If we think about temperature regulation, what is the best service you can offer your customers in the automatic water and soft drinks dispensers? On the basis of what to choose the most pleasant and healthy temperature?
Water at the ideal temperature
Drinking water is always important and even more so in these hot days, it is necessary to maintain proper body hydration. International guidelines advise women to consume approximately 2.7 liters of water per day, while 3.7 liters are recommended for men. But is it better to drink cold or room temperature water?
Cold water: advantages and disadvantages
The low temperature of the water makes us want to drink but its impact on a heated body is not ideal: it induces us to drink less and, once the first perception of coolness is over, it quenches our thirst less.
It is known, in fact, how the body is able to more easily integrate liquids that are at a temperature similar to that of the body. The nomads of the desert know this well and have been quenching their thirst in the boiling sands with hot tea for millennia.
When to drink hot and cold water
Drinking cold water, or at a temperature at least two degrees lower than room temperature, can produce various benefits related to physical exercise, febrile states and weight loss due to its ability to lower body temperature.
Of course we are talking about “slightly” cold water which is recommended to be taken, however, in small sips for a gradual lowering of body temperature.
On the other hand, drinking cold water while eating can cause severe stomach pain and even abdominal bloating because some foods tend to expand when in contact with cold water.
Also drinking hot water, which is 4 or 5 degrees higher than room temperature, has a number of benefits, especially if drunk in the morning. These benefits relate to digestion and purification of the body. In addition, drinking hot water helps relieve symptoms related to headaches, inflammation and neck pain.
Hot or lukewarm water stimulates the blood supply to the tissues and is also an excellent remedy for treating menstrual cramps.
In addition to promoting digestion, it would appear that hot water dissolves fat deposits in the intestine and, especially if drunk on an empty stomach, can help restart intestinal functions.
By neutralizing the acids and gastric juices in the stomach, hot water would aid digestion, increase the absorption of essential nutrients and accelerate metabolism.
Who should never drink cold water
Cold water is not recommended for those suffering from diseases affecting the esophagus and digestive system, as well as for people suffering from achalasia: a rare condition that can make it difficult to swallow food and drinks (the introduction of hot water could soothe and relax the digestive tract).
Water temperature according to the target of the dispenser
When setting the water temperature, it is also useful to take into account the place where the vending machine is installed: in a gym, for example, the temperature can be lowered by a few degrees given the young and healthy average target, while in a place with elderly or frail subjects it may be advisable to keep the temperature closer to the ambient one, only slightly cool.
Technical / economic consequences of regulating the temperature in dispensers
It is obvious how, by keeping the temperature close to the ambient one, the refrigerators of the dispenser work less and therefore have a lower energy consumption.
Generally it is recommended to set the refrigeration temperature of water and soft drinks between 8 and 10°C although in many companies, especially in summer, a lower temperature is required, closer to 4°C.
Diversification of refrigeration in the vending machine
In vending machines, the lower drawers are usually colder: there it is good to place (if present) items such as yogurt and sandwiches. Going up it is advisable to put the cans and finally, higher up, the bottles.
It is recommended to place the cans not too high to prevent breakage (and consequent bursting) when falling.
Test the tastes of customers
There are no absolutely valid taste criteria regarding temperature regulation, without prejudice to the previous considerations of its effect on the health and consumption of the machine.
For this reason, we always advise the vending machine manager to carry out satisfaction tests, placing the water bottles in turn on the 3 different heights of the vending machine and checking which one empties first.
Considering that the temperature between the three drawers can also vary by 2°C, we will have a valuable indication of the liking of our target and the consequent regulation of refrigeration.
In conclusion
Choosing the correct water temperature in the vending machines is one of those apparently irrelevant decisions but in reality essential for the success of an overall service.
Just like the right choice of payment system to associate.
If you are looking for some more advice, we are here to offer you high-performance solutions that optimize your work and increase your results.
Contact us: +39 02-9696141 – marketing@paytec.it
Back to Magazine