Filter coffee machines are ideal for brewing large batches of delicious black coffee, ready to be served quickly by your staff or the customer themselves.
They’re an ideal type of commercial coffee maker for high volume outlets like conferences, weddings, hotel breakfasts and other events because, once brewed, the coffee can be served in seconds.
Whilst the number of drink options is small for a commercial filter coffee machine (strictly brewed as black coffee, with optional milk and sugar) compared to a bean-to-cup or espresso machine, it’s perfect as a “grab and go” option that can be dispensed quickly, either by your staff or the customer directly.Commercial filter coffee machines are also an ideal secondary brewer, next to your espresso or bean-to-cup machine, thanks to the rise in popularity of filter coffee in the younger demographic.
Many of these customers want to get a simple hot coffee and be out the door quickly, so it’s perfect for them as well as giving you an additional drink option that your main machine isn’t able to brew.
That being said, while filter coffee is a simple drink to make, there are a large number of options when it comes to purchasing a commercial filter coffee machine.We want to help make your decision as simple as possible. So, in this article, you’re going to learn about our top choices for the best filter coffee machines for businesses in 2024.
Our Top Picks for Best Commercial Filter Coffee Machine
- Marco Jet 6 2.8kw
- Bunn ICB-DV
- Marco SP9
- BRU F45 1.8L
Marco Jet 6 2.8kw
The Marco Jet 6 is a large, feature rich filter coffee machine designed to produce up to 6 litres of brewed coffee at any one time.
It’s our first choice of commercial filter coffee machine for high volume outlets.
The coffee is brewed directly into a thermal urn which can be left on the machine for direct service, or can be removed and placed front-of-house for customers to help themselves whilst your staff prepare another 6 litre batch.
The Jet 6 is easy to operate with a simple screen and intuitive workflow, and comes with an additional hot water spout at the top of the brewer to help make teas or dilute a filter coffee down to your customer’s ideal strength.
Thanks to the removable urns that keep the coffee hot and fresh for hours, the only limit to how much coffee you can serve at any one time using the Jet 6, is how many urns you have access to. Plus, the Jet 6 is compatible with many third party urns, should you already have some on hand.
The Jet 6 is the perfect filter coffee machine for businesses looking to brew large amounts of filter coffee at once, so is a great choice for hotels, catering companies, wedding venues, conference centres etc.
There is also a Twin Jet 6 model, which is essentially two brewers welded together at a considerably reduced price (£3,200) – a great option if you need to serve higher volumes of coffee quicker.
Reasons we like the Jet6
- Pre-set recipe and volume options
- Basket safety lock during brewing
- Operator friendly and easy-to-use
- Vacuum insulated urn for energy-efficiency and temperature retention
- Two power options (2.8 and 5.6kW)
- Single 6L or Twin 12L urn setup
- 462 x 303 x 840mm
- 24kg / 28kg net weight
Price – £2,100
Bunn ICB-DV
This Bunn ICB-DV is designed for serving high quality specialty coffees, with a wide range of customisation and recipe programming options compared to the Marco Jet 6l.
It’s capable of brewing up to 1 gallon (3.8L) of high quality coffee at a time, making it an ideal choice for businesses that need to serve large amounts of coffee quickly and efficiently.
Like the Jet 6, the Bunn ICB-DV features removable urns from which the coffee can be dispensed away from the machine allowing you to brew larger amounts of coffee with multiple urns.
In terms of recipe customisation, this brewer empowers you to get the best out of the highest quality coffee with ultimate control over pre-infusion, pulses, brew ratios, digital temperature control and water bypass functions.
In addition, the brewer comes with a hot water spout next to the screen to aid you in serving different drink types, or to dilute your finished brewed coffee. An electronic lock funnel ensures your baristas can not accidentally remove the brewer whilst coffee is still draining, ensuring they do not spill hot coffee, minimising wastage and risk of harm.
Why our Team Recommends the Bunn ICB-DV
- Brews up to 1 gallon (3.8 litres) at a time
- 3 Recipe buttons for multiple batch sizes and coffees
- 110V-240V
- 600 x 290 x 660 mm
- 22 kg net weight
- Programmable freshness timer
- Smart Wave agitation control
- USB Port for easy recipe management
- Removable urn for portability of coffee service
Price – £2,500
Marco SP9
The Marco SP9 differs slightly from the other brewers in this article, due to its primary focus leaning towards brewing single servings of delicious filter coffee on-demand – rather than bulk brewing.
