Two counters is one more than most venues have room for. This complete station puts the Ciao VX3 Duo bean to cup machine and a twin-bowl slush unit on a single fitted serving base, so espresso-based coffee and two frozen flavours are never more than a step apart. It arrives as one coherent retail fixture rather than a collection of equipment, which matters when floor space is the thing you are really paying for.
What sits on the base
- The Ciao VX3 Duo, grinding fresh beans to order for espresso-based specialities and a fresh brew tea option
- A twin-bowl slush machine holding two flavours churning and ready to pour
- A purpose-built cabinet with cup storage and a preparation area, for self-serve or staffed use
Two peaks, one footprint
Convenience stores, forecourts, holiday parks, campsites and leisure attractions tend to get the most from this pairing. Coffee carries the early trade and the colder months, slush picks up the school run and every warm afternoon, and a single member of staff can keep an eye on both without leaving the till. The commercial case rests on that seasonal complement: two products that peak at opposite ends of the year share one piece of floor, one power point and one cleaning routine, so the counter is never dead weight in February or in August.
Serving height and the working zone
Both machines sit at a sensible serving height on the one cabinet, which keeps cups, lids, sugars and stirrers inside the same working zone instead of scattered around the shop floor. The customer-facing panels are designed to read as a finished drinks bar rather than back-of-house kit, so it can stand where customers can see it rather than being kept out of the way.
Where to put it
Because the station runs from a standard mains supply, siting is mostly a question of floor area, sightlines and access rather than pipework.
- Choose a position customers pass rather than have to seek out, with room for a queue that does not block an aisle
- Leave air around the slush bowls, so do not box the unit into a recess or push it against a heat source
- Keep the unit reachable from behind or from the side for filling and cleaning
Confirm the electrical supply before delivery day and have the connection made properly. Getting it there is covered on our delivery and installation page.
Milk on one side, flavours on the other
On the coffee side, the milk arrangement decides both the daily routine and how the drinks taste, so settle that with us when you specify. On the frozen side, two bowls is the number that matters commercially: one flavour is a product, two is a choice, and choice is what turns a passing glance into a sale. Rotating the second flavour with the season keeps regulars interested without changing anything about how the unit is run. There is more on the economics in our guide to adding slush and milkshakes alongside coffee.
What staff actually have to do
Nothing here requires a trained barista, or a trained anyone.
- Fill the hopper and the bowls
- Keep the cups stocked and wipe down
- Empty the waste
- Run the machine’s own cleaning programme
The slush side also needs its bowls stripped and washed on the manufacturer’s schedule, which is the one job worth putting on a rota rather than leaving to whoever is on shift.
Servicing both machines
Servicing is simpler as well, since one supplier covers the coffee machine and the slush bowls rather than two separate contracts. Both machines are new and carry a two-year warranty. Keep water treatment in place for the coffee side and log the slush cleans, and the station stays presentable, which is most of what a customer-facing fixture has to do.
When to separate the two
If your coffee volume alone justifies a full counter, buy the machine and the slush unit separately and site them where each performs best. If space is tighter than this station allows, a smaller combi built around a compact bean to cup machine covers the same idea in less width. The rest of the coffee to go range shows the alternatives side by side.
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