The sight of a coffee machine first thing in the morning is common to many workers.

From Walking into the office and viewing these machines, a faith is installed that the energy to get through the day is only the push of a button away.

There are several different types of machine available for the working environment. Coffee dispensers have come a long way since the days of the stove top percolator and cafetieres. Below is a brief overview of the main types of coffee machine.

Drip brewing is still popular and often used when lots of coffee is needed. These are often used within a catering environment, for example in hotels. The preparation is simple for members of staff; simply open a sachet of coffee pop a filter into the machine and the wait. The downside to this however is that as a consumer walking in to somewhere using a percolator, Picture an American diner in your mind, there is no guarantee of the freshness of the coffee. There is a real possibility that the coffee was brewed 5 minutes ago but then also it could be the same coffee heated for 5 hours not a pleasant taste to the coffee connoisseur!

The traditional espresso machine is also very popular and allows a multitude of options to be offered. These steam driving machines allow a rich strong coffee to be produced, there is nothing quite like the smell of freshly ground coffee beans to spark the anticipation of your first cup of real coffee. The aroma, noise and taste created by these machines are really unrivaled. Cappuccino's, Latte's, Mocha's and espresso's are all easily made using the traditional espresso machine. Your coffee experience has more personal feeling from the dispenser.

The single portion system and "bean to cup" machines allow a variety of refreshment in work environments and a break from the routine choice of with or without milk. Cappuccino's, Latte's and double espresso's are available at the touch of button.

The modern coffee vending machines are clean, easy to use and produce hot drinks that bring a cafe feeling into your office. No more kettles are needed and indeed no more mess from the creation of tea or coffee. For cappuccino nobody is required to froth up milk, all that is required is the simple press of the cappuccino button. This luxury makes it perfect for the office environment where a good cup of coffee and get the day started in the right direction.

The main giants of the "in cup" coffee market and have dominated since the 1980's with their quality no fuss products.

The familiar taste of fresh coffee in the work place is easily delivered by the machines simple intuitive one touch operation. This makes refreshment simple and user friendly.

The rivalry between the two giants is brilliant news for the consumer as they strive to offer more affordable and economically viable solutions for coffee lovers in office environments. The evolution of the single cup machines has come from plastic machines in the early 90's to sleek modern retro models in stainless steel that are energy efficient and reduce the drinks cost whilst replicating cafe quality flavors.

The coffee machine industry is huge, whether for use in the office or in a catering environment. The variety of options available means that you will never be short of choice when you most need a caffeine boost. The office coffee machine is here to stay and now even closer to replicating the flavors found from using an authentic espresso coffee machine. So next time your enjoying your favorite coffee remember things weren't always so good and thank the demise of instant coffee in the office environment.