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Coffee brands, machine distributors, and independent roasters that add a private label coffee machine care range to their offering are seeing measurable improvements in margin, revenue, and customer retention. This article explains what private label coffee cleaning products are, why they work as a business strategy, and what to look for in a manufacturer.
Private label coffee cleaning products are coffee machine care items, including cleaning tablets, descaler, and rinse products, manufactured by a specialist supplier but sold under your own brand name. Rather than stocking third-party branded cleaning products, you sell the same product category under your brand, at your own margin.
The category includes:
• Coffee machine cleaning tablets (compatible with bean-to-cup, espresso, and capsule machines)
• Commercial and domestic descaler
• Cleaning capsules (Compatible with leading coffee machine brands)
• Coffee Machine Cleaning Powder
• Milk System Cleaners
Coffee care is a high-frequency consumable. Customers need descaler and cleaning products repeatedly throughout the life of their machine. If those products carry a third-party brand, every reorder builds someone else’s brand equity. If they carry your brand, every reorder reinforces yours.
The commercial logic is straightforward. Private label manufacturing removes most of the cost that makes branded alternatives expensive at wholesale, which means you can hold your retail price and significantly improve your margin, or price competitively and still earn more per unit than you would reselling a branded product.
Caffenu private label partners have reported the following outcomes:
• A coffee brand increased its margin on cleaning tablets by 293% and on commercial descaler by 220%, without changing its retail selling price.
• A second partner grew its coffee care revenue by over 200% within twelve months of launching a private label range under their brand.
• Partners consistently report that branded consumables keep customers purchasing within their brand ecosystem rather than defaulting to third-party options at retail.
These results reflect a consistent pattern: the margin and loyalty benefits of private label coffee care are accessible to brands of various sizes, not just large distributors.
In a food-adjacent category like coffee machine cleaning, the technical and regulatory credentials of your manufacturing partner directly affect the quality, safety, and compliance of what goes on shelf under your brand.
Caffenu is a global manufacturer of coffee machine cleaning and care products. The company manufactures its own brand, Caffenu, as well as private label products for international coffee brands, machine distributors, and independent roasters.
Rowan, Caffenu’s founder, is the inventor of the world’s first Nespresso-compatible cleaning capsule. His career began at the world’s first Nespresso-compatible capsule manufacturing company, giving him a level of technical expertise in capsule manufacturing, food safety, and engineering that is rare in the coffee care category. That foundation underpins every product Caffenu manufactures today.
Caffenu’s manufacturing credentials include:
• FSSC 22000 food safety management system standards
• Halal certified
• Intertek certified
• Formulated with natural and biodegradable ingredients
These certifications matter for private label partners because they simplify your own compliance documentation, particularly if you operate across multiple markets or retail channels.
Caffenu’s private label offering is structured to be accessible to growing brands as well as established distributors:
• Low minimum order quantities (MOQs) suitable for independent roasters and smaller brands
• Product customisation to suit your market, format, and packaging requirements
• Compliance documentation support for your region and retail channel
• Range options across cleaning tablets, descaler, and capsule-format cleaning products
Private label coffee care is a commercially logical extension for:
• Independent coffee roasters selling direct-to-consumer or through wholesale
• Coffee machine distributors and retailers looking to increase margin on accessories
• Coffee chain operators who want branded consumables across their customer base
• Online coffee brands building subscription or repeat-purchase models
If your business already has a customer relationship built around coffee, those customers are buying cleaning products. The question is whether that purchase comes back to you.
The process is designed to be straightforward for brands without an existing manufacturing relationship in this category. To discuss a private label partnership, contact the Caffenu team directly.
Caffenu works with low MOQs, making private label viable for growing brands and independent roasters, not just large-volume distributors. Contact the Caffenu team for specific MOQ details relevant to your product and market.
Yes. All Caffenu products are manufactured to FSSC 22000 food safety management standards and are both Halal and Intertek certified.
Yes. Caffenu assists private label partners with compliance documentation suited to their specific market requirements.
Caffenu manufactures cleaning tablets, commercial and domestic descaler, and Nespresso-compatible cleaning capsules, among other coffee care products.
The world’s first Nespresso-compatible cleaning capsule was invented by Rowan, the founder of Caffenu. His background in capsule manufacturing and food safety engineering is the technical foundation of the Caffenu product range.
Yes. Caffenu formulates its cleaning products with natural and biodegradable ingredients.
