Essential Coffee Shop Equipment For Your Business in 5 Simple Steps

America runs on coffee and gasoline but mostly coffee. As one of the most popular beverages in the world, coffee lives in our heads and hearts rent-free. The main reason for the love of coffee is its taste and smell and the energy it gives. Furthermore, coffee offers many proven health benefits. Most people will take an average day with coffee over a good day without it, and that says a lot about the place coffee shops hold in this country.

Everyone has a favorite coffee shop on their way to work and a favorite order that wakes them up in the morning and helps them relax in the afternoon. Opening a coffee shop is no easy task, but if you are willing to put in the work, you can create a solid customer base in no time and have your coffee shop enlisted as one of the best in town. Therefore, you will need some essential coffee shop equipment to make your plans a reality. Here, we prepared a list to ensure you have every coffee shop equipment you need to start your business. 

Essential Coffee Shop Equipment List

We mainly targeted preparing a guide that helps you during your shopping adventure, so we divided the list into five main categories. You can browse the first section for coffee-making-related items, the second for service materials and utensils, the third and fourth for commercial kitchen equipment and displaying items, and the fifth for the brands that can help you in your coffee shop supplies purchases.

1. Coffee Makers and Supplies

A coffee shop is nothing without its delicious coffee. Coffee is the base of your business, and your customers won’t be paying attention to anything else you sell unless the coffee is worth their money. You need to offer a variety of options, and they have to be of top-notch quality, which is why the coffee-making process will prove more complicated than you might expect. This coffee shop equipment is essential to make large quantities of rich-tasting coffee that could meet the critical demand of local coffee lovers. 

• Commercial Espresso Machines

Commercial espresso machines are the backbones of coffee shops. Espresso provides the base for many types of coffee. By adding cream, milk, water, and similar ingredients, you can turn your shot of espresso into a latte or a frappe, or many other types of coffee. Espresso machines are usually one of the most significant purchases you make while shopping for coffee shop equipment, but keep in mind that your business can’t thrive without a high-quality machine.

While choosing an espresso machine, firstly, make sure to go with a trusted brand in the commercial restaurant equipment market. You can’t afford a malfunction in this specific coffee shop equipment.

Secondly, choose an easy-to-operate model. There will be options ranging from manual to super-automatic, and unless you have a real professional barista at your disposal, we do not recommend a manual. Manual models won’t provide you with consistent results in terms of taste since a lot of things, such as water pressure and seed grinding, need to be arranged manually. On the other hand, super-automatic models will have everything standardized, and it’s the better option for new coffee shop owners and baristas.

• Commercial Coffee Grinders

A commercial coffee grinder is the coffee shop equipment that can make or break your business. The consistency of your products will mainly depend on this coffee shop equipment, and picky coffee lovers will surely see the quality shining through in their orders. While some cafes get pre-ground coffee, a serious coffee shop cannot go down the same path.

It’s crucial to offer the freshest coffee to show your customers that you are professional. Make sure to invest in a high-quality machine that can ground beans at a fast pace. As soon as you grab the attention of local coffee lovers, your shop will be bustling with customers, and you’ll need to serve the same quality at a considerably faster pace. This coffee shop equipment has different models; you can choose from models with blades and burrs, and you will soon notice that bladed models aren’t suited for commercial environments. Burrs will give consistent results and keep you and your customers happy, whereas blades are more suited for home use.  

• Coffee Beans

Coffee beans, while they are not exactly “coffee shop equipment,” are what will define your brand. It’d be wise to invest in various good quality beans to ensure rich flavors. Coffee addicts are known for their knowledge of coffee. Don’t be surprised when your customers start their inquiries about your business. They will be pleased to know you have a good range of high-quality beans at your disposal. 

• Drip Brewers

Drip brewers are a great way to diversify your menu and offer coffee to customers who can’t afford to wait. While most coffee options are espresso-based, drip coffees are still loved and looked for by customers. You can always have a pot ready with this coffee shop equipment. Also, they’re significantly cheaper than other coffee makers and are bound to be an easy purchase. 

• Industrial Blenders

Industrial blenders will come in handy when whipping up some cream for your mochas and frappes.

• Hot Water Dispensers

Hot water dispensers might not seem essential at first since most coffee shop equipment has water containers within them. Yet it never hurts to have some extra hot water at your disposal. Getting a hot water dispenser will help you serve more coffee at a faster pace. 

