Coffee Shop Equipment List: What You Need to Open in the UK (With Prices)
A coffee shop equipment list covers the espresso machine, grinder, water filter, hot water boiler, fridges, dishwasher, barista tools, cups and a card machine. Expect to spend from about £5,000 for the coffee side alone using listed UK prices in October 2026, before fridges, furniture and fit-out.
Key takeaways
- A two group espresso bundle with grinder, water filter and installation is listed at £4,557.69 at Cotswold Coffee as of October 2026.
- A bean to cup machine such as the Bestir BM30 makes around 40 cups a day and needs no trained barista.
- A steam espresso machine is a pressure system under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 and needs a written scheme of examination.
- You must register your food business with the local council at least 28 days before you open.
- Chilled food, including milk, must be kept at 8°C or below by law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- The Iberital IB7 two group has a 3,000 W heating element and is mains fed, so book the electrician and plumber before delivery.
- Leasing spreads the cost over a fixed term and usually includes servicing, which protects your opening cash.
In this guide
- Coffee shop equipment list at a glance
- What equipment do coffee shops need?
- Back of house: fridges, dishwasher and sinks
- Barista tools and small equipment
- Consumables and supplies
- What does coffee shop equipment cost in the UK?
- Power, water and space: what your premises need
- The rules: food registration and PSSR
- How to buy your equipment in 8 steps
- Should you buy or lease?
- Small coffee shop equipment list
- FAQs
- Get a quote
Coffee shop equipment list at a glance
Here’s the full list in one table. The first four items decide the quality of every drink you sell, so start there.
| Item | What it does | Priority | Listed price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso machine (1, 2 or 3 group) | Makes espresso and steams milk | Must have | From £2,955.25 (Referent 2 group) |
| Coffee grinder (on demand) | Grinds fresh for every shot | Must have | From £499 (Eureka Mignon Specialita) |
| Water filter (BRITA Purity C500 or similar) | Stops limescale and improves taste | Must have | Included in machine bundles |
| Hot water boiler | Tea, americanos, hot chocolate | Must have | From £715 (Marco T5) |
| Bean to cup machine | Push button coffee with no barista | Alternative to the two above | From £3,871.51 (Bestir BM30 bundle) |
| Batch brew or filter machine | Filter coffee in volume | Nice to have | From £369 (Bravilor Novo) |
| Under counter milk fridge | Keeps milk at a legal temperature | Must have | Varies by supplier |
| Glasswasher or dishwasher | Cups, jugs, portafilters | Must have | Varies by supplier |
| Knock out drawer or box | Spent coffee pucks | Must have | Included in machine bundles |
| Barista kit (tamper, jugs, cloths, scales) | Daily service | Must have | Included in machine bundles |
| Cups, lids, stirrers | Takeaway service | Must have | From £73.99 per 500 cups |
| Card machine and till | Taking payment | Must have | Varies by provider |
| Water cooler or bottle filler | Free tap water for customers | Nice to have | From £495 (ZN85) |
Prices are as listed on the Cotswold Coffee commercial coffee machines range and related collections in October 2026. Ask us for a written quote and we’ll confirm the VAT position for your business.
What equipment do coffee shops need?
Coffee shops need four core items: an espresso machine, a grinder, a water filter and a hot water boiler. Everything else supports those four.
Cotswold Coffee is a family-run supplier of commercial coffee machines and coffee based just outside Stratford-upon-Avon. We’ve been installing cafe equipment across the Cotswolds, the Midlands and the rest of the UK since 1993. This list comes from real installs, not a catalogue.
Espresso machine
The espresso machine is the heart of the counter. A two group machine lets two baristas work at once and copes with a lunchtime queue. The Iberital IB7 Two Group bundle is rated for 180 to 285 cups an hour and comes with a 12 month parts and labour warranty.
The Iberital IB7 two group, the machine in most of the cafe bundles we install.
A one group machine suits a kiosk or a shop where coffee is a side line. A three group machine only earns its space when the queue never stops. Compare group sizes in the traditional espresso machines collection.