At Caffenu, we believe that great coffee starts with more than just quality beans and equipment, it starts with proper care and maintenance. That is why we are excited to announce our official partnership with Henlo Coffee, a South African brand that shares our commitment to delivering exceptional coffee experiences through quality machines and customer-focused service.
Henlo Coffee has built a strong reputation for supplying premium coffee machines backed by hands-on support, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of what their customers need. Their approach goes beyond simply selling machines. It is about enabling businesses and individuals to get the best possible performance from their equipment every day.
This partnership brings together two brands with a shared philosophy: consistency, quality, and long-term performance.
A Partnership Built on Better Coffee Experiences
Through this collaboration, Caffenu will support Henlo and their customers with specialised coffee machine cleaning products and educational resources designed to extend machine lifespan and improve cup quality.
Each Henlo machine will now be supported with dedicated cleaning care packs, ensuring that customers have the right tools from day one to maintain their equipment properly. From espresso machine cleaning powder to milk system cleaners and maintenance tools, these solutions are designed to remove build-up, protect internal components, and preserve flavour integrity.
Strengthening the Coffee Community
At its core, this partnership is about raising the standard of coffee machine care across the industry.
By combining Henlo’s expertise in coffee equipment with Caffenu’s specialised cleaning solutions, we aim to empower coffee professionals, businesses, and home users with the knowledge and tools they need to get the most out of their machines.
We are proud to partner with Henlo Coffee and look forward to building something meaningful together, one clean machine at a time.
Make sure to follow Henlo on their social media platforms:
Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • LinkedIn
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting excellence in the coffee industry, Caffenu is proud to announce our partnership with Stevo Kühn, South African Barista Champion 2023 + 2025 and AFCA Barista Champ 2025, as an official Caffenu Brand Ambassador. Stevo’s approach to coffee combines technical precision, sensory understanding, and a strong focus on education, making him a natural fit for the Caffenu brand.
Why This Partnership Matters
At first glance, competition coffee and machine cleaning might seem like separate worlds. But in reality, they are deeply connected.
As Stevo puts it, “consistency is everything“. And consistency starts with the condition of your equipment. Even the best beans and the most refined techniques can fall short if a machine is not properly maintained. Residue build-up, oils, and scale can all impact flavour, extraction, and overall performance. For professionals working at the highest level, there is no room for compromise.
We sat down with Stevo to talk about his journey, his approach to coffee, and what drives him to keep pushing boundaries in the industry.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey into coffee and how it all started for you?
Stevo: For me it all started by brewing with a R30 beehive brewer where I used French Vanilla pre-ground coffee to make pour-overs…(I can feel the judgement rolling in)
Before coffee, you were a qualified teacher. How has that influenced the way you approach coffee and sharing knowledge?
Stevo: Teaching was always part of what I did, whether through my career as a teacher or my passion as a musician. This approach, together with a major in Psych and a fair amount of extroversion, has taught me to be adaptable and engage any student or learning environment with empathy and EQ. This is a huge part of my teaching style today. When students are in front of me, it is a game on how to connect with them as quickly as possible and find the most suitable way that they will grasp the concepts that we are dealing with in training. It’s like building a pathway to the student to help create trust and confidence.
What drew you so deeply into specialty coffee as a career and passion?
Stevo: I have a pretty obsessive personality, so when I start something I want to push it as far as I can. I love the fact that coffee has so many techniques and that science plays a big role in it, but the further I go, the more people keep me going and pursuing more avenues of using coffee as a means to create positive impact beyond myself.
Winning the national title is no small feat. What do you think set your performance apart?
Stevo: I think my love for people makes my sets unique so when I speak about things that move me, it is evident that it is real for me and not just a nice story I heard somewhere. My sets always has elements of sensory science involved as well and this makes it fun for me, but also the judges.
You’ve competed on global stages as well. How does competing internationally differ from competing locally?
Stevo: Wow, it is really worlds apart. Locally you need to have a great coffee with good tasting notes, but at a world level you communicate to a global judging panel and that makes it really challenging. This makes me want to travel to certain parts of the world more so that I can entrench myself in other cultures for the sake of learning and growing.
What was your most memorable moment from your championship journey?
Stevo: Definitely being able build some really valuable relationships. In my last WBC set, I could share the story of my first farm visit in Kenya and my coach and friend, Sasa Sestic being heavily involved not only in the fermentation process of that coffee I used, but also in my set. That was a highlight for me.
