In high-demand foodservice environments, speed and consistency are everything. Fully automatic espresso machines—also known as super automatic machines—are designed to deliver both. With integrated grinders, milk systems, and intuitive programming, these advanced machines take over every step of the coffee-making process. For coffee professionals looking to scale service without sacrificing quality, a fully automatic solution can be a game-changer.
But how do you choose the right model? What features truly matter? And what are the real benefits and trade-offs compared to other options on the market? This guide addresses the most common questions from buyers seeking to invest in a high-performance, fully automatic espresso machine.

Unlike traditional or semi-automatic machines, fully automatic (or super automatic) espresso machines handle the entire brewing cycle from bean to cup. At the press of a button, these machines grind the beans, tamp the coffee, extract the espresso, and even steam and froth the milk.
Unic’s TANGO XP range is a prime example of what best-in-class super automatic machines can offer. These systems integrate the patented Tango® Dual Infusion Chamber, which ensures optimal extraction quality across a wide range of beverage options.
Fully automatic machines are often used in:

• Hotels and hospitality environments for all-day coffee service.
• Cafés and bakeries that prioritize consistency and speed.
• Self-service areas like office lounges or airport terminals.
• Convenience stores and gas stations where quick, high-quality service is critical.
• Coffee and food service Chains looking to standardize output across multiple locations

These machines remove variability from the equation and allow any team member to prepare high-quality beverages without extensive barista training.

When evaluating the best fully automatic espresso machine for your business, focus on these essential components.

• Dual or even triple hoppers and grinders (as available on the Tango XP Duo and Solo models) let you offer two or up to three different bean profiles.
• Look for flat burr grinders with precision calibration and programmable grind size for consistent results.
• Hopper capacity matters too—Tritan hoppers in Unic machines hold up to 2.2 lbs/1kg of beans per hopper.
• All super automatic coffee machines allow individual grinder calibration, letting you fine-tune extraction for each bean type.

• Steamair® technology offers programmable temperature and foam texture, ideal for a wide menu of milk-based drinks.
• Machines like the ones from the Tango range go further with an automatic milk pump system for cold and hot milk, complete with foam customization.
• Evaluate whether you need a 1-step, which automatically delivers milk and foam directly into the cup, or 2-step machine with manual steaming and pouring for greater control.

• A 10-inch full-color touchscreen simplifies daily use, allowing baristas to program volumes, brew parameters, and recipes.
• Customizable drink icons help staff select the correct recipe quickly, reducing errors during busy service.
• Some systems allow multi-language interfaces, ideal for international teams.

• The ability to program pre-infusion time, tamping force, extraction temperature, and brew volume gives you full control over coffee profiles.
• Advanced systems offer recipe storage per button or profile, ensuring consistency across users and shifts.

• Choose machines with auto-cleaning programs, removable drip trays, and waste drawers for quick and hygienic upkeep.
• Machines with independent boilers (for coffee and steam) ensure stable temperatures and allow for simultaneous functions.
• Access to internal components for maintenance has been eased with the modular design, which helps save time and reduce technician costs.

• Consistency: Every shot is extracted with precision, reducing human error.
• Speed: Machines like the Tango XP deliver up to 220 espressos per hour.
• Ease of use: Even untrained staff can operate the system with minimal instruction.
• Versatility: Full control over recipes, including multi-step milk beverages.
• Space efficiency: Machines feature compact footprints and high-capacity output.
• Hygiene and Safety: Auto-cleaning programs ensure sanitation standards are met even in peak periods.

• Initial investment: High-performance models require a larger upfront budget.
• Less control: Compared to traditional machines, there’s less manual influence.
• Dependency on automation: If sensors or components fail, downtime may require technical support.
• Fridge requirement: Some advanced milk systems require external refrigeration, adding cost and space needs.

Selecting the right fully automatic espresso machine comes down to balancing business requirements with functionality. Here are the most important questions to ask before purchasing.

For 100+ drinks/hour, look for dual grinders, high-capacity boilers, and advanced milk systems.

Choose a model with up to three hoppers and programmable grinders.

If you serve lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, and iced drinks, opt for machines with milk pump systems and multi-step recipe control.

If staff turnover is high, prioritize user-friendly touchscreens, recipe icons, and auto-cleaning.

Measure counter height and depth to ensure the machine fits comfortably within your work area.

