Franke SB1200

The SB1200 measures 340 millimetres in width, 750 in height and 600 in depth and weighs approximately 58 kilograms empty. For a self-service machine of this class, that is a narrow footprint, and therein lies the trap in site planning: that 0.20 square metres is the machine alone.

Franke explicitly states in the A-Line brochure that the Specialty Beverage Station is supplied without cabinetry and the installation must be sourced separately. In a self-service setup, auxiliary units are also required, and together they are considerably larger than the machine itself. The standard cooling unit UT40 CM measures 525 by 740 by 686 millimetres and weighs approximately 38 kilograms empty—thus more floor area and nearly as much weight as the machine. The more compact SU12 FM CM 2OM is 340 by 540 by 475 millimetres and approximately 26 kilograms. A payment system AC200 requires 200 by 630 by 453 millimetres and 18 kilograms; the compact variant AC125 CL only 125 by 150 by 310 millimetres and 2 kilograms. A Flavor Station FS60 with up to six syrup options measures 200 by 540 by 453 millimetres at approximately 22 kilograms; a cup warmer CW 270 by 540 by 454 millimetres at approximately 20 kilograms.

Operators planning a complete self-service installation should allow for a counter requiring clearly more than a metre of front space and load-bearing capacity in the range of 120 to 140 kilograms empty weight, before water, milk and beans are added. For even higher throughput, Franke also offers the SB1200 as a Twin configuration, which proportionally doubles the space requirement.

There is no choice of colour: the machine is supplied exclusively in black. Auxiliary units are available in black, white or anthracite; the cooling unit UT40 CM comes with anthracite door and black housing. Operators seeking a uniform appearance should review each component individually.

The most distinctive feature is the screen. At 12.1 inches, according to the A-Line brochure product overview, the SB1200 carries the largest display across the entire product line—larger than the 10.4 inches on the A800 and A1000, and considerably larger than the 8 inches on the A300 to A600. This is not a cosmetic choice, but a consequence of its purpose: a machine without attendants must explain the selection itself. Franke uses photorealistic beverage imagery and step-by-step selection for this.

Beneath the display, two grinders operate with 1.2 kilograms of bean capacity each, allowing two varieties in parallel. The brew group is patented and removable from the front, which matters for service at the self-service site: the machine does not need to be pulled out of its cabinetry. All beverages, including hot water, dispense through a single outlet system, centrally located, with automatic height adjustment between 80 and 180 millimetres. This range is the practically most important specification on the entire machine, as it determines which cups fit the device. Cup recognition and first-shot functionality are also included.

Franke names two technologies as proprietary developments. iQFlow controls extraction and is patented. FoamMaster is integrated as standard and supplies warm and cold milk as well as milk foam. IndividualMilk Technology builds on this, and it is the real reason to consider this machine: two completely separate FoamMaster systems in one machine, so that a plant-based and a cow's milk variety run separately from container to cup. Franke notes that this option is not available in North America; for the German market, it is.

Additional options include an Iced Coffee Module on the right side, a powder dispenser (which cannot be installed simultaneously with the Iced Coffee Module on the right), grounds ejection and lockable containers. The constraint on the powder dispenser belongs on the clarification list before ordering, as it represents a genuine either/or decision and cannot be resolved later via software.

Franke specifies up to 250 cups per day for the SB1200. However, this figure does not appear in the machine's product sheet, but rather in the product overview in the A-Line brochure. In the six-page product sheet itself, one searches in vain for a performance specification, in both the German and English versions. Those requesting only the data sheet will not receive the capacity specification.

In the product-line comparison, the machine ranks as follows: A300 up to 80 cups, A400 up to 100, A600 up to 150, A800 up to 250, A1000 up to 300, S700 up to 250, SB1200 up to 250. The SB1200 thus ranks nominally at A800 level, not above. What sets it apart is not throughput, but the self-service interface and separate milk circuits. Operators needing volume alone should look at the A1000. Those requiring volume plus unattended operation plus separate plant-based milk will find it here.