What advice would you give to aspiring baristas who want to compete at a high level?
Stevo: It doesn’t happen overnight! Start somewhere and push hard in the same direction for a fair amount of time.
What, in your opinion, separates a good cup of coffee from a truly exceptional one?
Stevo: For me exceptional coffee should not only be balanced and sweet, but also be understated in the quality and clarity of its flavour. On top of that exceptional coffee is also linked to the surroundings, the cup you drink from and lastly, the people you get to share it with.
How important is consistency in coffee, and how do you maintain it as a home barista?
Stevo: This is the very thing that intrigued me about my French vanilla pour-overs…when I added more water, the coffee changed. So, I realised it’s less about the coffee and more about my own ability to be consistent. The tool most valuable in any baristas pursuit of consistency is a scale. Less guessing and more knowing!
What trends are you currently seeing in the coffee industry that excite you
Stevo: There is a big movement to automation, efficiency and hospitality. I really love this, because it all boils down to value. Value in the experience and efficiency for guests and for cafes
From your experience, how much does machine cleanliness impact the taste of coffee?
Stevo: Heavily!!! By ommiting to clean frequently you will get grittiness in the aftertaste and even high and unpleasant bitterness that does not stem from extraction or roast level.
What are some common cleaning mistakes you see baristas or cafés making?
Stevo: Baristas would maybe backwash, but not use never remove showerscreens. The build up there is intense and will just prevent water from running through the coffee puck evenly that results in channeling.
What role do cleaning products play versus just using water or basic maintenance?
Stevo: Water might look effective, but water does not dissolve the oil build-up, and this is where Caffenu products come in.
As a professional barista, what does your ideal daily and weekly cleaning routine look like?
Stevo: Daily – Removing the beans from the hopper and grind a few grinding tablets though the grinder. Removing the baskets and soaking this with the portafilters in cleaning solution. Weekly – Remove the showerscreens and soak them with cleaning solution.
What excites you most about partnering with Caffenu as a brand ambassador?
Stevo: This is really exciting for me – cleaning is one of the easiest ways to improve coffee quality and also to increase the longevity of the financial investment of coffee gear. To share this with people is an exciting task.
What message would you like to share with baristas and coffee professionals about caring for their equipment?
Stevo: A little goes a long way! It doesn’t cost you that much, but it will save you so much and the benefit of it is always tasty coffee. Clean equipment produces clean coffees!
Looking Ahead
This is just the beginning of what we believe will be a meaningful and impactful partnership. From industry insights to behind-the-scenes content and collaborative projects, we’re excited to share this journey with Stevo and the broader coffee community. Keep up with Stevo on his Instagram profile here: https://www.instagram.com/stevobrewscoffee/
Together, we’ll continue to push one simple idea: Clean machine. Better coffee.
For many businesses in the coffee, and coffee machine industry, offering cleaning and maintenance products alongside their core products can create significant value. One of the most effective ways to do this is through a private label cleaning range. The same holds true for distributors looking to expand their product offering.
Rather than selling a third-party brand, private label products allow you to offer high-quality cleaning solutions under your own brand name. This strengthens brand recognition and keeps your customers buying directly from you instead of turning to other brands for maintenance products.
A private label cleaning product range also helps businesses increase revenue by creating a new product category that complements their existing offering. For example, companies that sell coffee machines can provide machine cleaning tablets, descalers, and maintenance solutions designed specifically for their customers’ needs.
Another key advantage is customer loyalty. When customers purchase cleaning products with your branding, they associate the maintenance and care of their equipment with your company. This creates repeat purchases and keeps your brand present long after the initial product sale.
Working with an experienced manufacturer also means you can launch a private label cleaning range quickly and efficiently. The formulations, production processes, and quality standards are already established, allowing you to bring professional-grade products to market without the complexity of developing them from scratch.
For businesses looking to expand their offering, private label cleaning products provide a powerful opportunity to build brand value, increase recurring sales, and deliver a complete solution to customers.
Ever got so excited to try a new coffee in your capsule machine that you forgot to eject the capsule after brewing? This isn’t a problem if you eject it a few hours later before another cuppa. It can, however, become a problem if it’s left overnight or longer, especially if you own a Dolce Gusto® machine. To be safe, on any capsule machine, always eject the coffee capsule once you made your coffee.
