N&W Technical Director Craig Jukes reflects on the extra style and functionality recently added to the Wittenborg 9100 range – that now consists of four models.
In Brief:
- Now in four versions: Instant, Single Freshbrew Tea; Espresso and Espresso Fresh Brew Tea
- New icon based interface, just like your phone or tablet
- Integrated E-Mail alert system
- Variable size bean canister
Designed for today’s tablet generation
To accommodate this upgrade, The 9100’s landing pages have changed. The ‘grids’ and the ‘circles’ have gone, to be replaced by a look that’s designed for today’s tablet generation
‘Press the coffee icon and a menu will appear listing all the coffee based beverages that are available’, Craig said. ‘This means that driving through the menus to arrive at your perfect drink is much more intuitive than it was before.’
Not happy with the 9100’s ‘default’ appearance? No problem. ‘The real beauty of this machine is that operators can individualise the look of their Wittenborg 9100. Changing menus, icons and background colours and so on is easy. You don’t even have to configure the machine on your customers’ premises’, Craig said. ‘You can install the configurator on your lap-top and create your chosen style in the comfort of your office. You don’t have to hog the machine in- situ, when people are wanting to use it.’
Now that the Wittenborg 9100 range has been expanded, N&W contends that it offers ‘machines to suit any and every circumstance’. ‘The 9100 was initially launched as an espresso machine’, Craig said. ‘Then we added a tea brewer to the espresso, giving us the espresso / fresh brew tea version. Having launched the single fresh brew tea and instant coffee versions there are four machines in all and between them, they can tackle any situation.’
Every time the machine’s heart beats, you can choose to be told about it.
It’s not all about aesthetics. ‘The software has e-mail alerts built in, so operators can choose what they want to be told, in terms of any event that happens’, Craig said. ‘You can literally have the machine e-mail you every time somebody buys a drink; every time the door is opened or every time there’s a potential failure. (Having said that, you won’t get many of those!) Basically, every time the machine’s heart beats, you can choose to be told about it.’Wittenborg
There’s just as wide a choice when it comes to the method of payment you adopt. There’s a pay-pod on the side, so you can install the coin-mech or cashless system of your choice. Waste management has also come under the scrutiny of N&W’s boffins. ‘The dedicated, base cabinet has a ‘drop-through’ wet and dry waste feature, which extends the time between maintenance visits’, Craig said.
Wittenborg 9100: ‘lift the lid and pour the beans in!’
‘A few tweaks to the exterior have enhanced what was already a fantastic machine. The fascias have evolved. Where there used to be four horizontal silver panels, we’ve changed two of those to black. The result is stunning, delivering a really contemporary look that will add to the ambience of any location. There’s a lift-up lid now’, Craig added. ‘If you have the bean version, all you have to do is lift the lid and pour the beans in – you no longer have to take the canister out to fill it up.’
N&W has also responded to market feedback in regards to the earlier incarnation of the Wittenborg 9100. ‘There was a large bean canister from the off, which was warmly welcomed by our customers because, once again, it was a feature that facilitated fewer operator visits’, Craig said. ‘The trouble was that there came a point when the customers could no longer see the beans in the canister. It looked empty when it wasn’t and the feedback was that perhaps this was losing sales. So now, we’ve come up with a drop-in kit – which we’re putting into every new 9100 – that creates a reservoir at the front, so fresh beans are now always visible in the window – problem solved.
‘These subtle changes, intelligent additions and indeed the addition of extra models to the range has ensured that the legend of the Wittenborg 9100 will continue to grow – and so, in tandem, will your sales of premium coffee – not to mention the satisfaction of your customers’, Craig concluded. ‘We used to say ‘there’s only one Wittenborg 9100’. Now, there are four…’
