The best milk dispenser machines offer coffee shops and restaurants far more than accurate and efficient dairy pouring. In 2025, customers will order a wide range of coffee-based beverages, from cold brew and nitro coffee to plant-based lattes and cappuccinos, so your milk dispenser machine should be multi-functional.
According to the World Coffee Portal, almost a third of British coffee drinkers order oat milk with their coffee when purchasing a beverage out of home. 33% of Americans drink non-dairy milk at least weekly, and 40% of Australians have plant-based products in their fridge.
More than 70% of sales at leading US coffee shop chains – including Starbucks, Dutch Bros., and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf – are cold coffee-based, including cold brew. Meanwhile, nitro coffee consumption will grow healthily into 2025.
In summary, modern coffee shops need to be prepared to prepare and sell a host of customised beverages. Installing the right milk dispenser machine makes this easier than ever.
We spoke to Darren Elliott, head of food at Anya Hindmarch Ltd. in London, to learn more.
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Why are milk dispenser machines so important?
Darren has been a force in the UK café and coffee shop industry for over a decade, co-founding Timberyard, consulting on the organisation of London Brunch Fest, and directing operations at Breakfast En Bread, before turning his attention to his latest venture, Anya Cafe.
We asked him how crucial milk quality is to British food service, considering the sheer amount of milk-based coffee ordered in the UK.
“Since our baristas at Timberyard spent most of their time serving and making milk-based coffee drinks, the milk we use indeed has to be afforded the same precedence as water quality, if not more,” he says.
“We moved to Estate Dairy, which I still use today at Anya and which is incredibly stable – although we no longer work with such an acidic coffee. Likewise, with dairy alternatives, we tried and tested tens (although it felt like hundreds) of non-dairy milk, including oat, almond, coconut, soya, rice, etc., and every version from every brand.
“The quality of milk is crucial to the quality of the cup. Clearly, not all milks are the same, as anyone will know when they’ve had to resort to what’s available locally at the last minute.”
Beyond the milk quality itself, we asked Darren how he sees automation aiding ultimate beverage quality.
“More than seven years ago, I wrote about the rise in coffee automation in the foreword of the 2018 London Coffee Guide,” Darren remembers.
“Here we are today, embracing state-of-the-art innovation in coffee tech in both home brewing and our neighbourhood specialty coffee shop. Good speciality coffee is notoriously difficult to prepare and get right, so if technology can help with that and simplify this process while maintaining a focus on convenience and speed, even the most dedicated coffee enthusiasts amongst us will geek out at the levels of quality and precision, and dare I say it, the craftsmanship that automation can offer.
“I believe we are already witnessing this shift, and if not, innovative, connected brewing technologies will soon be capable of identifying and matching and downloading championship roast profiles with optimal recipes, water and extractions to produce the ultimate cup consistently. It’s exciting, and I love it!”
By optimising your workflow with an automated solution, your staff can prepare your most popular beverage orders more quickly, leaving just the most bespoke or customised beverages for manual preparation.
What kind of liquids can milk dispenser machines vend?
Flo-Smart milk dispenser machines can dispense any non-carbonated, non-pulped liquid, including plant-based milk like oat, almond, or soy milk, cold-brew coffee, fruit juices, and even wine.
An example coffee shop set up in the four-tap Flo-Smart system might look like whole cow’s milk, low-fat cow’s milk, oat milk and cold brew coffee. For a bar or restaurant, two taps might be retained for coffee, with two dedicated to red and white wine.
Sales mixes vary from business to business, so Flo-Smart milk dispenser machines are highly customisable to fit bespoke requirements depending on your signature drinks. Installing one has also helped restaurants extend into different service periods.
Moreover, Flo-Smart helps companies operate more sustainably and save money. Large 18-litre refrigerated bladders encourage bulk liquid orders that can be dispensed and ready prior to service, cutting down on plastic carton waste. Wines and juices can be ordered in larger formats and stored safely for immediate dispensing.
At Rosslyn Coffee, a London-based specialty coffee company, the team has significantly reduced its environmental impact by altering its dairy partnerships to deliver milk in bulk.
Liquid waste is also significantly reduced. During busy service periods, baristas and bar staff often guess dosing measurements to keep up with demand, leading to unnecessary waste. Flo-Smart milk dispenser machines accurately measure each dose, ensuring every pour is the exact amount programmed prior to operation. (You can see how much you would save here!)
Milk dispenser machines make cluttered, disorganised workspaces obsolete, enhance quality and safety control, reduce cross-contamination, and open up new beverage preparation capabilities. Far from a simple dairy vending solution, the best milk dispenser machines can dispense multiple liquid types, streamlining your beverage service into one elegant and compact piece of equipment.
Visit our website or contact our team to learn more about how Flo-Smart milk dispensing machines can benefit your business.
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Milk dispenser machines
