Consumer expectations for consistent coffee quality are high. Franke Coffee Systems reveals how this challenge can be mastered.
There’s an art to crafting the perfect espresso. Like cooking the ideal al dente pasta, timing is everything: not enough and the pasta will be hard and inedible, too much and it will disintegrate in the pan. The same goes for espresso. Too little time will result in an under extracted coffee, which may taste sour and lack sweetness; too long will create an over extracted shot, which often produces astringent, bitter coffee. The team at Franke Coffee Systems believe there is little room for extraction error.
“Nowadays, customers expect high- quality coffee, no matter where they get it – whether it’s a coffee shop, petrol station, or vending machine,” says Wojciech Tysler, Specialty Coffee Association Barista Champion and Franke Coffee Systems Brand Ambassador.
“That means coffee quality isn’t just important to the consumer, but also the business owner. If you can’t trust your coffee machine to produce the coffee standard you want to serve, you can’t trust that you won’t disappoint your customers.”
With labour shortages continuing to impact the industry, it can be difficult to meet the customer’s demand for excellent coffee. Learning to pull consistently good shots on a traditional espresso machine takes time and practice for the staff using it. Not being able to deliver consistent coffee quality can not only result in a loss of sales but also damage a brand’s reputation.
One of the most important factors in achieving high in-cup quality is the brewing time during the extraction process. In a conventional system, the extraction time varies. For example, it can range from around 20 to 30 seconds, when in fact the ideal time for that coffee could be 24 seconds.
Franke Coffee Systems has taken this problem to heart and incorporated it into the development of its products. With its patented iQFlow technology, Franke offers a solution to help operators ensure the last shot of the day tastes as good as the first.
“iQFlow ensures the exact extraction time is achieved for every shot in real- time. The fully automatic technology efficiently extracts the full aroma, flavour, and body from every roasted coffee bean, revolutionising the traditional extraction concept,” says Tysler.
The technology uses iQFlow’s valve, software, and flow meter to keep the extraction time consistent, with live interaction being the key to this feature’s success. The software controls the water flow and estimates brewing time, constantly monitoring and adjusting the flow during extraction. This continuous adjustment keeps the extraction time on target to ensure consistent quality in every cup.
This process is tailored for each coffee recipe to best suit its unique flavour profile. Signature flavour profiles can be recreated on all Franke machines equipped with this patented technology and recipes can be rolled out across a fleet of venues.
In addition to consistency, the iQFlow technology is designed to extract more flavour than a conventional system. Tysler says this is due to the uniform distribution of water and pressure within the brewing unit, which provides a steady and maximum flavour extraction.
iQFlow technology is included as a standard feature in all models in Franke’s latest product line, Mytico. The integration of this and other automated technologies is designed to aid the workflow of baristas as well as help operators manage challenges such as labour shortages and inconsistent coffee quality.
“Once set, Franke Coffee Systems’ Mytico coffee machines consistently create delicious coffee beverages. Baristas can focus on maintaining eye contact, offering a friendly smile, and engaging in small talk while signature coffee drinks are being prepared,” Tysler says.
“Mytico machines require minimal training, which means new staff can easily adopt the two-step coffee preparation method without the need for any previous barista skills. However, this does not mean there is no longer a need for baristas. On the contrary, they can focus on the things that really matter, such as developing new recipes, programming settings on a single machine or across a fleet of machines, and focusing on the customers to create the special coffee moments that build loyalty.”
In terms of consistency, the team at Franke stress that it’s not just the quality of the coffee that matters but also that of the milk foam. For example, if a customer buys a latte macchiato from the coffee shop on their way to work every morning, they want it to taste the same every day. However, the quality may vary depending on who made the coffee: sometimes there is more milk, sometimes the froth is thicker, and sometimes the temperature is not quite right. This, in combination with the quality of the coffee, can result in a very different taste experience.
With PrecisionFoam, Franke Coffee Systems aims to offer a solution to this problem. Exclusive to the Mytico Vario machine, the technology assists the barista by automatically producing milk foam and pouring it directly into a pitcher at the desired quantity and temperature.
“The operator or barista can produce consistent milk foam without having to think about when he or she should take the steam wand out of the jug. The PrecisionFoam technology uses accurate flow meters that dispense the correct pre- programmed quantity of milk mixed with the correct amount of air,” says Tysler.
The milk technology is customisable for different types of coffee drinks and can be pre-set in the machine’s touch-screen interface for future use. The barista can then access various foam profiles, such as wet latte or dry cappuccino.
In terms of latte art, users can choose whether they set the machine to dispense the foam from the PrecisionFoam spout straight into a jug or use the automatic steam wand to froth at the pre-set profile.
iQFlow and PrecisionFoam are just two examples of Franke’s technology designed to revolutionise the traditional espresso preparation concept. These enhancements are key components of the Mytico line and underscore Franke’s commitment to transforming coffee preparation and helping coffee shops deliver high-quality beverages that meet customer expectations.
For the team at Franke Coffee Systems, all these technology innovations share one goal: to provide consistent, quality coffee and milk foam, and make sure that customers are happy and the operators are supported in expanding their businesses.
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This article was first published in the November/December 2024 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.