Why would leaving the coffee capsule inside the machine be a problem? Well, if you do not remove the capsule until the next day, the coffee grinds inside the capsule would have likely dried up, and in case of your Dolce Gusto® trapped the needle that injects the water. You’ll notice that no matter how much you pull, the capsule won’t come out. This can be very frustrating.
So what to do if this happens to you? Is your Dolce Gusto® capsule stuck inside your machine? First & most important: don’t force the compartment, as you could break it and then it’s hopeless. The brewing needle in a Dolce Gusto® capsule machine is small, and can be broken, so don’t force it.
The best thing to do if you forget the capsule inside your coffee machine, is to make sure you lift the needle first and then try to pull it out VERY SLOWLY to remove the capsule.
Re-inject the needle if the capsule is still stuck and run the machine again, as if to brew another cup. When you run water again, the dried remains will soften, and you will be able to remove it without difficulty. However, put a glass underneath and don’t even think about drinking whatever comes out of it!
It is also never a bad idea to run a descaling solution through your machine. This will ensure all pipes are clear, and your coffee hot and fresh. Try our Caffenu Eco Descaler for an eco-friendly descaling solution.
The same can be said for ejecting capsules from Nespresso® machines. A coffee capsule won’t necessarily get stuck if you leave it in a Nespresso® machine (it’s possible), but it will get mouldy. Additionally, a capsule left in the brewing chamber will leave room for bacteria to colonise, as well as bad smells to arise. Although, bacteria and smells could arise in any capsule machine with a capsule left in it for too long!
If you do happen to forget a capsule in your machine for too long, it is highly recommended that you clean your Nespresso® machine before brewing your next coffee. It is, however, always good measure to give your machine a proper clean every now and then.
We covered the importance of ejecting coffee capsules from Dolce Gusto® and Nespresso® machines, but the same goes for any coffee capsule machine on the market. Whether it be a Keurig® K-cup® brewer, or a Lavazza® Blue®, it is generally a good idea to eject coffee capsules from the chamber, after brewing a coffee.
If you own a Nespresso® Original machine, you know it has many perks; the variety of drinks you can enjoy, including the compatible capsules they can brew. However, all is good and well, until a fault arises with the machine. If you ever brewed an unusually watery cup of coffee, then keep reading. Let’s see why a Nespresso® machine makes watery coffee.
Using refillable capsules is noble, and can save money, however, they can leak and cause coffee to be watery. This leakage is likely due to an incorrect coffee grind used in the capsule, causing poor extraction and leakage.
If you do use refillable capsules and experience watery coffee, you could try adjusting the grind of coffee used in the capsule until you find the leakage stops. Alternatively, you could test a regular capsule in the machine to see if that works.
If neither of the above stops the leakage, then you likely need to have your Nespresso® machine serviced.
Some compatible coffee capsules can cause leakage because of a design flaw in the capsule, and/or possible incorrect filling by the coffee capsule supplier/filler. A design flaw can cause water to bypass the capsule when brewing, making the water go around the capsule. The capsule could also not be pierced correctly, causing a poor, watery coffee extraction.
If you do use Nespresso® compatible coffee capsules and experience watery coffee, you might want to try an original Nespresso® capsule and see if that helps. If the leakage persists after trying an original capsule, then you need to have your machine serviced.
Lastly, a faulty mechanism in the machine could be the reason you’re drinking watery coffee. A fault may arise inside the machine itself, that could then lead to leakage. If you know that the coffee capsules you use are not the cause of your watery coffee, then you need to get your coffee machine repaired.
If you find yourself experiencing any other issues with your Nespresso® machine, then you can find solutions to any possible issue you have here. Don’t forget that you also need to give your machine a good clean every now and then!
2021 has been another roller coaster of a year, with many challenges. Therefore, we have a lot to be grateful for here at Caffenu. We are amazed by the continued support from our amazing customers and the new customers we welcomed this year. We thank the Caffenu team for the commitment to product quality and customer service with existing products and also new product innovations. Let’s celebrate together and have a look at the 2021 Caffenu Highlights – A year to remember!
Caffenu has a few highlights to acknowledge. Firstly, we have revamped our packaging with a fresh, NU look. Even though our packaging boasts a new look, the Caffenu products still hold the same tried and tested quality ingredients and formula. This holds especially true since we recently had many of our products Intertek Certified! Read here to see what the certification means.
