The Barista Checklist For New Cafes

What equipment and accessories do I require to setup my café for making espresso coffee?  A common question asked by many new café owners.

Here’s a quick run-down of the basic equipment and accessories required to get you started making espresso.

Equipment

• Espresso machine (of course!).
• Water filter and associated lines for espresso machine.
• Associated power supply for espresso machine *see tip below.
• Grinder.
• Refrigerator (for milk).

Accessories

• Tamper: to suit your espresso machine. Most commercial espresso machines use a 58mm tamper.
• Tamp mat.
• Milk thermometer.
• 2x powder shakers for chocolate and cinnamon sprinkles.
• Timer: for timing espresso shots when calibrating machine.
• Measuring glass or small scales: for calibrating machine.
• Milk jugs: we recommend the following.
  • 2x 350ml jugs.
  • 3x 600ml jugs.
  • 1x 1l jug.

Cleaning

• Espresso machine cleaning powder.
• Espresso machine cleaning brush and scour pad.
• 2x small paint brushes (for cleaning coffee grinds).
• Microfiber cloths.

*Standard household and commercial wall plugs are 10-amp. Due to the large current that an espresso machine draws this requires a 20-amp (most 2-group) or 32-amp (most 3-group) power plug. This requires the work of an electrician to re-wire the power supply and install a new plug socket. It is wise to install a 32-amp power plug as this will also accommodate a 20-amp power plug.