There are 7.9 billion people in the world, out of which 125 million people depend on coffee for their livelihoods. Coffee is grown in more than 70 countries, but nearly 70% of the world’s coffee is produced by four of them, Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia.

Coffee is considered top 3 traded commodity in the world, despite this coffee is still very unreliable, trying to grow and make any living out of it. Coffee is mostly grown by small farmers and their families, and if a crop fails or they run into operation difficulty in a form of unexpected costs this might mean they are now left with not source of income.

This is where Fair Trade comes in.

Fair trade certification shows products have been produced to fair trade standards. It’s aim is to provide farmers with a fair minimum price for their crop, ensuring their production costs are covered even when the market prices fall or crop issues arise. There are now over 800,000 farmers worldwide now taking part in this initiative.

Farmers are encouraged to become more sustainable and envrionmentally-friendly, by making changes to their processes to improve soil and water quality, reduce the amount of chemicals used, manage pests, and reduce greenhouse emissions.

US is the largest importer of fair trade coffee, followed Germany and Italy, whereas UK is the 8th largest importer accounting to just 3% of worlds import. There is still allot to be done and a long way to go! We as consumers can make a difference by encouraging our favourite local coffee shop to switch to fair trade, keeping a concious mind when buying coffee,

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Espresso machines are the heart and soul of any coffee shop. They are essential for creating that perfect shot of espresso that keeps customers coming back for more. In this blog post, we will explore the different types of espresso machines that coffee shops love and provide tips on how to choose the perfect machine for your establishment. Please note when choosing the right machine take some time out researching and understanding what you really want out of this machine.

Types of Espresso Machines:
1. Traditional Espresso Machines: These machines are the classic choice for coffee shops. They require skill and expertise to operate but produce high-quality espresso shots. Having the right trained/ experienced staff will go a long way.
2. Automatic Espresso Machines: These machines are more user-friendly and require less skill to operate. They are perfect for busy coffee shops with high demand with greater output.
3. Super-Automatic Espresso Machines: These machines are the most convenient option, as they handle everything from grinding the beans to frothing the milk. They are ideal for coffee shops looking for efficiency and consistency. Also popular with offices and self serve area’s like of canteens, and public places. They dotn required a trained barista to operate and relatievly easy to maintain and service.
4. Pod Machine/ Capsule Machine: These are not pratical in a commercial coffee shop but can be good investment for small offices and home use.
5. Filter Maachine: These are more suited for “black coffee drinkers” there are both commercial and domestic ones in the market and can add value to coffee shop when offering this drink type.

When choosing an espresso machine for your coffee shop, consider factors such as the volume of coffee you expect to serve, the level of expertise of your baristas, and your budget. It’s essential to invest in a high-quality machine that can meet the demands of your customers while also being easy to maintain. Another important factor to to consider when your working out volume of coffee is how many group heads would you need? be it 2 or 3 group heads. Do factor in space availability on the bench/ counter top together with space for grinders, possibly a pupqress and a pitcher rinser.

Majority of coffee shops will have a traditional espresso machine on their bench so lets narrow down to few selected makes and models that we’ve seen and supplied in the past few years, chosen for their reliability and durability.

1. Victoria Arduino Eagle One – known for the sleek desing, advance technology, precise tempertaure control, machine is known for it’s sustainability initiatives, such as energy-saving modes and eco-friendly materials.
2. Faema E71 – precision and control over brewing parameters such as tempertaure, pressure and flow rate. User freindly interface allowing barista to change/ swap between shots. Built with robust materials and components extending its durability and reliability.
3. Nuova Simonelli Appia Life – the pefect coffee machine! With its’s high productivity and high performance, appreciated and used by many barista’s due to it’s simple yet innovative design and concept. It was deisgned primarily to save energy, sustain the environment, and be cost effective.

We at Coffee Omega provide impartial advise to all our customers when it comes to choosing the right espresso machine vs their budget. It’s a long term relationship with your espresso machine so picking the right one will have an impact in the long term.

Get in touch if you need any help info@coffeeomega.co.uk

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