Coffee grinder
The grinder matters as much as the machine. An on demand grinder doses fresh for every shot, which keeps flavour steady across a shift. Our bundles include a Eureka Zenith on demand grinder, and the grinders collection starts at £499 for the Eureka Mignon Specialita.
An on demand grinder doses fresh for every shot.
On most new cafe installs we do around Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswolds, the grinder is the item owners try to save money on first. It’s also behind most of the “coffee tastes different today” calls we get.
Water filter
A water filter protects the boiler from limescale and takes out the chlorine taste. Every Cotswold Coffee machine bundle includes a BRITA Purity C500 filter and installation. Change the cartridge on schedule and you’ll avoid most boiler repairs. If scale has already built up, read how to descale your coffee machine.
Hot water boiler and batch brew
A separate boiler stops baristas drawing tea water from the espresso machine, which slows the coffee queue. The Marco MT4 countertop boiler delivers 156 cups an hour. If filter coffee is on the menu, a Bravilor Novo filter machine at £369 is the cheapest way to add it. The water boilers and coolers range has wall mounted options too.
A separate boiler keeps tea orders off the espresso machine.
Bean to cup as an alternative
A bean to cup machine replaces the espresso machine, grinder and milk jug with one push button unit. The Bestir BM30 bundle makes around 40 cups a day from a 550 g hopper, with a milk cooler and installation included. It’s the right choice when you can’t hire a trained barista. Our post on traditional versus bean to cup machines covers the trade offs.
A Bestir bean to cup machine with its milk fridge alongside.
| Set up | Cups per hour or day | Staff skill needed | Counter space | Listed price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iberital IB7 One Group bundle | 120 cups an hour | Trained barista | Small | £4,041.97 |
| Iberital IB7 Two Group bundle | 180 to 285 cups an hour | Trained barista | 695 mm wide | £4,557.69 |
| Bestir BM30 bean to cup bundle | 40 cups a day | Any staff member | 349 mm wide | £3,871.51 |
| Bravilor Esprecious 12 bean to cup bundle | 240 cups a day | Any staff member | Medium | £6,340.13 |
Source: Cotswold Coffee product and leasing pages, October 2026.
Back of house: fridges, dishwasher and sinks
The back of house list is short but none of it is optional. You need a milk fridge, a glasswasher, a hand wash sink and a separate sink for equipment.
The law sets the fridge temperature for you. Chilled food, which includes fresh milk, must be kept at 8°C or below in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The government advises setting the fridge to 5°C or below so it stays safe when the door is opened often. The rule is on the GOV.UK food hygiene page.
An under counter milk fridge next to the machine saves the barista a walk to the back room every few minutes. Your environmental health officer will expect a dedicated hand wash basin, so plan the plumbing early.
Barista tools and small equipment
Barista tools are cheap compared with the machine, but a missing tamper on opening day stops service. Our bundles include a barista kit, and this is what should be in yours:
- Tamper that matches your portafilter basket
- Milk jugs in two sizes
- Scales that read in 0.1 g steps for dialling in the grinder
- Group head brush and blind filter basket
- Backflush cleaner and milk system cleaner
- Microfibre cloths, kept separate for the steam wand and the counter
Add a knockout drawer that fits under the grinder, and keep cleaning products in stock from day one. A machine that isn’t backflushed daily tastes bitter within a week.
Consumables and supplies
Consumables are the items you reorder every week: beans, milk, cups, lids and sugar. Budget for four weeks of stock before you open, because the first month is when you learn your real volumes.
Cups are the biggest line after beans. A case of 500 12 oz ripple wall cups is listed at £73.99 including VAT, about 15p a cup before the lid. Beans in the Cotswold Coffee beans range run from £15.49 to £26.99 a kilo including VAT. Our post on the essential add-ons for cafe owners covers syrups, tea and snacks.
Ripple wall cups: about 15p each in a case of 500.
What does coffee shop equipment cost in the UK?
