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Whether you’re looking to open your new coffee shop or brewing coffees at home, getting started in the coffee industry can be tricky. With so many blends and different ways to brew, you’ll often need to do some research before you invest in the right equipment.
That’s why we’ve collected some tips below to get your investigation underway!
When purchasing your equipment as a business or household, you’ll consider both the design of your space and the quality of coffee you want to produce. While instant might make do at home, for coffee shop owners, your equipment is the bread and butter of your business and will extend to grinding and serving equipment.
So while there’s no doubt that a machine with all the bells and whistles may catch your eye, it’s best to pare down your purchase and start by listing the tools and features you need for your space before jumping online to research.
Once you have your list ready, read below as we take you through some of the coffee-making essentials we feel every coffee shop needs.
Espresso is a coffee brewed by forcing pressurised hot water through finely-ground coffee, which results in a strong, rich and creamy ‘shot’ of coffee. This shot can then be used to create other coffees, such as lattes and cappuccinos or even added to other drinks or cocktails.
In buying this machine, you’ll need to consider a grinder to produce the right coffee bean consistency as well as a milk foamer if you’d like to make other drinks, such as lattes.
As for the machine itself, you’ll need to know your budget, the water and energy-saving features, size and any automation you may need to speed up the process in busy environments.
As discussed above, how coffee beans are treated plays a huge role in the overall quality of your coffee. Coffee shops will always provide freshly ground beans over instance varieties to capitalism on quality and flavour, meaning your grinder needs to be carefully selected. By not doing so, you may find your coffee tasting underwhelming despite your investment in a top brewing machine.
Coffee grinders come in a range of types including, blade, burr, automatic and manual. A blade grinder will chop beans fast using high-speed blades. A burr grinder, on the other hand, grinds beans at a lower speed but to a more uniform size. And while an electronic appliance lets you grind your beans in one press and is good for fast pace environment, the hand grinder adds a human element to the process and ensures an even blend.
It’s important to consider all these options and choose the right coffee grinder to enhance your brewing process.
In an espresso machine, water is being shot through the fine coffee grinds to pull an espresso “shot” - to achieve this, a tamper is used to ensure all the coffee is firmly pressed together, allowing the water to steep through and create full-flavoured espresso. While some grinders and machines come with tampers included, it’s important to ensure that this tool isn’t forgotten!
With us covering one of the main machines above, another option to consider is the drip coffee maker! This method is the diner classic as it will let you serve your customer’s instant refills or black coffee. While selecting the coffee maker, focus on the quality and size of a system that will create larger volumes. If this style is for you, you’ll also need to consider filters which we’ve covered below!
The filter ensures no grinds make it through and sit at the bottom of your cup of coffee. While there are many filters, including paper, cloth, and metal materials, you’ll often find that paper is the way to go for drip coffee makers. Paper filters also come in various shapes, sizes, colours, and environmental sustainability, so be sure to consider these factors when deciding.
Coffee presses are another way to brew coffee that relies on a plunging method to remove the steeped grounds to the bottom of the beaker. Unlike a drip coffee maker, you can experiment with the grind size, brew time, water temperature and plunge rate to create different flavours. However, the press only yields three to four cups, meaning it may not be ideal for fast-paced café environments.
While some people may prefer to eyeball it, others prefer exact measurements when yielding coffee from grinds. Using a scale is a great way to maintain consistency but can slow the process down. Another advantage is that you can experiment with new flavours by adjusting different ratios and weights.
Along with those mentioned machines and equipment, there are other accessories you’ll need to create professional coffee. These include a milk pitcher, knock box, coffee paddle, kettle, trays, and of course, cups/mugs.
Now that we’ve gone over some of the core equipment you might use, it’s time to hop online to research sellers – we’ve started you off with our favourites below!
Gridlock coffee roasters is an Australia based coffee shop, providing you with the best coffee beans and sell professional-grade coffee equipment across Melbourne. So whether you’re starting a coffee shop or looking to create professional coffee at home, with equipment such as the lightweight “Clever Coffee Dripper” for easy to brew and warm coffee, it’s never been easier.
Then try out the world’s first fully-automated coffee temper, “PuqPress Q2 Auto Temper-Black,” or the “Hario V60 Drip Scale- Metal”
Try the “AeroPress Coffee Maker”, you can eliminate bitter grinds in your cup and play with flavour.
