Spill the beans

A bad brew can spoil your day. No one knows this, better than a hotel. And given the growing popularity and demand for coffee, hotels are taking this beverage seriously. They are going that extra mile to install modern coffee makers and machines in public areas, restaurants and even guest rooms. If discerning guests want the best, hotels must provide it. Nasir Shaikh, director of operations, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, elaborates. “Coffee is steadily growing in popularity and the guests now know what they want. It is critical to have a combination of quality automatic and semi-automatic machines in the hotels inventory through ownership or lease to meet the minimum coffee quality standards. Gone are the days where hotels could serve burnt brewed coffee from urns and get away with it because it was part of the rate and/or complimentary. The guest expectation is specialty coffee and for that you need quality – machines and beans.With either element missing, the coffee wakes you up in a not so pleasant manner.”
Somnath Dey, director, F&B, Hyatt Regency Delhi admits. “If you believe coffee is meant to be enjoyed as a beverage, then
it better be served perfectly.” Given the variety of coffee makers in the market, hotels have to make the selection carefully. Of course, coffee requirements in a restaurant and cafe are different from those in lobbies and other public areas. Pod coffee makers, which make singleserve cups of great-tasting coffee, for example, are a misfit in such areas. These make only one cup at a time and require buying relatively expensive coffee “pods” rather than more economical traditional ground coffee. Hence these are usually not found in restaurants and cafes. Functionality is indeed key and determines the type of machine used in a hotel. Shaikh is categorical when he says, “In the all-day diner, events and banquets, we use automatic machines for speedy delivery and easy guest usage where required. The machines are robust and serve consistent coffee quality and are simple to operate without depending on manpower once programmed correctly. For specialty restaurants and deli, we use semi-automatic machines to make hand-crafted coffees.” Commercial-oriented machines meant to handle the high demand of the hospitality industry are the natural choice for restaurants and cafes. A variety of models, sizes and brew capacities are available depending upon the hotel’s requirement. Certain brewers can turn out six gallons per hour (120 cups approximately, two per minute). Sachin Shet, executive assistant manager, F&B, The Leela Goa, informs, “La Cimbali coffee machines used in the restaurant is semi-automatic with three multi-directional stainless steel steam wands, stainless steel hot water wand, steam delivery control taps, push button panels with immediate and precise electromechanical buttons and electrical cup warmer.” Jayati Singh, director, New Businesses and Coffee, Philips India, feels that hotels serving a lot of coffee daily, generally use commercial machines. “These are easy to use and don’t need much manual interference. They have a large water tank and don’t require special plumbing to run; this also makes it easier to clean and maintain. The commercial machines might come in variants with or without grinders; the integrated ones are higher maintenance though. They come in single/multiple burners, according to the requirement of the restaurant. Hotels that are more serious about their coffee though, use manual lever machines that offer a better coffee experience. These require greater human skill to be used correctly.”
Whatever be the type of coffee machine, hotels acknowledge its importance. Dey states, “For a busy business hotel like ours coffee is something that needs to be available immediately or at the call of a guest. Thus, there is a clear need for a machine that promises premium performance under demanding circumstances, as is the case in every hotel including Hyatt Regency Delhi.”
While F&B heads and Purchase departments, in consultation with the general manager decide on the brand of coffee maker, the selection criteria is unanimous.Brewing capacity, durability, easy maintenance, speed, grinder quality, user friendly control panel, are clearly what hotels seek. Singh opines, “A busy restaurant which is understaffed might go in for a fully automatic machine, while a high-end restaurant will go in for a manual lever machine, where the personnel is skilled enough to make a good cup of coffee. Most hotels opt for simple styled machines as the lesser the contraption, the easier they are to clean and maintain. Speed is a variable that most have to compensate on, as a good brew does take time. The control panel is another thing that varies from machine to machine and depends completely upon the use and capacity of the restaurant although LCD controls are the ones highly preferred.”
Hotels do not compromise on the coffee makers they purchase. Each one vies to have the best. Automatic coffee machine: Egro; semi-automatic: Nuova Simonelli; automatic: Nuova Simonelli, are some of the ones Renaissance Mumbai uses. “We have not purchased our coffee machines but work with Lavazza and Fresh & Honest as partners who provide both the beans and the coffee powder,” explains Shaikh. “The Leela Goa uses coffee machines from La Cimbali, Nespresso and Jura. They are world-class brands that offer top quality machines,” quips Shet. In-room coffee makers although different, also have to be of a certain standard to cater to the discerning business traveller. “These in-room coffee makers are designed to cater to a small volume (individual needs of the guest), whereas in restaurants, dispensers that cater to larger volumes are required. Coffee makers in the rooms are operated through the use of Illy capsules, whereas machines in the restaurants use coffee beans,” informs Dey. Shaikh adds, “Automatic Capsule Machines are not meant for high commercial use. They work with capsules which have ground coffee. The coffee in the capsule is plunged and mixes with hot water to give quality coffee.”
In their bid to serve the best coffee, hotels cannot lose sight of energy consumption. That is where selecting the right machine becomes critical. “These machines roughly consume three units per hour. The coffee machines in the rooms have an automatic energy-saving mode, programmed switch-off time and patented zero-energy switch to ensure high energy efficiency,” states Shet. As is the case with all other hotel equipment, maintenance is key. While most hotels have a maintenance contract with the companies they purchase from, ensuring that the machine is cleaned thoroughly on a daily basis, is also a key contribution to its longevity. Hotels need to keep abreast of new models in the market and upgrade when necessary. There is a constant need of innovation in this sector. “Considering that coffee is one of the most important aspects of the hospitality industry, the technology needs to be updated on a regular basis for better performance, convenience and an enhanced coffee experience for the customers. To facilitate and improve the coffee break in high traffic areas, Saeco Vending Line of machines are an embodiment of innovation and technology. The exclusive rotating plate in these machines makes cleaning, loading and maintenance operations easier and quicker,” explains Singh of Philips India. Good coffee is the big thing in hotels. Naturally then, a good coffee machine is essential. Add to this, the proper roast and brew – and you’ll have guests waiting to sip the perfect cuppa.