The coffee side of a new shop costs from about £5,000 at listed October 2026 prices, before fridges, a dishwasher, a till and furniture. The table below adds up a realistic starter counter using one supplier’s listed prices.
| Item | Listed price (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Iberital IB7 One Group bundle (machine, grinder, filter, knock drawer, barista kit, install) | £4,041.97 |
| Marco T5 hot water boiler | £715.00 |
| 500 x 12 oz ripple cups | £73.99 |
| 5 kg coffee beans (Gimoka Gusto Ricco at £15.49 a kilo) | £77.45 |
| Coffee side total | £4,908.41 |
Source: Cotswold Coffee product pages, October 2026. Prices change, so ask for a current quote.
Two things push the total up fast. A two group machine instead of one adds about £500. A higher capacity bean to cup machine, such as the Bravilor Esprecious 12 at £6,340.13, adds around £2,300. Standard VAT in the UK is 20%, so check whether a price includes it before you compare suppliers. The rate is on GOV.UK VAT rates. For wider machine pricing, read how much a commercial coffee machine costs.
Barista training is included in our cafe set ups.
Not sure which set up fits your shop? Call us on 01789 491800 and we’ll size the kit to your expected cups a day.
Power, water and space: what your premises need
Most espresso machines need their own electrical supply and a mains water feed, and both must be in place before the engineer arrives. This is the step new owners miss most often.
The Iberital IB7 Two Group has a 3,000 W heating element, so it should sit on its own circuit rather than a shared socket strip. It’s mains fed, so you need a cold water feed and a drain within reach of the counter. Its footprint is 695 mm wide by 508 mm deep, plus space beside it for the grinder and knock drawer.
The Bestir BM30 is the opposite case. It has a 4 litre water tank and stands 349 mm wide, so it suits a shop that can’t get plumbing to the counter.
Cotswold Coffee, the Stratford-upon-Avon based commercial coffee machine supplier, installs the machine, filter and grinder with every bundle. We ask every customer for a photo of the counter, the socket and the nearest water point before we book the install. It avoids a wasted trip.
The rules: food registration and PSSR
Two rules catch out new coffee shops: food business registration and the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations. Both are simple once you know about them.
Register your food business 28 days before opening
You must register with your local council at least 28 days before you start trading. The rule applies to every business that sells food or drink, including coffee shops. Details are on GOV.UK food business registration.
Your espresso machine is a pressure system
A steam espresso machine holds steam above 0.5 bar, so it counts as a pressure system under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000. The Health and Safety Executive lists the “steam coffee machine” as an example of pressure equipment. It says the user of an installed system must have a written scheme of examination before it’s used. See the HSE pressure systems guidance and HSE leaflet INDG261.
In practice a competent person inspects the boiler and safety valve and issues a certificate. Our coffee machine servicing page lists a PSSR safety inspection and certificate at £245, a full service at £245 and a call out from £99.
PSSR inspections check the boiler, safety valve and gauge.
How to buy your equipment in 8 steps
Buying in this order keeps the budget under control and stops the counter being built around the wrong machine.
- Work out your cups a day. Count the seats, estimate the takeaway trade and add a margin for the first summer.
- Pick espresso or bean to cup. Trained baristas and a queue mean espresso. No barista and under 50 cups a day means bean to cup.
- Choose the group size. One group for under 120 cups an hour at peak, two groups for a steady queue.
- Get the premises checked. Confirm the electrical supply, water feed and drain with your electrician and plumber.
- Get a written quote that lists the machine, grinder, filter, boiler, installation and warranty on one sheet.
- Decide buy or lease. Compare the cash price with the monthly cost over the full term, including servicing.
- Register the food business with the council at least 28 days before opening, and book the PSSR inspection.
- Book barista training for the week before you open, not the week after.
Cotswold Coffee runs barista training on site across Gloucestershire and Warwickshire, or at our base in Bidford-on-Avon.
Our engineers install the machine, filter and grinder.
Should you buy or lease?
Leasing suits a new shop that needs to protect its opening cash. Buying suits a shop that plans to keep the same machine for five years or more. Most leases roll servicing and repairs into the monthly payment, which removes the risk of a big repair bill in month three.
| Buy outright | Lease | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening cash needed | Full price up front | Usually none |
| Servicing | Pay per visit (full service £245) | Often included |
| Upgrades | Sell and replace | Swap at the end of the term |
| Ownership | Yours from day one | Supplier’s until the term ends |
Source: Cotswold Coffee servicing and leasing pages, October 2026.
