Are you thinking of starting a coffee cafe? Investment in coffee shop equipment & supplies is necessary for smooth operation.
This article discusses the different coffee shop equipment you’ll need for your coffee shop. It doesn’t matter what type of coffee shop you have.
These equipment are essential to its functioning.
Coffee Shop Equipment and Supplies
While discussing coffee shop equipment, this guide includes major categories and items under each.
For the new entrepreneur venturing into the line of business, knowing essential coffee shop equipment will go a long way in helping you make informed purchase decisions.
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Before Shopping for Your Coffee Shop Equipment
It’s necessary to consider certain things before obtaining your coffee shop equipment.
These include identifying your exact needs including working out a budget. You must research the best equipment available and find a trusted supplier.
Other necessary steps to take include going for energy-efficient tools and shopping with the future of the business in mind.
The coffee equipment you go for must be durable, and essential accessories must be included in your shopping. With that said, let’s proceed to the next step in getting your tools & supplies.
Best Coffee Shop Equipment Brands
One of the first things you must do when setting up your coffee shop is carefully choose your equipment brands. The best brands are known to be quite durable.
They include Mahlkonig Guatemala, Marco Uber Boiler, Slayer Espresso, Kalita, Bialetti, and Bonavita.
Other popular coffee equipment brands for your coffee shop include Acaia, Expobar, Probat, and Wilbur Curtis. More highly rated brands like Fetco, Synesso, Huky, Rocket Espresso, Wilfa, Technivorm, Victoria Arduino, Mazzer, Fellow, and Chemex exist.
You’ll also find great brands like the Rancilio Baratza, Breville, La Marzocco, Nuova Simonelli, Bunn, and Hario. This isn’t an exhaustive list of the top coffee shop equipment brands.
However, the brands listed are known to manufacture some of the most durable equipment in the industry.
Equipment List for a Coffee Shop
There are essential equipment lists every coffee shop must-have. The main categories here include barista tools and coffee bar accessories.
Others have coffee preparation tools, disposable supplies, and cleaning tools. Let’s discuss each of these categories for more clarity.
i. Barista Tools
Regarding coffee preparation, specific tools are necessary for effective functioning. They are starting with barrister tools like portion scales and syrup pumps.
Other barista tools include tea ball infusers, measuring cups & spoons, pitchers & steam thermometers, and espresso tampers.
More tools in this category include packing mats, brittle brushes, knock boxes, metal scoops, stainless steel dredge shakers, and coffee bags.
You’ll also need syrup pour spouts and a bar spoon. Each of these barista tools comes in different brands. You’ll need to go with the best possible brand. The best brands will be discussed shortly.
ii. Coffee Bar Accessories
There are tons of accessories you’ll need for your coffee shop. These include an espresso machine cleaning brush, coffee bean roaster, and tamping mat.
Others have a coffee bean scale, dosing funnel, storage canister (for coffee beans), coffee grinder brush, milk thermometer, and milk frother.
Other coffee shop equipment under the bar accessories category include shot glasses, espresso tamper, knock box, and coffee stirrer.
More accessories include a coffee scale, milk pitcher, water filter, coffee bag clips, coffee filter papers, French press, latte art stencils, etc.
iii. Coffee Preparation Tools
Coffee preparation tools include the espresso grinder, machine, and coffee roasters.
There are also timers, coffee brewers, coffee dripper stand, coffee siphon, hot water dispenser, Moka pot, iced tea brewers & dispensers, coffee decanter, blenders, and kettle.
Other coffee preparation tools include the espresso tamper and AeroPress.
You must understand that each of these tools comes in various brands. As stated earlier, it’s essential to only go for the best brands as these are known to be durable and of high quality.
iv. Disposable Supplies
Every coffee shop will need disposable supplies for its everyday running. Some examples include coffee-to-go boxes and custom coffee sleeves.
Disposable supplies include gloves, portion cups, paper hot cups & lids, napkins, tissues, and disposable cleaning wipes.
Disposable coffee shop supplies include straws & stirrers, tissues, plastic cups & lids, take-out cup carriers, bags, plastic wraps, and coffee filters.
There may be others not listed here that may be needed for your operation. Research for further details on these supplies
v. Cleaning Supplies
Every coffee shop needs all the essential coffee machine cleaners.
These come in wide varieties, with examples like the espresso machine steam wand brush, caffeine wrench, espresso machine head brush, angled espresso machine head brush, and the half moon espresso head cleaning brush.
You’ll also need to shop for cleaning supplies like the coffee brewer cleaning tables and espresso machine cleaning tablets.
There are more like the espresso parts cleaner, espresso parts cleaning kit, milk frother cleaner, espresso machine cleaning powder, milk frother cleaning tablets, etc.
vi. POS Systems & Cash Registers
Certain brands come to mind when shopping for POS systems & cash registers for your coffee shop. These are among the best and most widely used brands.
They include KORONA, Lightspeed, SumUp, Toast, Square Restaurant POS, eHopper, Clover Quick-Service, and TouchBistro.
You may also choose brands like POS Systems like Lavu, Revel, etc. Each POS system & cash register brand mentioned has many features that help coffee shops operate smoothly.
You’ll need to closely compare the different brands to find one that serves you best.
Am I Picking the Best Coffee Shop Equipment?
When shopping for your coffee shop equipment, you must know that those you pick are among the best you can find. There are a variety of factors you must consider when shopping for such.
They include warranty & support, as well as flexibility and customization.
What do these mean? Any equipment or tool you buy for your coffee shop needs a warranty and support. This helps with any issues you might encounter during use.
As earlier stated, the best coffee shop equipment is durable and reliable. They must also fit your budget and suit your production capacity or volume.
So far, we’ve identified some essential coffee shop equipment when starting a café. Pay close attention to the factors mentioned, as this helps with your selection and shopping needs.
You’ll do well to make inquiries and carry out personal research before shopping.