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commercial espresso machine

Commercial Espresso Machines and Grinders

Dilworth Coffee has been a Raleigh wholesale coffee roaster and distributor since 1989. We’ve been slowly honing and perfecting our craft for decades, and during that time, we’ve gotten quite good at using espresso machines as well. What good is a well-roasted bean if there is no high-quality commercial espresso machine and grinder to bring it to life? Or even an extremely skilled barista to bring all the variables together? For these very reasons, it is why Dilworth specializes in selling the highest quality commercial espresso machines and grinders to coffee shops, restaurants and more.

Given all the variety with modern espresso machines and grinders, it can be hard for an aspiring owner or operator to know what equipment is right for their shop. So, we’re here to help! If you have questions about volumetric machines or conical grinders, read on! If you have more specific questions for us, please reach out and one of our coffee experts will be in touch.

Types of Commercial Espresso Machines: Volumetric, Semi-Automatic, Super Automatic, Digit

There are four types of commercial espresso machines. All these machines range in number of group-heads, boiler size, power drawing, etc. What distinguishes them is the amount of collaboration the barista has with the machine to get the finished espresso.

Volumetric Espresso Machine

double shot of espresso from commercial espresso machine

Given the name, volumetric machines dispense water by volume instead of by time or weight. That volume is generally CC’s (1 cubic centimeter is 1 milliliter is 1 gram) but it may vary from brand to brand. More advanced gravimetric machines measure the weight of liquid collected into the cup.

Volumetric machines are very popular because they give the barista a lot of versatility and options when pulling shots. Volumetric machines allow the barista to stop and start the brew manually, as well as program doses specifically with pre-infusion times and water volumes.

These machines often have button screens that allow the barista to program dosing button with some precision.

Digit Espresso Machine

Digit machines are like volumetric in that the barista has a lot of control over the espresso shot, with a digit even more so. Victoria Arduino and Nuova Simonelli digit machines have electronic touch screens giving even more control to the barista over program dosages, boiler pressure, pre-infusion, and even energy savings settings.

Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine

Semi-automatic machines have far less control than other machines. The barista is still responsible for starting and ending the brewing process but cannot modify any of the details of that process.

Super Automatic Espresso Machine

Super Automatic machines take all the control from the barista, for better or worse. Super automatic machines have their own hopper for beans, and their own fridge for milk. Super autos measure, tamp, brew, steam, and pour into your cup all with the push of a button. The barista can adjust the recipes in the system but has no control over how the shot is pulled.

Choosing the Right Commercial Grinders: Doser vs. On-Demand, Flat vs. Conical Burrs

Investing in the right commercial grinder is just as important as choosing your espresso machine. While home brewers can access high-end gear, commercial coffee grinders are designed for continuous use—minimizing heat buildup and ensuring consistent grind quality.

Doser Grinder

red commercial espresso grinder

Doser grinders keep ground coffee in a chamber and then dispense ground coffee when the barista pulls a lever. This dispenses coffee at a very consistent rate at the expense of freshness.

On-Demand Grinder

An on-demand grinder has the opposite effect that a doser grinder does. An on-demand grinder grinds and dispenses coffee for the desired amount of time that the barista chooses when the dispense button is pushed. Depending on the size of the grind, even if the time is the same, the weight of coffee dispensed may be different. Freshness is optimized here instead of limiting waste.

Flat or Conical

At the center of every grinder is a set of burrs. Two metal blades that fit together and cut beans into grind as they pass through the burrs. When the dial on the espresso grinder is adjusted, the burrs are either moving closer together or further apart. The closer the blades, the finer the grind; the farther the blades, the coarser the grinds.

Flat burrs are exactly that: flat.

Conical burrs have an inner burr and an outer burr. The inner burr is cone shaped and fits into the flat receiving burr.

Both types are burrs do a very effective job at grinding coffee beans with consistency. Many tests have been done to determine a noticeable taste difference in grinder technology. While there are some differences, we don’t think the difference is large enough to warrant overspending.

In this complicated world of modern espresso machines, Dilworth is here to help you navigate through it. Please get in touch and let us help.

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