For a small office of up to around 30 people consuming fewer than 80 cups per day, the Franke A300 is usually the right call. It is Franke's most compact commercial bean-to-cup machine and comes with FoamMaster milk technology, the automatic EasyClean system, and the choice of tank or plumbed water supply. For offices closer to 50 people, or any site where daily consumption regularly pushes above 80 cups, the Franke A400 is the better fit. It handles up to 120 cups per day and adds the CleanMaster cleaning option alongside more flexible drink menu programming.
Both are fully automatic bean-to-cup coffee machines from Franke Coffee Systems, available to lease or buy through Coffee Seller across the UK with installation by Franke-qualified engineers.
Browse the full Franke commercial coffee machine range at Coffee Seller, or go straight to the Franke A400 Commercial Bean to Cup Coffee Machine product page for specification details and lease pricing.
Where the A300 and A400 Sit in the Franke Range
Franke Coffee Systems designs its A-Series bean to cup range to cover the full spectrum of commercial environments, from a small boutique office to a high-volume hotel breakfast service. The A300 and A400 are the entry-level machines in that range. They share the same core Franke technologies: FoamMaster milk texturing, the 8-inch colour touchscreen, and Franke's iQFlow extraction system. What separates them is daily capacity, cleaning automation, and how much menu flexibility you need.
Franke A300: The Compact Choice for Smaller Offices
Capacity, Footprint, and Water Options
The Franke A300 is rated for up to 80 cups per day and designed specifically for limited spaces. It is Franke's most compact commercial coffee machine and fits comfortably in a kitchen corner, a small reception area, or any location where counter space is at a premium.
As Franke's own UK product page for the A300 explains, the machine brings the full Franke professional coffee experience, including FoamMaster, EasyClean, and the 8-inch touchscreen, into its most space-efficient commercial format. It is available in both tank-fill and plumbed configurations, which matters for offices where running a water line is not practical.
Milk System, Drink Range, and Cleaning
The A300 includes FoamMaster, which handles hot and cold milk, hot chocolate, and milk foam across more than 100 programmable specialty drinks. Espresso, americano, cappuccino, latte, flat white, and hot chocolate are all available from the same machine. The FoamMaster system on the A300 is the same technology used in the larger Franke machines, which is genuinely unusual at this compact size and price level.
EasyClean handles daily cleaning and descaling automatically, guiding staff through the process with on-screen prompts. It is quick enough that nobody needs specific training or dedicated time to keep the machine in good condition. For a small office where nobody has explicit responsibility for coffee machine maintenance, that simplicity is the feature that matters most in practice.
Franke A400: More Capacity and Cleaning Automation
Higher Daily Volume and CleanMaster
The Franke A400 handles up to 120 cups per day, which is 50 percent more than the A300. That headroom becomes relevant the moment your office starts routinely hitting 70 to 80 cups a day, because a machine running near its daily ceiling consistently will show it in drink quality and service frequency over time. The A400 gives you comfortable room to grow without needing to upgrade the machine.
The bigger operational improvement over the A300 is the CleanMaster option. CleanMaster automates more of the milk circuit and brewing cleaning process than EasyClean, reducing the steps staff need to carry out manually. In an office of 30 to 50 people where the machine runs throughout the day, and different people use it across multiple shifts, that level of automated hygiene management is more reliable than relying on someone to remember the full manual routine.
Menu Flexibility and User Experience
The A400 supports more drink menu customisation than the A300, including optional flavour stations for syrups and additional powder hoppers for hot chocolate. The 8-inch touchscreen allows drink presets to be programmed per category, so a mix of people who want a quick black coffee or americano and those who want a flat white or flavoured latte can both get what they want quickly without navigating a complex menu. Cashless payment integration is also available on the A400, which is worth specifying for client-facing reception areas or shared office environments where cost recovery is part of the plan.
The Question That Actually Decides It: Peak-Hour Demand
Think about the busiest 45 minutes in your office, not the daily average. In a 40-person office, if 25 people want a drink between 8:30 am and 9:15 am, the A300 handles that, but it is doing a big chunk of its daily work in one window. By lunchtime it may be close to its limit. The A400 handles the same morning peak with plenty of capacity left for the rest of the day.
A machine that is consistently stretched to its rated ceiling during peaks will not deliver the same consistent coffee quality as one running within its comfort zone. It will also need more frequent professional servicing. Getting the right machine for your actual demand pattern up front is a more important decision than the price difference between the two models.
