Bean to Cup – Improvements in Coffee making.

According to enthusiasts, we are well and truly within the “fourth wave” of coffee culture. These waves indicate the shift in public perception of the nation’s favourite drink, first becoming a commodity, then embedded within culture. This was then picked up by artisans within the third wave who turned the pursuit of great coffee into a loving craft, and now we are seeking optimal taste through science.

The shifting perceptions are what have allowed for great advancements in bean to cup machines which effortlessly make great coffee in record times with intuitive UI navigation.

So, what exactly are the advancements that have occurred resulting in these leaps in ability?

Fresh milk

When we think of wanting a coffee, our minds no longer think of instant powder and a splash of milk. We now predominantly envision luxurious milk-based drinks such as lattes, cappuccinos, and flat whites. This is a hurdle that for a long time could not be surmounted by powder-milk based bean to cup machines.

The nature of powdered milk means it does not foam the same way and does not stay foamed for long. The processes for treating and storing powdered milk makes a variable and substandard product that negatively impacts milk-based coffee drinks, resulting in the necessity of various additives to disguise the absence of flavour and texture.

Bean to Cup machines with the most recent technology instead use steam to heat and aerate fresh milk, in the same fashion as a barista whipping up velvety foam for your cappuccino. This allows current machines to not just generate an approximation of your favourite coffee, but one that is indistinguishable.

Along with this, a recent survey has shown that almost 1/3 of Brits actually use a plant-based milk alternative, as opposed to typical dairy products. Milk powder-based bean to cup machines would be unable to offer these people an alternative but for those that use fresh milk, providing an option is as simple as placing the uptake tubing into the preferred choice.

Heating systems

Have you ever got into the shower and had to hop around as the heating system randomly oscillates between temperatures found either in the arctic tundra or the surface of the sun? This is because of the thermo-block many wall unit showers utilise to heat the water and previously this same system was the predominant way for heating within older bean to cup models.

New systems, such as the Crew Machine range, use water boilers; the same approach used by traditional espresso machines. This means that not only can the Crew CM50 dispense a latte within 35 seconds at the push of a single button, but in future every time you want a latter it will be a consistent taste and temperature.