Coffee Shop Equipment: Don’t Overlook These 9 Essentials

Our list of essential coffee shop equipment will help you prepare for crafting delicious drinks that will drive up your revenue and attract loyal customers.

Man arranging the coffee shop equipment
Finding the best coffee equipment will help you craft delicious coffee drinks

So you’ve finished your business plan and are finally ready to start a coffee business. It’s going to be an exciting venture for sure! Are you ready to start shopping for coffee shop equipment?

Our list of essential coffee shop equipment will help you prepare for crafting delicious drinks that will drive up your revenue and attract loyal customers.

1. Coffee Makers

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking about coffee shop equipment? A coffee maker is a defining piece in any coffee shop. Ideally, you’ll choose a coffee maker based on how busy you think your business will be.

You’ll be impressed with this commercial-grade coffee maker and brewer that can make you a full pot of coffee in less than 10 minutes.

SYBO 12-Cup Commercial Drip Coffee Maker
$259.99

Pour Over Coffee Maker Brewer with 2 Glass Carafes and Warmers, Stainless Steel Cafetera SF-CB-2GA

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03/08/2024 08:40 am GMT

The right coffee maker will fulfill all your customers’ needs and make it easy for your workers to maintain your business.

It’s best to chose something you can rely on in the long run, for drinks from lattes to cappuccinos even if it costs more. Buy cheap, buy twice!

2. Espresso Grinders

Coffee enthusiasts anywhere enjoy a good cup of espresso: an authentic Italian drink. It’s a must-have in your menu as a new coffee shop owner! To serve your customers with a fresh cup, you’ll need an espresso machine that can express or force out nearly boiling water through finely-ground coffee beans.

Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine
$559.95
  • Black Sesame
  • BES870BSXL
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03/08/2024 08:05 am GMT

Espresso “shots” that come out of the machine will have a rich, creamy flavor. You can serve espresso drinks right away or use it as a base for crafting other types of beverages. If you’d like to have popular items such as lattes, cappuccinos, ristrettos, and macchiatos on your menu, you’ve got to have an espresso machine first.

3. Drip Brewers

Many cafes serve cappuccinos, lattes, and espresso-based beverages. But have you noticed that more people nowadays are looking for “just a regular cup” of coffee? In this case, you might want to add a drip brewer to your new coffee shop. It’ll help your menu stand apart from standard commercial coffee.

Drip brewers come in many varieties and designs with several different features. The right drip brewer can extract the ideal balance of sweetness and bitterness so that you can have just the perfect cup of coffee. It also makes sure that the coffee grounds get wet and saturated first so that you can get the flavor out of each coffee ground.

4. Cold Brewing Systems

Cold brew coffee is becoming popular in many countries, especially those in Europe. Thanks to the emergence of the concept of “specialty coffee,” many coffee shops these days have patrons that ask baristas to serve cold brew coffee.

You’ll need a cold brewing system to build seasonal drinks that will inspire your customers all year long. Cold-brew does not need hot water or fancy equipment, so it’s affordable to start a coffee shop with a cold brewing system.

All you need is ground coffee, cold water, and 12-16 hours to brew cold coffee. Our favorite one-gallon cold brew coffee maker can create up to 16 cups of rich coffee at a time.

1 Gallon Cold Brew Coffee Maker
$27.99
  • Fresh cold brew iced coffee
  • Ultra fine mesh filtration
  • Elegant glass carafe jar w/ spigot
  • Airtight freshness lid
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03/07/2024 01:19 am GMT

5. Industrial Coffee Grinders

For your new coffee shop, it’s a good idea to choose a high-quality coffee grinder that can process large volumes of coffee simultaneously. Industrial grinders are made for coffee roasters and companies who need to grind and sell tons of coffee in their shops.

If you want to make a great first impression as a new coffee shop, an industrial coffee grinder can boost your reputation. In the future, you’ll also be prepared for a high volume of customers when your business has successfully thrived!

6. Water Heater And Filters

A flavorsome brew begins with clean, oxygenated water. Water sources for coffee shops may come with particles and sediments that can influence your coffee’s flavor. Therefore, you must have a trustworthy water filter before brewing your first cup of coffee. The right amount of minerals helps extract the flavor from your coffee.

You may add special filters that use advanced filtration or reverse osmosis. Water’s chemical characteristics vary from one region to another.

The correct filtration device will help you manage your water source properly. Coffee may lose its flavor and consistency if you don’t regularly replace your filters or set up your system to remineralize water.

7. Thermal Carafes

One of the best ways to keep your coffee warm is through the use of a thermal carafe. Although many people would ask you to pour a rosetta latte art, some customers and coffee shop patrons would also love a cup of coffee from an old fashioned thermal coffee maker.

By choosing a thermal carafe for your new coffee shop, you’ll be able to brew a full pot of creamy, delicious coffee.

8. Menu Boards

You’ll need a well-designed board to promote your cafe as soon as people go through the doors of your shop. With a creative design, you can demonstrate what you have to sell and differentiate yourself from the competition.

The ideal coffee shop menu board is easy to read and understand. You’ll get bonus points if it matches your coffee shop’s signature aesthetic.

A functional menu board should include your beverages and the variations, special items, and food if available. By the end of the month, you can retouch your menu board and be creative about new drinking ideas.

9. Point Of Sale System

A point of sale system (POS) is not just about making sales. It will help your baristas track inventory, monitor your coffee shop’s income, and help you manage staff. Depending on the system you get, it can help you streamline orders online, and get orders via calls or in-person, so you never miss a sales opportunity.

The Final Word On Coffee Shop Equipment

To become a successful coffee shop business owner, you need the right equipment.

Once you’ve figured out the basics, you can focus on hiring baristas and building your unique brand and selling tasty coffee drinks. It all begins with the kind of coffee and experience you are capable of brewing.

Author

  • Jason Gass

    Jason Gass is a Colorado based freelance writer and blogger whose goal is to share a good cup of coffee and great stories around a campfire with close friends. When he’s not working, he spends most of his time traveling, searching for the best breweries, and road-tripping in his teardrop trailer with his wife, daughter, and two dogs. Find Jason on LinkedIn.