Whole Coffee Beans vs Capsules – Which is Better?

Coffee has increasingly become a necessity in the modern workplace culture. You might’ve seen it in an apartment lounge, a co-working space, a car dealership. And now, you want one in your own office too! But here comes the question – what type of coffee machine do you need? What are the differences between espresso machines that use whole coffee beans vs capsules, and which is better? We’ll explain them in detail in this article.

Difference between espresso and coffee

First off, let’s briefly talk about the difference between espresso and coffee. They both come from the same thing, which is coffee bean, but differ in terms of the process of making it.

Coffee is usually made using the drip method, the pour over method or the French press method. Espresso on the other hand, is an Italian drink that is made by forcing a small amount of hot water through finely ground coffee beans under high pressure. This produces an ‘espresso shot’ that is strong and rich in flavor. You can also use espresso as the basis of making other types of drinks – Cappuccino, Latte, Americano, Mocha and so on.

Due to the wide variety of beverages that can be made with an espresso, it has become so popular among coffee lovers around the globe. For reference, here is a list of beverages that our Italian-made espresso machines can make.

Many business owners invest in espresso machines in the office because of the convenience they provide. Instead of using a filter, boiling water, and then making the coffee by yourself, espresso machines can do all that for you within seconds! Learn more about the importance of having a coffee machine in the office here.

Now you’ve learnt the difference between espresso and coffee. But what types of espresso machines are out there?

2 Types of Most Commonly Used Espresso Machines in Offices

Let’s exclude the complicated ones that you see in cafes used by barista. There are essentially 2 types of easy-to-use espresso machines commonly used in offices. One that uses single-use coffee pods or capsules (like Nespresso and Keurig); and one that freshly grinds whole beans. Also known as the ‘bean-to-cup’ system.

Coffee Beans vs Capsules – which is better?

So, which is better? The short answer is of course, the espresso machine that can grind whole beans. But there are pros and cons that come with each type of machines.

Let’s break them down.

Pros of using coffee capsules or pods

Machine is more affordable

Machines like Nespresso and Keurig are generally more affordable. It is also easier to purchase them, as they are available on many retailers and e-commerce platforms. Therefore, they are suitable to be placed in any types of settings, including in the household.

Light and small

These machines are also very light and small. This allows them to be placed anywhere that is convenient for the purchaser, and can be easily moved to another location when necessary.

Easy maintenance

As they are light and small, it is also very easy to maintain them. All you need to do is to wash the water tank, throw the used capsules away, and run a few drinks without the coffee capsules. Plus, the machine can do an automatic rinsing for you. Simple!

Cons of using coffee capsules or pods

Limited beverage options

As each capsule makes different drinks, you’d need to buy different capsules for different flavors. There are also different machine models required to make different types of drinks (for example, a model with milk frother is required to prepare latte). This makes the beverage options very limited, especially if you purchase the basic model.

More waste

These machines make only 1 single cup of coffee per pod/capsule, thus producing a lot of waste to the environment. Canadians discard an estimate of 2.8million pods per day, including those made by Nespresso, Tassimo and Keurig. Considering how concerning environmental issues are nowadays, this is a huge flaw of using coffee pods and capsules.

More expensive per drink

Although the machine itself is more affordable, the total cost of using it could add up to be much higher. Each Nespresso capsule costs on average CAD$0.90 – $2.00. Given the limitation of flavors and types of beverages made from a single machine model, it may not be worth it when it comes to high volume of workers in an office.

Now let’s jump to the pros and cons of using espresso machines that grind whole coffee beans, aka the bean-to-cup system. Note that we will only discuss the fully automatic espresso machine system, as this is the most popular and convenient system for offices.

Pros of using whole coffee beans

Wide selection of beverage options

The first key advantage of using this type of machine is the wide selection of beverage options it can provide. These machines come with different cannisters for each ingredient, usually whole coffee beans, milk, and chocolate. With espresso as the basis, this machine can make your Espresso, Cappuccino, Americano, Latte or Mocha with just a push of a button.

There are also models that come with more cannisters to mix in more fun flavors, hence catering to a wider variety of taste buds. Our large-sized model includes extra beverage options like French Vanilla, Chai Tea and Hazelnut. We can customize the flavors according to your preference too.

Each drink is made fresh

When it comes to taste, bean-to-cup wins, as it gives a more intense and richer flavor as compared to coffee capsules. The machine grinds coffee beans fresh upon choosing a drink, extracting the full flavor for each drink on the spot. Whereas for coffee capsules, the coffee grounds are pre-packaged, hence may lose some freshness and affect the taste.

This feature lets you enjoy coffee just like the barista-quality ones you taste in cafes. Sometimes even better since the automatic system also means consistent quality for every drink.

More environmentally friendly

As mentioned previously, it is way more environmentally friendly to use whole coffee beans over coffee capsules. This type of espresso machine has a built-in mechanism to prepare coffee, and then dispose the coffee waste into a waste bin.

Once the waste bin is full, all you need to do is to throw them into your usual compost bin. (Coffee grounds are an excellent addition to the compost pile due to the nitrogen they contain, helping in the decomposition process)

Provides coffee customization

Yes, you can customize your coffee with this bean-to-cup espresso machine system! Although it is automatic, it does not mean that you do not have control over the taste of your coffee.

Depending on your taste preference, you can change the grinding level of your machine, from a finer grinding level to a courser grinding level. This allows you to adjust the taste of your coffee to be stronger or weaker. Once you have set the desired level, the machine will then make the coffee just right for you, consistently.

Cons of using whole coffee beans

Machine is expensive

With more advanced features included, this type of machine is a lot more expensive than its coffee capsules counterparts. It is also uncommon to be purchased for household use, and the good ones are usually not easily available.

Big and heavy

In addition to being expensive, they are also big and heavy. Therefore, not easy to be placed anywhere you’d like. This type of machine is meant to cater for higher volume of consumption, hence best suited for offices and apartments, rather than normal household use.

Maintenance is complicated

As compared to the small machines that use coffee capsules like Nespresso and Keurig, the process of maintaining these big ones is more complicated. Other than removing the coffee grounds waste, you’d need to clean the inside of the machine including the brew group and the mixing bowls. When refilling the ingredients, you might make a mess as well. Imagine the cleanup after that!

Well, we know exactly what your pain points are. You want the perfect espresso machine that is convenient, provides the better taste, and has a wide beverages option. But you don’t want any of the cons stated above!

At District Bean, we have all the solutions for you. We will place the machine at your location, maintain, clean, and refill the machines for you, of which services are all included in our packages. The best thing? Even the machine is free! Learn more about our services below, or contact us for a FREE TRIAL.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article gives you a better understanding about the differences between espresso machines that use whole beans vs those that use coffee capsules or pods.

In our opinion, an espresso machine that use whole beans is better, as it provides a wider variety of beverage options, better quality of taste and customization, and is better for the environment. Ultimately, it all comes down to your personal preference and circumstances.

With the right service provider like us, you can enjoy coffee at work without any hassle. Interested in a coffee machine service for your office? Feel free to reach out to us today!