cold brew takes up to 24 hours to prepare manually, Hardtank systems produce a batch in under an hour. This is due to their patented accelerated cold extraction technology, which recirculates water throughout the filter basket to speed up extraction.
It’s also more consistent than manually stirring large containers of cold brew to encourage agitation, which can result in an uneven cup profile. You don’t have to sacrifice quantity, though, as you can choose custom-sized Hardtank systems outside of the standard sizes, adjusted to your daily output.
While speed is important for optimising your in-house cold brew production, cleanliness is even more pressing a concern. Due to its low brewing temperature, cold brew is incredibly susceptible to microbial activity and mould development, so you need to minimise these risks at all times. Unlike hot extraction, which naturally kills microbes, cold extraction leaves more room for bacteria to multiply if the equipment isn’t properly cleaned.
“Hygiene is so critical,” Joshua explains. “Long-contact brewing and chilled storage mean any contamination, oxidation, or off-flavour risks the entire batch – and by extension, your credibility. Consumers simply won’t come back after even one negative experience.”
Therefore, hygiene should be the first thing you look for in cold brew industrial equipment. “Good cold brew equipment should minimise risk, keep cleaning simple, and uphold the quality promise consumers expect from a coffee shop.”
To address these major concerns, systems like the Baby Hardtank and Hardtank 20 have automatic cleaning and sanitation modes. They help you minimise risk from inconsistent cleaning so you can adhere to food safety regulations and keep customers safe.
How is automatic cold brew equipment changing the landscape?
Often, the best way to address the key requirements of cold brew industrial equipment – from speed and efficiency to hygiene and flavour quality – is by choosing automatic systems. They remove the imprecision from steeping and storing cold brew by doing so automatically, which eliminates any room for error. Automatic systems also reduce labour hours by removing manual steps like stirring, filtering, and monitoring steeping time.
While these systems aren’t present in all coffee shops just yet, Joshua has definitely seen a rise in automatic cold brew equipment in recent years. “We’re starting to see a shift in commercial environments, driven by the speed, consistency, and lower training overheads,” he tells me.
It’s not yet a total shift, though. “Manual methods still have a place in craft-led, small-batch contexts, but the broader market is shifting towards equipment that reduces labour and variability,” he says. “Australia is a good example: cold brew is well ahead of the UK in popularity. The appetite for convenience, plus specialty-grade quality, naturally pushes cafés towards automated solutions.”
Rather than a passing trend, he sees this as a permanent shift in cold brew production. Rather than taking the craft out of cold brew, though, it can make flavour and quality more repeatable and accessible than ever.
“Hopefully, it’ll make cold brew more consistent, more available, and more creatively versatile,” he says. “Businesses will be able to brew more frequently, experiment with origins and formats, and reliably serve cold brew as a core menu rather than a seasonal add-on.”
Thanks to these developments, there’s more potential than ever for cold brew to become a staple item. “As a big fan of the product, it excites me a lot,” Joshua continues. “Hopefully, it will add up to a demand increase large enough to justify businesses placing as much care in their cold drinks menu as they do in their hot.”
If you’re comparing different cold brew systems, here are the points that matter most.
Cold brew industrial equipment: Key takeaways
- The best cold brew industrial equipment guarantees consistent flavour and quality.
- Automation is increasingly important for coffee shops to meet the demand for cold brew quickly and efficiently.
- Hygienic equipment that is easy to clean is crucial to minimise microbial growth and build consumer trust.
Ready to invest in your own cold brew industrial equipment? Browse our product range here or speak with a member of the team to learn more.
Cold brew industrial equipment FAQ
What features should I look for in cold brew industrial equipment?
You should choose systems that use forced agitation to quickly and efficiently prepare cold brew with a consistent flavour profile. Also, look for equipment with simple cleaning modes and easy controls for staff of all skill levels.
Why is hygiene essential in cold brew equipment?
Since cold brew is prepared and stored at low temperatures, it has a much higher risk of microbial activity compared to hot coffee. Therefore, systems with automatic sanitation programmes can minimise this risk and remove human error during cleaning.
Do automatic systems require specialist training?
No, modern systems like the Baby Hardtank use touchscreens and have a built-in memory to store recipe programmes, making them easy to use for all skill levels.
Want to learn more about our cold brew industrial equipment?
- Explore our equipment: Learn more about the Baby Hardtank and Hardtank 20.
- Calculate your ROI: Estimate your savings with our ROI calculator.
- Talk to the team: Get a consultation with our equipment specialists.