Check the height between the coffee spout and the drip tray. Machines like the Tango XP offer adjustable spout clearance from 82mm to 200mm to accommodate various cup sizes, from espresso to tall takeaway drinks.

Choose suppliers that offer onboarding, documentation, preventive maintenance, and parts availability.

The best beans for fully automatic espresso machines are medium to medium-dark roast with consistent size and low oil content. This helps prevent grinder clogging and ensures clean extractions. Partnering with roasters who understand super automatic systems can enhance beverage quality.

If you’re looking for precision, speed, and reliability in a self-contained unit, fully automatic espresso machines like those in UNIC’s TANGO XP line offer one of the best solutions on the market. With models like the ones from the Tango range, you get powerful brewing technology, intelligent milk handling, and intuitive interfaces—all in one machine. Whether you’re scaling operations or simplifying service, the right system can turn every cup into a consistent customer experience.

Want to discover the Unic coffee experience? Find now the Unic coffee machine made for you.

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Coffee: a drink that has traveled

Let’s talk about etymology first… The word coffee comes from the Arabic “qahwah” which means invigorating. According to some linguists, it could also come from the word “Kaffa“, the name of the province of Ethiopia where it was discovered. Coffee is a drink obtained from the seeds of the coffee tree, a shrub of tropical regions. And its culture is not new! From the fifteenth century, Muslims imported it to Persia, Egypt, North Africa and Turkey, where the first café, called Kiva Han, opened in 1475 in Constantinople.

In France, it was in Marseille that coffee made its appearance in 1644. A French merchant, Pierre de La Roque, would have had the initiative to import it from Egypt and make some amateurs taste it… The success is immediate and the drink seduces. Building on its rapid success, coffee consumption became popular over the years. However, coffee is still a drink reserved for the elite, as it is still a particularly expensive product.

The democratization of coffee

Then introduced to the Sun King by an ambassador on a trip in 1669, Louis XIV appreciated him for a time but not enough to offer him his hour of glory… It will come only a few years later, in 1686, with the opening of the famous café Le Procope, where La Fontaine and Voltaire will have the pleasure (and the habit!) of tasting. Over time, coffee consumption is gradually democratized and enters the homes of many French, in large cities at first, before spreading to the countryside during the nineteenth century.

Today, coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. In pods, ground, soluble, at the office, at home or at the local bistro: in 2018, the EU imported more than 3 million tons of coffee from abroad**.

* Source IVS France

** Source Eurostat

Coffee gives a boost

And yes, coffee is first a very appreciable stimulant (and very appreciated!). The coffee bean is indeed rich in caffeine, an active substance that acts in the brain and is known for its stimulating effect, both physically and intellectually.

It is rich in antioxidants

But coffee doesn’t just contain caffeine. It is also rich in antioxidants, more precisely the famous polyphenols, so valuable for health, which protect the body from aging and have anti-inflammatory virtues on the arteries. Drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day would even reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 20%, according to an Australian study by the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. It would also reduce the risk of diabetes by 30% and help protect the liver.

It contains vitamins

We do not always know it and yet, coffee is also a source of many vitamins, including B2, B3, B5 and B6, fiber, potassium, magnesium or calcium, all nutrients that the body needs to fuel at full speed and stay healthy. Coffee beans are thus real concentrates of protective compounds. No reason not to.

Coffee helps burn fat.

The icing on the cake, the caffeine contained in coffee stimulates lipolysis, that is to say the destruction of fat by the body. A real boost to help burn a few calories and particularly interesting when you monitor your weight and therefore your health.

Good use of coffee

To enjoy the benefits of coffee without its deleterious effects, it is recommended to limit your consumption to 4 cups per day. Want to drink more? You can also opt for the decaffeinated version of coffee: a good idea to enjoy its taste, without any risk!

Recipes based on coffee and milk

Milk and coffee lend themselves to many associations, which have not finished seducing lovers of this tasty mixture. Among them, we find of course the inevitable cappuccino, an equal blend of espresso, hot milk and milk foam. The famous Latte, originally from the United States, is prepared in a larger cup; It contains a double dose of espresso, 2/3 of milk and a layer of milk foam. Finally, the Flat White, which also has the wind in its sails, is the equivalent of a small Latte, with a little less milk but still a double dose of espresso.  The main difference between all these drinks is therefore in the amount of milk. Something to delight the palate of all gourmets.

