Opening a Café: The Complete Equipment List
Opening your own café is a dream for many – and an investment decision that requires careful planning. The technical equipment is the largest cost factor after the shop fitting. Those who proceed in a structured manner avoid costly wrong purchases and bottlenecks during daily operation. This guide takes you through each area of the essential equipment for a café, provides a rough budget orientation, and highlights typical mistakes that founders repeatedly make.
Coffee Technology: The Heart of Your Café
Your concept stands or falls with the coffee – this is no area to save on the wrong end. For a classic café, a two-group portafilter machine is the standard: it allows simultaneous preparation of several drinks and provides reserves for peak times. Budget around 3,000 to 8,000 euros. Equally important is the grinder: a high-quality espresso grinder with a budget of 400 to 1,500 euros has a bigger impact on cup quality than many realize. Those also offering filter coffee or larger quantities should add a filter coffee machine with thermal pots. Suitable devices can be found in our category Coffee Machines & Beverage Technology. Also consider a water filter – it protects the machine from scaling and ensures consistent taste.
Cooling Technology: Display Case, Milk and Drinks
Cakes and pastries sell through their visual appeal: a refrigerated cake display case at the counter is therefore mandatory if you offer patisserie products. Depending on size and design, expect prices from 1,500 to 4,000 euros. An overview is available in the Refrigerated Display Cases category. Additionally, a milk cooler or a small under-counter fridge right by the coffee machine – short distances save a lot of time in daily business – as well as a glass door drinks fridge for soft drinks, juices and water in the dining area. For supplies such as milk, cream and pre-prepared items, plan an additional storage fridge in the prep kitchen. Pay attention to energy consumption for all cooling devices: they run around the clock.
Snacks: Contact Grill and Waffle Iron
A small food offering significantly increases the average bill without requiring a full kitchen. The classic is a contact grill for paninis and toasted sandwiches – robust, quick and operable without an extraction system. Models for continuous use can be found under Contact Grills. A commercial waffle iron complements the sweet offerings and almost pays off on its own through the aroma in the dining area. Depending on your concept, a small convection oven for baking goods or a microwave may be added. Clarify in advance with your landlord and authorities which food preparation is permitted in your premises without additional ventilation technology.
Washing Technology: Clean Glasses and Cups on the Minute
Hand washing is not an option in a café – otherwise you will run out of cups and glasses by midday. A commercial glass dishwasher with short cycle times of 90 to 120 seconds is therefore essential equipment; suitable devices can be found in the Glass Dishwashers category. Budget 1,500 to 3,000 euros and plan the connections (water, wastewater, possibly three-phase power) early. Important: enough dish racks and a place to drip dry and polish directly next to it.
Furniture, Counter and Ambience
The counter is both a workstation and a stage. Plan workflows from ordering through preparation to service in a straight line, without crossing paths. Stainless steel work surfaces in the preparation area are hygienic and durable; in the dining area, atmosphere and comfortable seating count. The rule of thumb is: better fewer tables with good spacing than an overcrowded room. Don’t forget storage space – shelves for beans, syrups and packaging materials as well as a lockable area for valuables and documents.
Small Appliances and Accessories
- Milk jugs in various sizes, tamper, knock box, cleaning brushes
- Cups, glasses and plates in sufficient quantities (rule of thumb: triple set per seat)
- Bar blender or mixer for shakes and iced coffee
- Kettle and tea accessories
- Cash register or POS system with TSE, card terminal
- First aid kit, fire extinguisher, hygiene supplies
Budget: New or Used?
For the technical basic equipment of a small café, you should budget – depending on requirements – around 15,000 to 30,000 euros in total. Used equipment can reduce investment by 30 to 50 percent but is not always the right choice: hidden defects in compressors or heaters in cooling technology and dishwashers are costly, warranty is usually not available, and older cooling devices often consume significantly more electricity. A proven way is the middle ground: buy core equipment such as portafilter machine, grinder, display case and dishwasher new; save on furniture and non-critical small appliances by buying used.
Typical Beginner Mistakes
- Insufficient cooling capacity: Space quickly runs out for milk, cakes and supplies within just a few weeks.
- Connections planned too late: Retrofitting three-phase power, water and wastewater is expensive.
- Cheap grinder for an expensive machine: Cup quality does not meet expectations.
- Ignoring electricity costs: Inefficient cooling equipment eats up margins over years.
- No reserves: No buffers planned in budget, crockery or storage space.
Opening Checklist
- Portafilter machine (two-group) + espresso grinder + water filter
- Cake display case, milk cooler, drinks fridge, storage fridge
- Contact grill and/or waffle iron for the snack offering
- Glass dishwasher including racks and polishing cloths
- Counter with work surfaces, dining furniture, storage
- Small appliances, crockery in triple sets, POS system
- Connections checked: electricity, water, wastewater, possibly ventilation
Conclusion
The equipment of a café is more manageable than a full restaurant kitchen – but every device has to fit, because outages at the counter immediately cost turnover. Invest strategically in coffee technology, cooling and washing technology, plan connections and workflows early, and keep budget reserves. How to arrange work areas and devices sensibly is further detailed in the guide Setting up a Commercial Kitchen. Would you like to discuss your equipment list before ordering? We are happy to advise you personally at +49 6724 2069393.
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Last updated on 2 September 2026.