Are you looking for a new coffee maker for your home, office, or restaurant? Then, it is time to get a plumbed-in coffee maker so you won't have to keep refilling the water tank. This article will discuss why a direct-line coffee maker is your best buy and how to buy and how to install one.
What Is a Plumbed-In Coffee Maker?
A plumbed-in coffee maker is also called a direct-line coffee maker. You can connect a plumbed coffee maker to your building's water line so it can keep refilling the water tank as you make coffee. This coffee machine saves you time and ensures you are always ready to make a fresh cup for everyone in the same space as you.
When buying a direct water line coffee maker, you need to consider the number of cups you can brew at a go, the size, price, and usability. Besides these features, you can look for a plumbed coffee maker that can also rid contaminants from your water before brewing.
If you are ready to buy the best coffee maker, we have come up with five readily available best plumbed coffee makers to choose from. Read on to find the best one to brew coffee with
1. BUNN Commercial Airpot Coffee Brewer
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A coffee maker with a water line is advantageous in many ways, from saving time brewing coffee to using purified water most of the time. In addition, a coffee maker with water line is often easier to use as it comes with straightforward controls such as this Bunn Airpot Cofee Brewer.
Once you install the water line kit, you will only need to ready the paper cups with your preferred coffee then start brewing. According to the manufacturer, the machine can make up to 120 cups every hour.
The coffee maker comes with a hot plate that preserves hot coffee for long periods, and it does not need huge counter space, thus your best buy for small kitchens and the office. It also comes with a brewing timer so you can prepare coffee effortlessly. It is a tall coffee maker that allows you to brew your hot drinks into an insulated bottle to preserve the temperature.
While a bit expensive, this plumbed coffee maker is made with stainless steel, thus easy to clean. The coffee machine is lightweight and comes with a three-year warranty from the manufacturer.
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2. Keurig K-3500 Commercial Coffee Machine
- 5 Cup Sizes including new 12 oz. brew size
- Strong Brew, brew a stronger, more intense cup
- Intuitive touch-screen
When you have a busy breakroom, nothing is more vital than an automatic coffee machine. Out of the many coffee machines you can buy, this Keurig K-3500 stands out with some modern features such as the direct water line installation and a touchscreen interface, and automatic K-pod ejection.
While Keurig is a renowned coffee machine brand, this plumbed-in coffee maker is also ideal for making hot cocoa or teas. It is easy to use with the digital touchscreen human user interface; simply choose your desired coffee strength, and the machine does the rest.
The machine is easy to keep clean for transportation and storage with a drainable water tank, while it can also make five different brew sizes. It fits a travel mug so you can take your beverage on the move. It is easy to set up, but you might need to buy a water filter if you don't have very clean water.
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3. BUNN My Cafe MCO Commercial Automatic Brewer
- Ideal for office and small business environments
- Dispense sizes from 4 to 16oz (118-473mL), adjustable in .25 increments
- Touchscreen interface allows user to customize brew settings for coffee, tea, cocoa and hot water dispense
- Flip tray to accommodate wide range of cup sizes and travel mugs
- Automatic water refill
This is another Bunn coffeemaker that is ideal for busy environments such as the office or small restaurants. If you want to use it for a coffee joint, you will love to know it comes with the NSF certification to make ot eligible for commercial use.
It s easy to set up, and it comes with an installation kit. The machine is compatible with most K-pods and serves for to sixteen ounces of coffee with every brew. To find your ideal dispense size, you can adjust ounces in .25 increments, and 16oz is the highest size you get.
Since you can use this coffee maker with coffee, tea, and even hot cocoa, it comes with a touchscreen interface that lets you easily adjust various brewing settings. In addition, it comes with a flip tray so that you can use different-sized cups.
The machine is quite expensive, but it is compatible with an automatic water refill system that makes brewing coffee easier. In addition, it can automatically eject used pods, thus making beverage preparation easy and mess-free.
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4. Keurig K-2500 Single Serve Commercial Coffee Maker
- Brew a fresh, robust cup of coffee with this Keurig K-2500 Single-Serve Commercial Coffeemaker. Ideal for medium- to large-sized businesses,...
- Coffeemaker enabled with direct water line plumbing connection ( Plumbing kit sold separetly ).
Do you have a small to a medium-sized establishment that could use a hassle-free coffee machine? Look no further than this Keurig K-2500 coffee maker that comes with a direct water line. As one of the best plumbed coffee makers in the market, the machine comes with a brewing timer and a sleep function to preserve energy when not in use.
The machine can make different coffee cup sices from 40z to 12 oz. In addition, the noiseless operation is ideal for a work environment. The commercial coffee maker also comes with an easy-to-use, high-resolution touchscreen so you can custom make your ideal cup of coffee.