How to make a good cappuccino?

Prepare an espresso, in a large cup, between 150 and 180 ml. Then add warm milk in equal amounts, then the same amount of milk foam. You will be able to perfectly succeed your hot milk and milk foam with all our traditional machines equipped with steam outlets but also the Super Automatic machines of our TANGO range, which allow you to automatically prepare all coffee-based drinks, milk, as well as a creamy and velvety milk foam. Serve or not with sugar according to the desires and needs of each. You can also add a veil of bitter cocoa on top.

Which milk to choose?

The ideal for a good nutritional balance and maximum pleasure? Vary milk sources. You can opt for whole, gourmet and creamy milk. Also think of goat’s milk or why not lactose-free milk, convenient for intolerants. Another trendy trend is vegetable milks: almond milk, soy milk, rice milk or oat milk. There are many varieties of vegetable milks, with or without sugar, to concoct delicious drinks.

Coffee, all in delicacy

Like a good wine, coffee is sensitive to many factors, which can significantly alter its quality and taste. Especially because it quickly absorbs odors present in its environment if it is not stored properly, coffee deserves special attention. To preserve its delicate, fragile and highly volatile aromas, its conservation must be carefully cared for. Note that roasted coffee does not have an expiry date but a minimum shelf life (“best before”) of 24 months. This means that after this date it may have lost its taste and aroma, although it remains consumable.

Ground coffee

More fragile than coffee beans, ground coffee is particularly sensitive to its environment. To protect it once the package is opened, we recommend placing it away from air and light, which tend to oxidize it. The ideal? Opt for an airtight and opaque container (which does not allow light to pass through) and store it in a room that is protected from humidity and strong temperature fluctuations. Avoid keeping coffee in the refrigerator, which offers too extreme temperatures and too high a humidity level for this fragile product. However, the fridge can help if it’s very hot or you want to keep your coffee longer. To take full advantage of its aromas, note that a good quality ground coffee can be kept for about two weeks after opening at room temperature and dry.

Coffee beans

Coffee beans keep better overall and a little longer than ground coffee. The fact that it is ground at the very moment of coffee preparation allows it to preserve its aromas in a sustainable way. To do this, keep your coffee beans away from light (an opaque container is ideal, as light helps accelerate coffee degradation) and moisture. Also avoid storing it in the refrigerator or in a cold room, as the cold tends to alter its flavors. Finally, remember to choose a perfectly airtight box, to keep it away from the air. An unsealed packet of coffee beans sells out completely in 7 days, losing all its aromas. In a tightly closed box, on the other hand, you can store coffee beans for up to a month without noticeable taste deterioration and up to two months in a vacuum storage box.

Dalgona Cafe

A drink originating in South Korea, Dalgona coffee is on the rise and is a revisited and improved version of the famous coffee with milk. The idea? A gourmet coffee prepared with a mixture of instant coffee powder, sugar and hot water and then whipped until it becomes creamy. It is then placed on a generous cup of warm milk… Before serving, Dalgona coffee can be topped with caramel or cocoa topping.

Le Cold Brew

This is a version of coffee that appeals to lovers of cold and refined drinks. Cold brew is indeed a cold version of coffee, prepared from a slow infusion of coffee, made in several hours (at least 12 according to aficionados). A process that fully releases the subtle aromas of coffee. The coffee thus obtained is then poured into a large glass and added ice cubes before being sipped, well shaken.

Vegan Latte Coffee

A Latte coffee, yes, but if it’s vegan it’s even better! The world of coffee has not escaped the lifestyle choice of veganism and many people are now in a hurry to order their Latte coffee, not with traditional cow’s milk, but rather with a vegetable milk such as soy, oat, rice or almond milk. The recipe remains the same and according to amateurs, the pleasure intact.

CBD coffee

The coffee and CBD duo: an unexpected combination that is nevertheless gaining more and more followers. CBD, a natural substance derived from cannabis (but completely legal) would indeed reduce stress, improve sleep or concentration. To prepare it, nothing could be easier: a few drops of CBD in the coffee and voila.

Le Latte Art

The trend is not new, but it is still as successful as ever. The principle: to make on the foam of his café Latte, drawings as refined as original. Souls of artists, that’s something to give yourself to your heart’s content!