Reservoir size depends on the cooling unit. The UT40 CM holds up to 40 litres and accepts one to four media-pump modules for milk, cold brew or other media, each in 10-litre containers from Franke or as bag-in-box. The smaller SU12 FM CM 2OM works with a 10-litre container. A notification indicates when replenishment is needed. For a site running unattended overnight, the difference between 10 and 40 litres is the question of whether someone must visit in the morning.

The beverage range is correspondingly broad: ristretto, espresso, double espresso, espresso macchiato, café crema, café latte, milk coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato, Americano, chococcino, hot chocolate and hot water, plus cold variants from iced espresso through iced café latte to iced cappuccino and the cold-brew range with cold brew, cold brew infused, cold brew cappuccino, cold brew latte and cold brew macchiato. According to the manufacturer, the cold-brew module operates without nitrogen injection. The Flavor Station adds up to six syrup options.

Cleaning is this machine's strongest point. CleanMaster is a fully automatic cleaning process with integrated cleaning cartridge, and in the product-line overview, the SB1200 appears in the CM column, with CleanMaster rather than the simpler EasyClean. For an unattended self-service site, this is the difference between a machine requiring evening operation and one that runs its cycle automatically.

The harder hurdle appears further down in the data sheet, in the water specifications. Franke requires potable water quality, explicitly not from a home water-softening system, with total hardness of 4 to 8 degrees German hardness, carbonate hardness of 3 to 6 degrees, pH between 6.5 and 7.5, and chlorine content below 0.5 milligrams per litre. Supply pressure must be between 80 and 800 kilopascals (0.8 to 8.0 bar), flow rate above 0.1 litres per second, and inlet temperature below 25 degrees. This is a narrower window than many water mains supply, and typically means a filtration solution with defined residual carbonate hardness. Those skipping this point during quotation will pay for it later through limescale.

The connection itself is straightforward: a metal hose with G3/8-inch coupling nut and 1500 millimetres length; drain via a hose with 16 millimetre diameter and 2000 millimetres length. Both lengths limit how far the machine can be positioned from the connection.

Electrically, the SB1200 is available in several configurations, and the choice has implications for installation. With 380 to 415 volts three-phase, it draws 6.7 to 7.9 kilowatts at 16 amps. Single-phase at 220 to 240 volts, it is 2.4 to 2.9 kilowatts at 16 amps. There are also variants with 30-amp protection at 200 to 220 volts two-phase, 200 to 240 volts three-phase, and 220 to 240 volts single-phase. The single-phase version fits into existing buildings without three-phase wiring, but delivers less than half the heating output. At a location with peak demand, this is the value that determines wait times, and it should be checked against actual electrical capacity at the installation site before ordering.

No list price is publicly available for the SB1200. Franke lists no price in either product sheet or on the product page, and two German specialist retailers stocking the machine similarly list no amount, but direct to a product enquiry. Those wishing to calculate will need a quotation. This page therefore does not pass on figures that cannot be substantiated.

What can be said instead is what line items comprise the quotation, and that the machine is not the only item. Configuration is decisive: a cooling unit is mandatory, and there is a step in both capital cost and operational expense between the 10-litre and 40-litre variants. A payment system will hardly be omitted at a publicly accessible self-service site, and it comes in two sizes. IndividualMilk Technology, the Iced Coffee Module, the powder dispenser, grounds ejection and the Flavor Station are options, not standard equipment. And the cabinetry in which all this sits, Franke does not supply, by their own account.

The second line item that rarely appears cleanly in quotations is water treatment. The required 4 to 8 degrees total hardness and chlorine limit below 0.5 milligrams per litre can be maintained at many sites only with filtration, and filters are an ongoing expense, not a one-time cost.

The question remains: what justifies the premium over an A800 with equal nominal daily output. The answer lies in two features: the 12.1-inch self-service display and the two completely separate milk systems. Those not needing both will buy more economically within this product line. Operators running unattended sites with substantial plant-based milk demand will not find this combination elsewhere in the A-Line. Public operator feedback on durability in continuous operation could not be found, neither on manufacturer sites nor among the retailers reviewed; that section therefore remains empty rather than filled with quotations.

Status: last updated 7 September 2026. All information from Franke product sheets for the SB1200 (German and English versions) and the A-Line brochure.