Encore 29 Coffee Machine: The Future of Commercial Coffee?

Adding a coffee program to an office or business is a proven way to boost sales and productivity. But unless you’re Google, adding an onsite cafe is probably a pipe dream. A commercial bean-to-cup coffee machine like the Encore 29 is a more realistic alternative for the rest of us.

The Encore 29 Coffee Machine is easy to use, simple to maintain, and makes dozens of different drinks to satisfy every employee or customer. If that sounds promising, keep reading for a complete review.

Summary: The Encore 29 Coffee Machine

• Commercial coffee maker for 50 to 75 daily users
  
• Nearly 100 possible drink options
  
• Bean-to-cup machine with integrated burr grinder

The huge touch screen makes this machine so easy to use. I love that it has a built-in grinder so my coffee always tastes fresh.

– Customer

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The Full Encore 29 Coffee Machine Review

The Encore 29 Coffee Machine is a commercial coffee maker manufactured by Cafection, a family-run Canadian manufacturer of coffee brewing equipment. This innovative brand was one of the first to offer internet-connected touchscreen coffee makers, and its current focus is on sustainability. Cafection’s entire line of coffee machines produces only biodegradable waste.

The Encore 29, launched in 2017, is one of their most popular models (1). Let’s look at it more closely to find out why.

Encore 29 Coffee Machine

• Design
• Brewing System
• Coffee Quality And Versatility
• Cleaning And Maintenance
• Value For Money

4.1

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Design – 4.5/5

The Encore 29 is an attractive and friendly-looking machine, which is good because it is BIG. It measures 74.6 cm tall by 55.9 cm wide by 62.6 cm deep and weighs a whopping 43 kilos when empty!

The large size of the machine is due to its capacity. It includes a built-in commercial burr grinder and three bean hoppers holding a collective 3.6 kilos of coffee. An 18.5” touch screen occupies most of the front of the machine. It is easy to select and customize the dozens of drink options, with each illustrated on-screen.

Custom promotional videos can be played on the screen while on standby or during brewing. not in use or during brewing. You can also upload your logo and add custom logos for the roasters whose beans you feature.

Brewing System – 4/5

The Encore 29 is a bean-to-cup coffee machine, a designation given to any brewer that comes with a built-in grinder. It offers the same convenience and versatility as the single-serve pod machines found in many offices, but the coffee quality is far superior.

The integrated commercial-grade burr grinder ensures coffee is ground fresh right before brewing, an immediate improvement versus pre-ground or encapsulated coffee. But it’s the unique brewing system that really makes Cafection gear stand out. It features a patented “reverse French Press” design in which ground coffee steeps in the brewing water during extraction. This produces a rich immersion brew with robust flavors, just like the beloved French press (2).

Unlike a French press, the Encore 29 uses compostable paper filters to avoid the risk of clogs and the need for constant cleaning. The result is a cleaner cup with a lighter body.

There are three coffee size options between 4 and 20 ounces (120 and 590 ml), and unlike a pod coffee maker, the Encore 29 automatically adjusts the coffee dose to the drink size. A larger drink is no less flavourful than a small one! You can even program the coffee brewing recipes to meet particular roasters’ recommendations.

What about espresso?

The Encore 29 menu offers espresso-based drinks like a cappuccino, mocha, or lungo, but it does not pull true espresso shots. The reverse French press method doesn’t reach high pressure, so you won’t get the flavour intensity or thick crema that characterizes an espresso. Instead, it brews strong, small shots of coffee for espresso-style drinks.

Coffee Quality and Versatility – 5/5

The Encore 29 Coffee Machine is hard to beat when it comes to versatility. It has three different bean hoppers to offer different roast levels or a decaf option – though remember that all use the same grinder. Plus there are bins for three soluble powders: hot chocolate, milk powder, and French vanilla. All told, there are nearly 100 beverage options from this single machine!

Drink Options

The main menu offers every possible combination of the three coffees and solubles. This includes standard fare like brewed coffee, lungo, cafe latte, cappuccino, and hot water for tea. But it also offers more creative combinations like French vanilla coffee, chocolate latte, and choco-vanilla coffee.

There is also an iced coffee option, which simply brews a strong shot of coffee to pour over ice. The Encore 29 does not make ice or have an option for cold drinks.

Cleaning and Maintenance – 3.5/5

Every commercial machine, whether for coffee or espresso, requires regular service from the dealer or a certified technician; they are not designed to be user serviceable. However, the day-to-day maintenance for Encore 29 is very simple. It’s essentially the same as for a standard home machine – just on a larger scale.

This is a direct-plumb model, so you don’t need to worry about cleaning and refilling a water tank. You do need to top up the bean hoppers and containers of soluble powder, which are easily accessed via the top or front of the machine. Emptying the waste bin should be done on a daily basis, and all waste is compostable. On rarer occasions, perform an interior rinse of the plumbing, an automated cycle you can access using the touch screen.

The Encore 29 is internet-enabled and connected via a cellular modem. Maintenance notifications and software updates occur automatically.

Value for Money – 3.5/5

The Encore 29 Coffee Machine is not cheap. Its cost is comparable to the multi-group commercial espresso machines in high-end cafes. The upfront investment is hefty and not worth it for smaller commercial spaces. However, it will pay for itself in the right environment.

It increases productivity in an office space, where happy and caffeinated employees work harder. In a place of business, it will boost sales, with studies showing that customers are more likely to purchase when given free coffee (3). The option to play advertisements or promotional videos during brewing guarantees a captive audience.

You can also add a cash mechanism or credit card reader to this model to charge a fee for drinks. In this case, it will literally pay for itself in time.

Don’t Buy the Encore 29 Coffee Machine If…

• You want real espresso: If a strong shot of coffee just won’t cut it as the base of your cappuccino, consider a commercial superautomatic espresso machine. Nuova Simonelli makes some excellent models, including the Prontobar America and the Talento. For home users, the Delonghi Magnifica is an easy-to-use model with a smaller capacity and a more approachable price tag.
• You want something for a smaller office or home: If you want the convenience and drink variety of the Encore 29 but not the huge capacity, we have tested some excellent single-serve machines. The Ninja CM401 Specialty Coffee Maker is a wonderful brewer that makes everything from a carafe of drip coffee to a frothy latte.

The Verdict

The Encore 29 Coffee Machine is a fantastic product for very specific environments. In a busy office or commercial space, it’s an efficient way to offer a huge drink selection without sacrificing quality. Though expensive and perhaps out of reach for many companies, it will boost productivity and increase sales in the long run if you can swallow the upfront cost.