For my business / Cafés and coffee shops
Coffee machines for cafés and coffee shops
Espresso machines, grinders and everything around them, from a first one-group machine to a busy three-group bar. We install and service what we sell.
What to tell us
- How many drinks you expect in your busiest hour
- How many people will work the machine
- How much counter space you have, and where the water and power are
That’s enough for us to recommend a machine and a grinder.
How many groups do you need?
A group is one brewing head, and each can pull a shot on its own, so the number of groups is roughly how many drinks the machine can start at once. Choose for your busiest hour, not your average day. A bigger machine only helps if you have people to work it.
One group
One barista and steady rather than busy trade. A small café’s sensible first machine.
Two groups
A common choice for a café with regular queues, where a second person sometimes works alongside.
Three groups
Busy coffee shops where two or three people are making drinks at the same time at peak.
Four groups
High-volume sites. These take real counter space, so measure the room before you choose one.
Fracino for everyday café trade
British-built machines in one- and two-group sizes, including LPG models. A sound choice for a café that wants a reliable machine without paying for features it won’t use. See the full Fracino range.
For a specialty coffee menu
If coffee is what brings people in, start with Nuova Simonelli, Ascaso and Dalla Corte. Their machines are built for specialty espresso, with more control over the shot and the steam wand than entry-level machines.
Victoria Arduino + Cortile
Victoria Arduino + Cortile
Busy? Look at three groups and up
Extra groups let more than one barista make drinks at once. Victoria Arduino and Nuova Simonelli both make machines at this size, and they need more counter space than a two-group. Ask us for a demonstration and training when you order, so your team gets the most from it.
Everything else the bar needs
Grinders
A good machine with a poor grinder still makes poor coffee. See our Eureka grinders.
Milk fridges
Keep milk cold and within reach of the machine. See milk fridges.
Coffee beans
Ask about our specialty blends, which we can deliver in bulk. See our coffee.
Water filtration
Filtered water protects the machine from scale and helps the coffee taste better. See Aquaphor filters.
We’ve run a coffee shop
Cortile started in 2017 with a coffee shop in Pontypridd, so we know what a busy morning does to a machine. We sell and service commercial coffee machines, so if something goes wrong you have one company to call.
We work with Fracino, Nuova Simonelli, Victoria Arduino, Dalla Corte and Ascaso for espresso, and Jura, Franke, Coffetek and Bestir for bean-to-cup. Why choose Cortile.
Installation, servicing and finance
We install and set up the machine, offer service plans to keep it running, and can rent or lease it if you’d rather not buy outright.
Questions we’re asked
What size coffee machine does my café need?
Choose for your busiest hour, not your average day. One group suits a quiet café with one barista, two groups suit regular queues, and three or four groups suit coffee shops where several people make drinks at once. Tell us your busiest hour and how many people work the bar and we’ll recommend a size.
Should I buy an espresso machine or a bean-to-cup?
For a café where coffee is the main draw, we’d usually recommend an espresso machine and trained baristas. Where drinks are made by whoever is free, as in many pubs and quick-service restaurants, a bean-to-cup gives consistent results with little training. If we think bean-to-cup would suit you better, we’ll say so.
Can I serve hot chocolate and iced coffee?
Hot chocolate can be made with the steam wand, and iced coffee is espresso poured over ice. Cold brew is a different process with its own equipment. Ask us what would suit your menu.
Do you install the machine and train my staff?
Yes. We install and set up the machine, and our team can show your staff how to use it. Barista training is available too, so ask when you enquire.
What maintenance does a machine need?
Your team cleans it every day, and an engineer should service it regularly. Water quality matters too, so filters need changing on schedule. A service plan puts the visits in the diary for you.
Can I rent or lease instead of buying?
Yes. We offer rental machines and leasing, and some machines on our site show a weekly lease price.
Is this suitable for a new café?
Yes. If you’re opening, tell us your menu, your floor plan and roughly when you want to open, and we’ll work from there.
Do you cover my area?
We’re based in Bridgend and work across South Wales and the M4 corridor, including Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Bristol, and we cover London too. See where we work.
Terms explained
Group
One brewing head. Each group can pull a shot of espresso independently, so a two-group machine can make two shots at once.
Electric or gas
Most commercial espresso machines heat their water electrically from a standard supply. Gas machines run on mains gas or LPG (bottled gas), and LPG suits sites with no mains gas. Gas machines need proper installation and ventilation.
Plumbed or tank
A plumbed machine connects directly to your water supply. A tank machine has to be refilled by hand.
Semi-automatic
The barista decides when to start and stop each shot. It gives professional control while staying easy to operate.
Tell us about your café
Tell us how busy you expect to be, how many people work the bar and what’s on your menu, and we’ll recommend a machine and a grinder.
Running a different kind of business? See all business types.
South Wales: 01656 530235
Greater London: 020 3011 3131
Bridgend showroom: Unit 9 Kodak House, Abergarw Trading Estate, Bridgend CF32 9LW