Additionally, we have introduced some new and exciting innovations to the world of food and beverages! We are proud to announce that the Eco Formula Nespresso® compatible cleaning capsule is now available as a totally eco-friendly compostable capsule. Lastly, introducing the Caffenu Superfood range, for Nespresso® compatible coffee capsule machines!
Our new Superfood range consists of three healthy, yet tasty blends, and has already made its way to the supermarket shelves of Qatar! Try a delicious Green Tea Matcha, a Beetroot & Ginger, or a Golden Turmeric. Each blends boasts a range of potential health benefits, and flavour!
We want to say a huge thanks to all of our amazing distributors, partners, resellers and customers for your continued support and trust in our brand. This is to a future of strong and successful relationships.
Have a wonderful remaining few days of 2021. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!
And don’t forget to watch our Caffenu Highlights video to enjoy all our notable 2021 highlights in one spot.
Enjoy a fresh coffee, from a clean coffee machine.
Many baristas have stated that Coffee can have up to, and even more than 800 various tastes and smells. Meanwhile, wine only has about 200 different tastes and scents. The amounts contrast significantly, and it makes the topic of coffee so much more exciting.
Coffee is considered to be one of the most unique drinks discovered in our lifetime. The taste stems from all the earthly elements, including the soil, the weather. Even the altitude at which the plant grows, and of course, the plant itself. There’s also the coffee cherry and the way it is roasted. A coffee’s taste comes all the way down to the way it is prepared, and the water used to prepare it.
Considering all factors mentioned, it is fair to say that coffee truly is a superb drink. Next to coffee, is the machine/machines we use to brew the drink. From commercial espresso machines to the capsule coffee machine used at home; one special aspect can dictate the taste of the coffee we get from the machine. Cleanliness.
Cleanliness is an important factor, in both household and commercial environments. However, it’s not easy to achieve, as it is easy to use the wrong products to “clean” with. The wrong cleaning products will not remove all old coffee oils and residues. It will simply leave you with poor-tasting coffee and a dirty machine.
Over time, Caffenu has developed products that clean, descale, degrease, and sanitise various coffee machines and equipment. Product variants have been developed for both household and commercial use and made available in cleaning capsules, liquid, powder, and tablet forms.
Each Caffenu cleaning product is carefully planned and developed to ensure that virtually any coffee machine on the market can be thoroughly cleaned. In turn, giving every coffee drinker a pleasurable coffee experience.
I think we can all agree, this year has not been an easy one for many. While we acknowledge all the challenges we had, we are proud that we have overcome a lot of them. This is thanks to our amazing Team, but most of all thanks to our trusted partners and customers.
Keeping your coffee machine clean has never been more important, and we are honoured to be a part of the solution, providing coffee lovers in now 52 countries world-wide with eco-friendly cleaning products to keep their coffee machines germ free and in tip-top shape.
Since attending Hostex in Johannesburg in February, we also launched our brand new product catalogue this year, and have had incredible feedback so far. To our distributors, partners, resellers and customers, we thank you for the trust in our brand, and for promoting our premium products worldwide. Your feedback this year has been overwhelming, we appreciate your support very much!
We have made a 2020 Highlight Video, happy holidays to you and your families! May 2021 bring us health, happiness, and more fresh coffee!
To all of our coffee loving customers, your feedback means the world to us! You drinking better tasting coffee is our purpose, thank you!
Bring on 2021.
The Caffenu Team
Most cleaning agents for coffee machines in and around South Africa are imports from far and wide. Caffenu® is proudly the first African company to produce quality coffee machine cleaning tablets suitable for various coffee machines! Yes, locally made to your requirements.
Caffenu® will be showcasing their locally manufactured cleaning tablet range at Hostex 2020, along with a large variety of other coffee machine cleaning products fit for the food service and hospitality industry. Besides Caffenu® cleaning tablets, you will also be able to view the Caffenu® Milk System Cleaner, Cleaning Powder as well as our environmentally friendly Coffee Machine Eco Descaler.
And just in case your hotel or restaurant has an actual capsule coffee machine such as Nespresso or Lavazza either in the room, or lobby, Caffenu® invented a cleaning pod which can be used on the machines. Cleaning the equipment regularly will make sure that you comply with hospitality health standards. Easy and convenient.
If you’d like to chat further, get in touch with us to set up a meeting via phone or directly at Hostex in Johannesburg. Hostex 2020 is happening from 01 March – 03 March at the Sandton Convention Centre.
We look forward to meeting many other industry professionals at the Expo!
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