Targeted towards the speciality coffee cafe, the SP9 features two simple dials for your barista to gain ultimate control over the coffee recipe – Time and water dose.
If you have ever seen a barista using a fancy kettle and a chemex to brew a single cup of coffee, this brewer essentially fully automates the process – saving time for your staff and ensuring consistency between each cup.
Powered by an under-the-counter water boiler that ensures consistent temperatures for perfectly calibrated recipes, the SP9 sits above the counter in a sleek minimalist body perfectly suited for the modern specialty cafe, and available in white and black.
Why we Love the SP9
- Power 2.4kw
- Immediate draw off 4L
- Ready in 25 minutes
- 25 (180ml) Cups per Hour
- 4.5kg (head) + 14.1kg (boiler)
- 191 x 131 x 420mm Head
- 395 x 155 x 565mm boiler
- Available in single or twin setup
- White / Black
Price – £4,100
BRU F45M 1.8L
The Marco Bru F45 is an entry-level, manual fill filter coffee machine, designed for smaller cafés, offices, hotels, and leisure environments. Compact yet capable, the F45 brews up to 1.5 litres of coffee in approximately 5 minutes, making it ideal for locations requiring smaller but frequent batches of coffee.
This machine offers simplicity and ease of use, with no need for plumbing.
Simply fill the water manually, plug it into a standard socket, and you’re ready to brew.
The F45 features two hotplates: one beneath the brew basket to keep your coffee hot and ready to serve, and another on top of the machine, allowing you to brew a second batch while keeping the first warm.
The F45M is perfect for those seeking a reliable and affordable filter coffee machine.
With a straightforward control panel, brewing is as easy as flicking two switches. While the hotplates can keep your coffee warm, Marco recommends brewing only as much coffee as you need and serving it immediately to avoid overcooking, which can lead to a bitter taste.
Ideal for brewing between 1 to 1.5 litres at a time, this machine uses a 60g coffee to 1-litre ratio, ensuring excellent extraction for each pot.
The green brewing indicator lets you know when the machine is actively brewing, and the showerhead ensures even water distribution over the coffee grounds for a consistently high flavour quality.
Why we Chose the BRU F45
- 13 amp plug fitted
- Stainless Steel and Plastic
- 1 Year parts & labour warranty
- 8kg weight total
- 2 x 1.8l coffee jugs
- 2x Heated brew plate
- Power 11A. 2.4kW
- 5-6 minute brew time
- Large wave paper filters
Price – £320
What to Look for in Your Commercial Filter Coffee Machine
So, now that you know about the best options for commercial filter coffee machines in 2024, you’ll next want to know which option might be best for your business. Here are just a number of things to consider when deciding on which machine to invest in.
Drink volume and capacity
How much coffee are you looking to serve at any one time? Wil single-serve cups of coffee suffice or do you need to brew bigger batches for a large number of customers?
If you need large volumes of coffee, the Jet 6L and Bunn ICB-DV machines are fantastic options with their transportable urns making it easy to brew additional volumes that stay hot for long periods of time.
Speed of service
How quickly do you need to serve the coffee? Are you looking to have a thermos that can dispense hot coffee in just 3-5 seconds, or are you happy waiting a few minutes for an individually crafted, fresh cup of coffee?
For large volumes that can be served in mere seconds, the Jet 6L and Bunn machines are fantastic options with spouts under the urns ready to pour delicious hot coffee into a mug below.
If you’re customers are happy waiting a few minutes for smaller batches of fresh coffee, Marco’s SP9 and BRU F45 machines could be good options for you.
Front vs back-of-house
Where is this machine going to go, and, who is going to be serving the coffee?
If your coffee is brewed in the customer’s line of sight, you’ll want to make sure to buy a filter coffee machine that suits your design aesthetic. Some options listed here are better suited to be used and brewed back of house, then the finished product transported front-of-house to the customers.
Will the coffee be served by your staff, or by the drinkers themselves? An urn server is better suited for situations in which the drinker is helping themselves and filling their own mug.
Coffee quality
How important is the quality of coffee, and how much control do you want to have over the brewing recipe?
All of the options listed above produce great tasting coffee, but some offer more control over the brewing process than others, which could help expert baristas get the best out of every type of coffee.
Budget
How much can you afford to spend on your coffee machine? The BRU F45 is a fantastic option for its price tag and offers great value for money, but you might be able to invest in a larger brewer that can help you serve more coffee which also comes with better build quality and brewing features.
