Simple! Check the membership status of the company in question with The Vending Association of South Africa (VASA).

VASA is an association made up of leading vending machine companies in South Africa and it self regulates the industry. Led by an independent Chairperson, VASA is managed by an elected committee of vending industry members (The good news is that Frontier Coffee is an elected member of the Committee!)

Any vending machine company can join VASA but they must first subscribe to the values of VASA – and these values seek honesty and fairness in the industry. Members are listed in the membership directory where prospective customers can check if a supplier has subscribed to the VASA values.

Of importance, members agree to VASA mediation should complaints arise. So any person can lay a complaint with VASA about service or product non-delivery and VASA will then investigate. If found guilty of transgressing VASA rules, the Association will first ask the offending company to rectify the transgression. Should this not happen, VASA can suspend membership. This is a clear indication to any potential customer to take care in dealing with the company.

Fortunately suspension is rare and the vast majority of members are commited to real customer satisfaction! So look first before you buy your coffee machines or office coffee vending machines!

First, it is a quality coffee vending machine. Italian designed and engineered, this coffee machine is now manufactured in China like most of the electronics in our homes and offices. So no surprises there. What may be surprising is that the manufacturer was selected as an official coffee machine supplier to the Beijing Olympic Games and has the highest European certification. So quality is great and the company is both stable and dedicated to customer satisfaction.

Functionality. What do you really want from an office coffee vending machine? Don’t you want a range of great tasting beverages at the push of a button! Do you need 20 different beverages? Probably not. So if you can get espresso, black coffee, white coffee, cappuccino, hot chocolate, chocachino and hot water for tea or soup, wouldn’t that be enough? Add to that the ability to add sugar at the push of a button and you have the Bianchi Sprint!

Does it have an anti-scale coating in its boiler? Nope…but then why pay a few thousand Rand more for this option when you are going to use a water filter anyway to remove the chemicals in our municipal water that negatively impact the taste of your coffee! Chlorine, for example, can really affect the way your coffee tastes, so we recommend a simple filter that not only removes these taints but also the minerals that can scale up your boiler.

Does it have a fancy anti-microbial coating in its piping? Nope…but then why pay a few thousand Rand more for these fancy pipes that are rinsed with hot water during the cleaning cycle anyway? The hot water flushing cycle sterilizes the pipes and with or without the coating, you still have to clean the mixing bowls and the tube  that carry your coffee from these bowls to your cup. It’s simply just good hygiene anyway!

Finally, price. That’s the great thing about these machines! They are not cheap by any means, but they are more reasonable than those assembled in countries with higher labour costs. Add to that the cheaper sea transport to Africa than from Europe or the USA, and you’ll find quite considerable savings! These are passed on to you the consumer – so you get good coffee at great prices!

Oh, I almost forgot to add that the guarantee period and conditions are exactly the same as those for the European and USA models and brands. So we put just as much confidence in the quality of these Chinese assembled machines as we do in the other European brands we stock. We have not been disappointed and are willing to bet that you won’t be either!

The copyright to all and/or parts of this article is held by Frontier Coffee. It may be freely copied and reproduced as long as this is in its entirety and that the source is acknowledged as being “Frontier Coffee website at http://www.frontiercoffee.co.za“

Coffee vending machines are found just about everywhere these days. Whether you are taking your car for a service, working in a corporate office of buying milk in a convenience store – chances are that you’ll find a coffee vending machine sitting on a counter. Why are they so popular? There are seven good reasons:

1. Cost savings

Each coffee vended contains exactly the same amount of ingredients. This reduces the “heaped-teaspoon-effect” where your tin of coffee can disappear oh so quickly! We find that the biggest saving comes from the reduction in the need for fresh milk as the machine holds powdered milk. The powered mixes are great and can add a really good creamy froth on a cappuccino coffee.

2. Reduction in the…er…unauthorised “borrowing” of ingredients

Ok, we all know that there are some among us that need to remove sugar, coffee and hot chocolate to enjoy later at home… Having the ingredients locked inside a coffee machine cabinet reduces the temptation to do this. Naturally, besides saving your employees and clients from serving time…you’ll also save a fair bit of your coffee budget too!

3. Drink choice

Modern coffee vending machines are not only compact but can offer 8 or more choices that can include anything from an espresso to a cafe latte, moccachino, choccachino, cappuccino and yes, a plan white or black coffee too. Drinks can be selected with or without sugar and milk too, allowing an incredible choice of hot beverages. It’s great to offer clients and staff real choices!

4. Convenience

There is no waiting for the kettle to boil when you have a coffee vending machine. It remains on and ready for the moment you press the button. So be it late at night or early in the morning, you’ll get a hot cup of coffee anytime…and fast! This also adds value in the office environment where getting a quick cup of coffee, means exactly that.

5. Hygiene

As the coffee machine holds all the ingredients inside airtight canisters, there are no messy Tupperware containers left out on kitchen or pause area tables to attract ants or cockroaches. The machines have automatic rinsing cycles and hot water is flushed through the dispensing pipes and mixing bowls to keep them clean.

6. Reliability

Modern machines are robust and will vend cup after cup without letting you down. All you need to do is keep them clean and to empty the waste containers and replace a few rubber seals every now and then (after all, they are exposed to heat and water!). Oh, don’t forget to add a water filter to prevent scale build up in the boiler and pipes – that really is the kiss of death for a coffee vending machine.

7. Size and Cost

Yes, like everything, coffee vending machines are becoming more compact and relatively cheaper as technology advances. Today you can get more functionality from a small table top model than you could get from a 2m high machine a few years ago.

Pricing is competitive enough to make an investment worthwhile and companies genuinely do make cost savings from the reduction in theft and excessive use of ingredients.

So there you have it – some of the reasons that make coffee vending machines as popular as they are.

The copyright to this article, or parts thereof, is held by Frontier Coffee. It may be freely copied and reproduced as long as this is in its entirety and that the source is acknowledged as being “Frontier Coffee website at http://www.frontiercoffee.co.za/“

This article sets out some things to look for that will help you decide. Worth a read if you’re about to buy a coffee machine or office coffee vending machine.