The best place for an office coffee machine is a kitchen or breakout bench with a suitable power point and, if the machine is plumbed, a water supply. It also needs clear floor space where a short queue will not block the sink, the fridge or a walkway. Office coffee machine placement decides how well a commercial superautomatic coffee machine works long after the installer has left. Panica Coffee installs and services these machines across Melbourne, and the position is one of the first things we confirm before anything is delivered.
A machine in the wrong spot still makes good coffee. However, it can also create a queue in a corridor, a grinder running beside a meeting room, or a daily cleaning job that nobody can easily reach. Each of those problems is cheap to avoid on paper and awkward to fix once the machine is in.
Office coffee machine placement is the choice of where a coffee machine sits in a workplace. It rests on four things: the services the machine needs, the bench it stands on, how people move around it, and who cleans it.
What Does the Position Need Before Anything Else?
Start with the services, because they rule out more spots than anything else. Every commercial superautomatic coffee machine needs a suitable power point within reach of its own cord, without an extension lead. Our guide to office coffee machine power requirements covers what that outlet and circuit have to be.
A plumbed machine also needs a water connection close by, and some models need a drain as well. By contrast, a tank fed machine only needs the power point, so it is the most flexible option for placement. Even so, someone has to carry water to it every day, so it still belongs near a sink. If you are deciding between the two, read does an office coffee machine need plumbing first.
How Much Bench Space Does an Office Coffee Machine Need?
The answer is the machine’s own footprint plus working room, and the figure that catches most offices is height. Check the width, depth and height on the machine’s specification sheet before you choose a spot. Then add the space people need to actually use it.
- Clearance above. Bean hopper lids open upwards. A machine that fits under the overhead cupboards with its lid shut may not be refillable once it is in place.
- Room either side. Many commercial setups run with a milk fridge or a cup unit beside the machine, so the bench needs to be wider than the machine itself.
- Access at the front. The drip tray and grounds container slide out from the front, and the service door has to open fully.
- A solid, level bench. Commercial machines are heavy, and they sit on that bench for years.
In practice, measure the bench and the gap under any cupboards before you order. That five minute check prevents the most common delivery day surprise.
Where Will the Queue Form?
The queue forms directly in front of the machine, so the floor space there matters as much as the bench. At the morning peak, several people will stand and wait at once. If that space is also the path to the fridge, the dishwasher or a doorway, the kitchen jams every day at the same time.
For this reason, avoid corridors, narrow galley kitchens and spots beside a door that swings outwards. Also keep the machine clear of fire exits and main walkways. If the office is large enough that one queue will always be long, the better answer may be two machines rather than one better position. Our office coffee machine packages by team size explains when that point arrives.
Is the Coffee Machine Too Loud for Some Spots?
Yes, for some spots. A superautomatic machine grinds fresh beans for every drink, and the grinder and milk system make a short burst of noise each time. In a kitchen that is barely noticeable. However, through a thin wall beside a meeting room, a reception desk or a quiet zone, it repeats all morning.
Therefore, put the machine where a few seconds of noise does not interrupt anyone’s work. If the only bench available shares a wall with a meeting room, place the machine at the end furthest from it.
Which Location Suits Your Office?
Most Melbourne offices choose between four types of location. Each one suits a different layout, and each has its own trade off.
| Location | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Main kitchen | Water, drainage and a sink are already there | Queues blocking the fridge, sink and dishwasher |
| Breakout or lounge area | There is open floor space and staff gather there anyway | No sink nearby for cleaning, and a power point that may need adding |
| Reception or client area | Visitors are offered coffee and the machine is part of the welcome | Grinder noise during calls, and keeping it presentable all day |
| Corridor or alcove | It is a second machine for overflow on another floor | Queues in a walkway, and fire exit or access paths being narrowed |
Not sure which of these suits your floor? Panica Coffee can recommend a position and a machine together, based on your layout, staff numbers and the services already in place.
Should the Milk Fridge Sit Beside the Machine?
Yes. A commercial superautomatic coffee machine that uses fresh milk draws it through a short milk line from a small fridge, so the fridge has to sit right beside the machine. As a result, the bench needs room for both, and the fridge usually needs its own power point too.
For example, a setup can have the machine in the middle, a milk fridge on one side and a cup unit on the other. That takes up much more bench than the machine alone, so plan the full width before the cabinetry is fixed.
Who Cleans the Machine, and Can They Reach Everything?
Placement decides how easy the daily routine is. Each day someone empties the grounds container and drip tray, rinses the milk system and wipes the spout. All of that is quicker with a sink a few steps away. Our daily cleaning routine for an office coffee machine sets out the steps.
Also think about who uses the machine. The touchscreen and cup platform should be within comfortable reach for every member of staff, including anyone using a wheelchair. A machine on an unusually high bench, or pushed deep into a corner, is harder for everyone.
Common Office Coffee Machine Placement Mistakes
- Choosing the spot first, then discovering there is no suitable power point or water nearby.
- Fitting the machine under overhead cupboards with no room to open the hopper lid.
- Putting the machine in a corridor, a doorway or a narrow galley where the queue blocks the way.
- Placing it on the other side of a wall from a meeting room or reception desk.
- Forgetting the bench width and power point for the milk fridge.
- Setting it up far from a sink, which makes daily cleaning a chore that gets skipped.
- Positioning it beside an oven, a dishwasher vent or in strong direct sun, where heat and steam build up.
How Does Panica Coffee Help With Placement?
Panica Coffee has rented, sold and serviced commercial superautomatic coffee machines for Melbourne businesses since 2017, from our workshop in Caulfield South. We work with Franke, Dr Coffee and Saeco machines. Before installation we confirm the position, the power point and the water supply, so the site is ready on the day rather than fixed afterwards.
If you are still choosing equipment, our break room coffee machine rental page explains the options. Rental starts from $35 per week ex GST with no upfront cost. If you are planning a relocation, read what happens to your coffee machine when you move office.
Placing a machine in a shared lounge used by several tenancies? See our guide to choosing a tenant lounge coffee machine for office buildings.
Get a Free Coffee Machine Recommendation
Tell us where you are thinking of putting the machine, what is already on that bench and how many people are on site each day. We can recommend a position and a suitable machine before you order. Call 1300 529 505 or send the form below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an office coffee machine go in a room without a sink?
Yes, a tank fed machine can, because it only needs a power point. However, someone has to refill the water tank and rinse parts every day, so a sink nearby makes the routine much easier.
Can a coffee machine sit under overhead cupboards?
Yes, as long as there is room above it to open the bean hopper lid and refill it. Check the machine’s height on its specification sheet, then measure the gap with the lid fully open in mind.
Can we put the coffee machine in reception for visitors?
Yes, and many businesses do. Keep it away from the desk where calls are taken, because the grinder is noticeable, and plan who will keep it clean and stocked through the day.
Who decides where the coffee machine goes?
The business decides, because it knows how the floor is used. Panica Coffee then confirms the position works for power, water, bench space and access before installation.
Can the coffee machine be moved after installation?
Yes. A tank fed machine is simple to move to another bench with a suitable power point. A plumbed machine needs its water connection undone and reconnected, so it is better to choose the right spot first.
Pick the Spot Before the Machine Arrives
The right position takes a few measurements and a look at how people use the space. Panica Coffee can help you check it before you commit, so the machine works from the first morning. Call 1300 529 505 or use the form above.