We lease the same Iberital, Bestir and Bravilor machines we sell, with guaranteed pricing for the whole agreement. See coffee machines to lease or read our lease versus purchase comparison. Leasing is for businesses only.
Small coffee shop equipment list
A small coffee shop serving under 100 cups a day can open with a one group espresso machine or a bean to cup machine. Add a grinder, a filter, a small boiler, a milk fridge and a card machine. Skip the batch brewer and the three group machine until the numbers prove you need them.
Here’s the short list we’d fit in a garden centre cafe, a village shop or a kiosk:
- Iberital IB7 One Group bundle, or a Bestir BM30 bundle if nobody is trained on espresso
- Marco T5 boiler for tea and hot chocolate
- Under counter milk fridge and a small glasswasher
- 500 cups and lids, 5 kg of beans, cleaning tablets
- Card machine
Meadow Croft Garden Centre’s cafe, a Cotswold Coffee customer, now runs two traditional espresso machines. Start small, but leave counter space and a second socket for the upgrade.
A garden centre cafe counter running both a bean to cup and an espresso machine.
FAQs
What equipment do I need for a cafe?
A cafe needs an espresso machine or bean to cup machine, a coffee grinder, a water filter and a hot water boiler. Then add a milk fridge, a glasswasher, barista tools, cups and a card machine. Food service adds a prep fridge, a hand wash sink and display cabinets. Start with the coffee equipment, because that decides drink quality.
What equipment is needed to start a cafe?
To start a cafe you need a one group espresso machine bundle or a bean to cup bundle, which includes the grinder, filter and installation. At listed October 2026 prices that’s £3,871.51 to £4,041.97. Add a £715 boiler, a milk fridge and a card reader, and the coffee side is open for about £5,000.
What are the names of some common coffee equipment?
Common coffee equipment names are the espresso machine, group head, portafilter, steam wand, on demand grinder, hopper, tamper, knock box, milk jug, batch brewer, hot water boiler and water filter. Bean to cup machines combine the grinder, brewer and milk system in one unit with a bean hopper on top.
What supplies do I need for a cafe?
Weekly cafe supplies are coffee beans, fresh milk and plant milks, takeaway cups, lids, stirrers, sugar, napkins, tea, hot chocolate, syrups and cleaning chemicals for the machine. Keep four weeks of cups and two weeks of beans in stock when you open, then adjust once you know your daily volume.
What is a coffee shop equipment list with prices for the UK?
Using listed October 2026 prices, a two group espresso bundle is £4,557.69, a one group bundle is £4,041.97, a bean to cup bundle is £3,871.51, a grinder starts at £499, a hot water boiler starts at £715, a filter coffee machine is £369 and 500 takeaway cups are £73.99.
How much does it cost to rent a commercial coffee machine?
Rental and lease costs depend on the machine, the term and whether servicing is included, so suppliers quote per business rather than publishing one price. Cotswold Coffee leases the Iberital IB7, Bestir and Bravilor ranges to businesses with fixed pricing for the whole agreement. Ask for a quote with servicing included.
Do I need a licence to open a coffee shop in the UK?
You must register your coffee shop as a food business with your local council at least 28 days before you open. Registration applies to every business selling food or drink. Other permissions depend on what else you do, such as selling alcohol or putting tables outside, so check with your council early.
Does a coffee shop equipment checklist change for a coffee van?
A coffee van uses the same coffee shop equipment checklist but swaps mains power and plumbing for a generator and a water tank. A tank fed one group machine or a compact bean to cup machine like the Bestir BM30, with its 4 litre tank, is the usual choice. Check the power draw against the generator.
Get a quote for your coffee shop equipment list
Send us your coffee shop equipment list, or just your expected cups a day, and we’ll quote the machine, grinder, filter, boiler and installation on one sheet. Cotswold Coffee is a family-run supplier of commercial coffee machines and coffee based just outside Stratford-upon-Avon, serving businesses across the Cotswolds, the Midlands and the UK since 1993.
Call 01789 491800, email info@cotswoldcoffee.co.uk or contact us for a quote. Quotes are for businesses only.