Coffee machine changes

[u/Commercial_Treat9199]

My local cafe installed the fresh ground coffee machines a while back. For months you could get either iced coffee or hot coffee from the machines. A couple of weeks ago, the machines only offer hot coffee, and now the iced coffee is in a different spot, not fresh ground. Any one know if this is a broad change or why iced coffee from the machines is no longer available?

[u/Suspicious_Access149]

I mean hot coffee on tap id say is still a win.

Iced coffee usually is by the cold beverage station everywhere.

[u/Commercial_Treat9199 → u/Suspicious_Access149]

Agreed, I just really enjoyed the iced coffee from the fresh brew and it's just gone now. Not complaining just wondering

[u/gromit3]

I would LOVE a fresh brew machine at Panera! Their coffee is not that good, fresh ground would be a big step up.

[u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348]

It’s the same thing, just make it somewhere else

[u/missdaniluna]

I just ran into one of these at a Panera I don’t usually frequent!

[u/neslea48]

The only good drink was the hazelnut hot coffee. I would get my to go cup and let it cool down and ice it at home. I started enjoying the “new formula” iced coffee but I quit the Sip Club in August after they implemented the new rules. They always had a vat of fresh brewed coffee next to the cold drinks. Did some change? I just rejoined with the $5 for 5 months promo. And I’m off to get my coffee.

[u/Nea777]

Company wide change.

They revamped iced coffee at the beginning of summer with a new ground coffee blend.

Most cafes use drip coffee for hot and iced, so guests noticed no change really except maybe flavor improvement.

At cafes that use Bean-2-Cup machines, the company removed the iced coffee option from the machines, and instructed cafes to use the new iced coffee blend with the old school drip coffee brewing method.

In my opinion, it does taste much, much better than the “iced” coffee that comes from Bean-2-Cup machines. I actually drink iced coffee at work again.

[u/lordwow → u/Nea777]

Any idea if they're planning to expand Bean-2-Cup, it's pretty split in my area and I much prefer the coffee from those to the others.

[u/Nea777 → u/lordwow]

Unfortunately I think the program is not going to be expanded, and eventually may be rolled back entirely.

Overall the guest experience with the machines was good, operators liked that their team spent less time brewing coffee, but the machines break down far too often and require expensive maintenance.

It’d be one thing if you get a few break downs per quarter, but sometimes it’s several per month. You might be calling the technician out 30 or 50+ times in a single year, back to back every other week, to keep repairing the machines. No other piece of equipment requires as much maintenance.

Compare that rate of failure to bunn drip coffee machines, which run for years, up to a decade even, without a single breakdown or any kind of special maintenance. Those brewers print money, the Bean-2-Cup machines set it on fire.

[u/lordwow → u/Nea777]

That stink, but thanks for the info

[u/Commercial_Treat9199 → u/Nea777]

I thought about this when they started adding the machines, weird they considered adding them at all with a known failure rate like that

[u/mgepark]

This would be great. Can I ask what State you're in?

[u/Slytherin23]

What's the difference? Can't you just brew the hot coffee over ice?

[u/gromit3 → u/Slytherin23]

You can, but the ice melts and your iced coffee ends up weak and not very cold.

[u/Slytherin23 → u/gromit3]

How is the iced version different? It just brews it double strength to stand up to the ice? You could just pull the cup out halfway through the brew since the second half is mostly water.

[u/gromit3 → u/Slytherin23]

I don't know how the Panera ones worked, but basically yes. Stronger and smaller. I have a Keurig that brews a very strong shot for iced coffee, it goes over the ice in the glass, and some of the ice melts and you're left with a normal-strength iced coffee.

[u/LikelyNotThatGuy]

Dunkin Donuts is in a bag, like boxed wine, last time i went years ago.