Running Costs and What to Budget
Both machines use around 7 grams of ground coffee per drink. At typical commercial bean prices of £12 to £15 per kilogram, that puts bean costs at roughly £5 to £7 per working day for an A300 running at full capacity, rising proportionally for the A400. Cleaning consumables, including Franke cleaning tablets and milk system cleaner, run to approximately £15 to £25 per month. Water filter cartridges add a small further cost, with replacement typically needed every two to three months depending on local water hardness. Both machines operate on standard single-phase electrical supply with energy-saving standby modes for quiet periods.
When the Franke A600 Is the Better Choice
If your office is already approaching 100 cups per day or you expect significant growth, it is worth pausing before specifying the A400 and considering the A600 instead.
The A600 handles 150 to 170 cups per day and adds a second grinder for simultaneous dual bean varieties alongside FoamMaster with both hot and cold milk options in a single unit. Our full Franke commercial coffee machine range guide for UK businesses covers the complete A-Series in practical terms and explains where the A600 becomes the right step up from the A300 and A400 tier.
Which Machine Fits Which Office
Up to 30 People
A team of 5 to 30 people consuming up to 60 cups per day is comfortably within the A300's capacity with headroom to spare. The compact footprint, FoamMaster quality, and EasyClean simplicity make the A300 the right starting point for any small office that wants genuine Franke coffee machine performance without oversizing for the volume.
30 to 50 People
A team of 30 to 50 people consuming 60 to 100 cups per day is the range where the A300 and A400 genuinely overlap. For teams at the lower end with demand spread evenly, the A300 works. For teams at the upper end, or any office where peak demand in the morning creates a real queue, the A400 is more reliable. At 50 people with a strong coffee culture, the A400 with CleanMaster is the straightforward recommendation.
For a practical, operator-first look at how the A400 performs at around 100 cups per day, including throughput, cleaning, and drink quality, our article on whether the Franke A400 is right for 100 cups a day answers the questions that matter before making a lease or purchase decision.
Leasing and Support Through Coffee Seller
Lease rates for the A300 start from approximately £35 per week through Coffee Seller. The A400 is available from approximately £40 per week. Both include professional installation by Franke-qualified engineers, commissioning to local water conditions and your preferred drink menu, and initial staff training. All Franke coffee machines supplied by Coffee Seller come with a 12-month on-site Franke service package. Extended service contracts covering preventative maintenance visits and defined response times are available alongside the lease and are worth including from day one for any office where machine downtime during working hours would be genuinely disruptive.
FAQ
Do Franke A300 and A400 machines need daily staff training to operate?
No. Both machines are designed for minimal training. The 8-inch touchscreen guides users through drink selection, and the automated cleaning system walks staff through the maintenance process with on-screen steps. Most office staff can use either machine correctly after a single brief session at the point of installation, which Coffee Seller includes as standard.
Can Franke A300 or A400 machines accept contactless card payments?
Yes. Both can be configured with cashless payment integration including contactless card readers. This is most commonly specified on the A400 in reception areas or shared office environments where cost recovery is part of the operational plan. Include payment integration in the specification before installation rather than adding it later.
How long do Franke machine warranties and service contracts last?
All Franke machines supplied through Coffee Seller include a 12-month on-site Franke service package as standard. Extended service contracts covering scheduled preventative maintenance, parts, and defined response times are available beyond that period. For offices where the machine is in near-constant use, a multi-year service contract is the more practical arrangement.
What is the difference between EasyClean on the A300 and CleanMaster on the A400?
EasyClean guides staff through the cleaning process with on-screen prompts and handles both the milk circuit and brewing components. CleanMaster, available on the A400, automates more of the cleaning cycle and requires less active staff involvement. In offices where the machine runs all day with different staff using it, CleanMaster is more reliable because it reduces the chance of a cleaning step being skipped.
Can both machines serve hot chocolate and cold milk drinks?
Yes. Both the A300 and A400 include FoamMaster, which handles hot and cold milk, hot chocolate from an integrated powder hopper, and a full range of milk foam consistencies. Espresso, americano, cappuccino, latte, flat white, hot chocolate, and cold milk drinks are all available from both machines.
Is the A300 or A400 better for a client-facing reception area?
For a reception area with light to moderate traffic up to 80 cups per day, the A300's compact size and FoamMaster quality make it a strong choice. For a busier reception serving up to 120 cups, or where menu variety and cashless payment are both important, the A400 is the better specification.