• Scales

Scales will help you weigh the beans and products you are selling. With the help of this equipment, you can weigh and pack your fresh coffee beans and sell them to coffee addicts in addition to the brewed coffee you offer. 

• Commercial Ice Machines

Commercial ice machines come in so many models. You can get a countertop ice dispenser or a portable ice bin – ice caddy to store the perfect ice cubes for your cold brew options. Significantly during the hot summer days, the demand for iced coffee will dramatically increase. Ice machines will prove to be one of the essential coffee shop equipment in the business. 

2. Utensils And Disposables 

• Paper Cups and Lids

Paper cups and lids are the most iconic coffee shop equipment. You can impress your logo on the cups and technically get free publicity and create brand recognition. You will, of course, need different sizes based on the range you would like to offer. Most coffee shops offer three sizes; large, medium, and small. It’s up to you to decide if you want to offer more sizes. 

• Dinnerware

Dinnerware encapsulate plates and silverware of any kind. While you should have reusable ones for in-store use, you should invest in plastic alternatives for take-outs. Most people won’t have the time to enjoy the calming atmosphere of your shop and will want to take their coffee and dessert to go. Plastic alternatives will be helpful in such situations. 

• Napkins

Napkins are a need regardless of the type of business you are running. Once again, you can impress your logo on the napkins too. Such details will contribute to your brand building and get you a respectable place among the good coffee shops in the area.

• Sleeves and Lids

Sleeves and lids are some of the most critical coffee shop equipment. Coffee should be hot, but cups shouldn’t burn your hands. Sleeves will help your customers with this issue and surround the cups in a chic and safe manner. Lids provide safety, especially to takeaway customers.

• Holders

Holders will help your customers carry multiple orders. A steady holder is an intern’s best friend 🙂 make sure to store enough holders. Running out of them might raise some problems and lose your customers. 

3. Kitchen Equipment

While commercial kitchens require way more items than what is listed here, coffee shop equipment naturally demands more attention in this article. Yet these two machines are too important to overlook.

• Commercial Refrigeration 

Commercial refrigerators are the primary storage units of any commercial kitchen. You will need to get a commercial refrigerator that can meet the capacity need of your shop and store fresh ingredients in the safest way possible. You can browse our articles on walk-ins and reach-ins to determine what type of refrigerator would serve you best.

• Commercial Dishwashers

Commercial dishwashers will help you have a smooth circulation of clean dishes in the house. A coffee shop will run through many cups on a daily basis, and you will need to clean them up as soon as possible for the next customers. After carefully calculating capacity, you can invest in a steady dishwasher and ensure you always have a cup to fill. You may also take a look at our commercial dishwashing machines article to start with. 

4. Food Prep And Display Equipment

Coffee is often accompanied by a nice dessert, salad, or a tasty sandwich. Therefore, having a sandwich prep table and refrigerated display cases will comfort your workflow and fasten your service.

• Sandwich Prep Tables

Sandwich prep tables contain several storage containers to store your ingredients for the day. You can easily reach in and prepare your salads and sandwiches on these tables and enrich your coffee shop menu with all kinds of snacks.  

• Refrigerated Display Cases

Refrigerated bakery display cases and deli display cases will help you showcase the desserts and snacks. Seeing such appetizing products behind polished glass will surely grab your customer’s attention and bring you a lot of profit. You can invest in a cooled display case to ensure the longevity of your desserts and fresh meals. This investment is especially smart because the other coffee shop equipment might heat the counter and the kitchen area considerably and affect the products. 

5. Brands For Coffee Machines

There are a lot of brands in the coffee shop equipment industry, and with great choices come great responsibility. The listed brands have built a reputation for trustworthiness in their field and offered some of the best coffee shop equipment on the market.

Conclusion 

The main reason for coffee love is its taste, smell, and energy it gives. Furthermore, coffee offers many proven health benefits. Coffee is what keeps us going; it wakes us up when we need to work, it accompanies us when we hang out with friends, it is the perfect excuse to go on a date, and it is a celebration of the rich, satisfying flavors of all kinds in one drink.

To get more out of all this coffee frenzy and love, having high-quality coffee shop equipment provides a back-house operation and workflow without problem, comforts your employees, satisfies your customers, and increases your revenue.