A dental practice usually needs its coffee machine for the team first and for patients second. Dentists, hygienists and reception staff need a fast, reliable coffee between appointments. Patients, by contrast, mostly need water, so coffee or tea is usually for the people waiting with them. For most Melbourne dental practices, a compact commercial superautomatic coffee machine in the staff room covers both needs without a barista or a cafe run. Panica Coffee rents and services commercial superautomatic coffee machines across Melbourne. This guide explains how to choose the right dental practice coffee machine.
Who Will Use the Coffee Machine in a Dental Practice?
Plan the coffee machine around the dental team first. A practice day runs on a fixed appointment book, so staff have short gaps between patients and a lunch break that often moves. For that reason, a machine that makes a flat white or long black at the touch of a button helps. It saves the team a walk to the cafe and keeps breaks on time.
Patients are a smaller group. For example, many dentists ask patients to avoid hot drinks while their mouth is numb after treatment. In addition, patients often prefer a clean mouth before a check up. As a result, reception coffee usually goes to the people who come with a patient, such as a parent or partner.
Should the Machine Go in the Staff Room or at Reception?
For most dental practices, the staff room is the right place for the main coffee machine. A staff room position keeps coffee, milk and cups out of clinical areas. It also keeps grinder noise away from treatment rooms and gives the team a proper break space.
Reception coffee suits larger practices with long waits, such as orthodontic or specialist practices where parents wait during appointments. In that case, a second compact machine at reception often works better than one machine serving both areas. Alternatively, reception staff can make drinks from a nearby staff room machine. Our guide to waiting room coffee machine rental covers self service options for patient areas, and our guide to coffee machine placement covers bench space and position.
Which Coffee Machine Suits the Size of the Practice?
Size the machine by the coffees made in the busiest part of the day, not only by the number of staff. The table below gives general guidance from the machines Panica Coffee rents.
| Practice | Suitable setup | Water |
|---|---|---|
| Small practice, one or two chairs, about 30 cups a day | Dr Coffee C12 | 4 L tank |
| Medium practice with several chairs, about 80 cups a day | Franke A300 MS | Tank or mains |
| Large or multi specialist practice, about 100 cups a day | Dr Coffee F16 Plus T | 8 L tank or mains |
A superautomatic coffee machine grinds the beans, brews the espresso and froths the milk automatically, so any team member can use it without training. The Franke A300 MS also has an optional second grinder. As a result, a practice can offer decaf alongside regular coffee.
Not sure which size suits your practice? Panica Coffee can recommend a setup based on your team size, number of chairs and opening hours.
What About Hygiene and Cleaning?
Keep the coffee machine on a clear bench in the staff room or kitchen, away from sterilising areas and treatment rooms. Dental teams already follow strict cleaning routines, and the coffee machine needs a simple routine too. Each day, run the milk rinse and empty the grounds drawer and drip tray. Then run the cleaning cycle once a week.
Our daily coffee machine cleaning routine sets out the steps in order. Add the coffee machine to the end of day close down checklist, so the person who closes the staff room also cleans the machine.
What Should Patients Be Offered Instead?
Offer patients chilled water first. Water suits patients before and after treatment. In practice, water is what most patients in a dental waiting room actually want. For the people waiting with a patient, a coffee, tea or hot chocolate from the machine is a welcome extra, especially during longer appointments. Our guide to tea, decaf and hot chocolate options explains what an office machine can offer.
Should a Dental Practice Rent or Buy?
Most dental practices are better off renting, because servicing is included and the practice does not need to manage repairs. When a coffee machine breaks down in a busy practice, nobody has time to arrange a repair between patients.
Panica Coffee rents commercial coffee machines from $35 per week plus GST, with servicing included. Service response is within 4 to 24 hours for sites within 30 km of Caulfield South, and within 24 to 48 hours further out. In addition, practices with 10 or more staff within about 30 km of Caulfield South can ask about a free 7 day trial. During the trial, the practice supplies its own beans and milk.
How Does Panica Coffee Support Dental Practices?
Panica Coffee supplies, installs and services commercial superautomatic coffee machines from our workshop in Caulfield South. We also supply coffee beans in 1 kg bags, cleaning products and other consumables. Therefore, the practice manager can order everything for the staff room in one place.
Get a Free Coffee Machine Recommendation
Tell Panica Coffee how many people work in your practice and how many chairs you run. Let us know, too, whether you want coffee for visitors as well as staff. We will recommend a machine and send rental options. Call 1300 529 505 or use the form below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should a dental practice put its coffee machine?
Most dental practices put the coffee machine in the staff room or kitchen. That keeps coffee and milk away from clinical areas and the grinder noise away from treatment rooms.
Should a dental practice offer coffee to patients?
Many practices offer water to patients and coffee or tea to the people waiting with them. Patients are often asked to avoid hot drinks while their mouth is numb after treatment.
What size coffee machine does a dental practice need?
The right size depends on the number of staff and coffees made in the busiest part of the day. As a general guide, about 30 cups a day suits a compact machine, while a large practice may need a machine rated for about 100 cups a day.
Does a dental practice coffee machine need plumbing?
No. Tank fed machines such as the Dr Coffee C12 run from a water tank. Larger machines can run from a tank or be connected to mains water, which our guide to office coffee machine plumbing explains.
How much does it cost to rent a coffee machine for a dental practice?
Panica Coffee rents commercial coffee machines from $35 per week plus GST, with servicing included. The final price depends on the machine that suits your practice.
Ready to Sort Out Coffee for Your Practice?
Contact Panica Coffee with your team size and opening hours, and we will recommend a coffee machine that suits your dental practice.