The machine comes with a removable drip tray and, despite the high-end features, it comes at an affordable price. When you are unsure about using a plumbed coffee machine, this model can also function without plumbing with a 110oz water tank that can make many cups.
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5. La Pavoni Commercial Espresso Machine
- Programmable/Automatic Coffee Dosing
- Manual Over-ride of All Functions
- Dual Pressure Gauge Monitors Constant Group and Boiler Pressure
- Electronic Automatic Water Level Control with Sight Glass
- Water Softener to Reduce Hard Water is Included
You need the best commercial coffee makers with a water line to keep your business booming if you own a restaurant. This La Pavoni commercial plumbed coffee maker is one such machine with a 14-liter water tank even when plumbing is not required.
With such a large tank and a plumbing kit, you can now host many coffee lovers without worrying about possible queues. The plumbed-in coffee maker can make up to 600 hundred cups daily when not using a plumbing kit, but with it, the back-to-back brewing will propel the capacity for better business.
You can brew coffee in four different brew sizes, and it has the settings for hot water dosing. The machine comes with a plumbing kit and features a built-in water softener to enjoy fast brewing and tasty coffee. Also, like other commercial plumbed coffee makers, it comes with NSF certification and is easy to transport.
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Why Do You Need to Use a Coffee Machine with a Water Line?
The best coffee makers guarantee tasty coffee made in the least time possible. A machine you can connect to your water line eliminates the need for numerous trips t the sink for refilling, but that is not all they have to offer. These are more benefits of using plumbed coffee machines.
- You won't have to refill the water tank manually.
- You won't have to deal with a mess on your counter or sink when refilling the reservoir.
- You can always use fresh water for making coffee.
- A plumbed coffee machine is suitable for preparing coffee for many people, thus best for restaurants and office spaces.
While the benefits are attractive, there are some unavoidable disadvantages of using even the best plumbed coffee makers. Thus, before buying, you will need to ensure you get the placement right and don't intend to move the coffee maker as much. Here are some disadvantages of plumbed coffee makers.
- They are not very portable since you have to fix them to water lines and next to a power source. Once fixed to the water line, you will find it complicated and expensive to move the machine to another place.
- You may need a plumber to install the machine for you.
- In most cases, installing the plumbing kit can vid your warranty, especially when you have to drill a hole into the machine.
Factors to Consider for Your Best Plumbed-In Coffee Maker
As you have seen, plumbed coffee makers make your brewing easier and cleaner. If you have a restaurant or a busy office, you will need a machine that brews coffee round the clock. When you are looking for one, here are the main factors to consider to get the best deal for you.
a) Size
A coffee maker with water line connection needs placement near the said water line. Also, you need to ensure there is an accessible power outlet near the machine to be helpful. Before buying any machine, make sure you have enough space on a counter. It is best to measure the free space and buy a machine whose size falls into that category.
b) Servings
An equally vital consideration is how many cups you intend to make with the machine. Here, you will also need to consider where you need to use the coffee maker. For instance, you can use a smaller machine for your home where coffee is not consumed a lot, a bigger one for the office where you have staff who like a good coffee to fuel them through the day.
Alternatively, you will need a more professional machine for a coffee shop or restaurant that receives numerous orders every minute.
c) Type of brewing
You will need to consider how you make coffee. You can choose a coffee maker with a grinder, so it grinds fresh coffee beans to make strong and flavored coffee. Other machines will need you to use pods, while others can brew ground coffee.
d) Water filter
When you need to prevent scaling, it would be best to buy a machine with a built-in water filter. If you can't find one, you can look for a plumbing kit compatible with a water filter to break down limescale at the inlet. If your machine already needs descaling, you would need to turn off the water supply before following the manufacturer's descaling guide.
e) Water line type
You can use a direct line or an indirect line to connect your machine to the water supply. A direct water line connection is your best bet when buying, as the machine will come with all extensions. An indirect connection can have you buy a separate kit to use with an existing coffee maker, which also functions with a water tank.
How to Install a Coffee Maker with Water Line
If you have no experience with plumbing, it is best to seek a professional to install the machine for you. But, if you understand the basics, here are the steps to follow to install your plumbed coffee maker.
- Ensure you have a plumbing kit plus a small floating ball valve. In addition, make sure you have a water filter if you need one, compatible fittings and connectors, and a drill.
- Turn off your water supply before installing the kit.
- Connect the coffee machine to the water supply. In most cases, the plumbing kit will come with a T-connector so you can connect the machine's water pipe to another appliance, such as the dishwasher's water supply.
- Install a shut-off valve on the water pipe.
- Drill a 0.5-inch hole at the top of your coffee machine and install the water pipe, ensuring good sealing. Then, install the floating ball valve inside the coffee machine's tank and ensure it connects to the water pipe.
- Double-check if the sealing is okay, then continue using the kit to refill the water tank.
