Cafe Equipment List Australia | Commercial Setup 2026

Opening a cafe or coffee shop in Australia is equal parts passion and logistics. The coffee, the menu and the fit-out get all the attention — but it's the equipment list behind the counter that decides whether your venue runs smoothly on a Saturday-morning rush or grinds to a halt. Get the gear right and your baristas, cooks and front-of-house staff move like clockwork. Get it wrong and you're paying for callouts, replacements and lost trade. In a hospitality business where margins are tight and reputation travels fast, the right equipment is what lets you serve great coffee consistently, day after day.

This complete cafe equipment list for Australia walks you through everything you need to open a cafe, organised by station so nothing slips through the cracks. Treat it as your cafe equipment checklist: we've grouped it the way a real café actually works — from the coffee station through to smallwares — with notes on why each piece matters and links to the right commercial-grade ranges. It's built for first-time operators planning a fit-out, not a list of domestic kitchen toys, and it applies whether you're opening a compact takeaway coffee shop or a full sit-down café.

If you're opening a new coffee shop or starting a café, the temptation is to buy everything at once. Focus instead on the necessary equipment your menu actually needs. New café owners across Australia consistently find that the equipment you need on day one is narrower than the full kitchen they first imagined — get the essential coffee equipment and supplies right, and you can add the rest as the coffee business grows. Think of this guide as the tools of the trade every new café needs, and a clear answer to what equipment you need for your cafe.

How much equipment does a cafe need? A quick budget overview

Before the line items, it helps to know roughly what you're budgeting for. Equipment is usually the single biggest slice of a cafe fit-out after the lease and the build. As a planning guide, most Australian operators land in these bands for equipment alone (excluding fit-out, joinery and council costs):

These are broad planning bands, not quotes — your final number depends on new vs. refurbished, brand mix and how much you fit out at launch versus stage later. For a category-by-category breakdown, see our guide on how much commercial kitchen equipment costs in Australia. And remember every quote at Commercial Kitchen Appliances is backed by our price-match guarantee and Australian-owned support — so the budget you plan is the budget you pay.

A practical tip before you spend a dollar: lock in your floor plan first. The number of fridges, benches and how your coffee station flows all hinge on the layout. Our commercial kitchen layout guide covers that in detail.

1. Coffee station

For most Australian cafés and coffee shops the coffee station is the engine room — it's where the margin lives and where the queue forms. Build it to handle your peak, not your average.

• Espresso machine — the centrepiece. Match group heads to volume: a compact 2-group suits a small espresso bar, while a busy sit-down venue wants a 3-group for two baristas working side by side. Browse commercial espresso machines.
• Coffee grinder — buy one commercial grinder per bean (one for house blend, one for decaf or single origin). Grind consistency makes or breaks the cup, so don't skimp here. See coffee grinders.
• Coffee bean storage & hoppers — keep coffee beans fresh and within reach of the barista; airtight storage protects flavour and your stock.
• Knock box & tamping station — keeps the bench clean and the workflow fast.
• Milk jugs, tampers & barista smallwares — back-ups matter; never run a single jug on a busy line.
• Under-counter fridge — for milk within arm's reach of the machine. Explore under bench fridges.
• Water filtration system — protects the machine from scale and is essential in hard-water areas. It's the cheapest insurance you'll buy.

A full beverage program might also add a hot water urn, batch brewer or cold-brew kit — see the broader coffee & beverage equipment range.

Coffee quality is what brings customers back, so the coffee equipment you choose has outsized impact. A two-group head machine paired with a quality grinder is the heart of any specialty coffee setup — it's what lets your baristas pull consistent shots and pour a proper latte through the morning rush. Dial in the grind, manage your coffee grounds well, and the same gear that makes good coffee also protects your coffee quality across hundreds of cups a day. For most new cafés, this is the single area worth spending up on.

2. Kitchen & cooking

Your cooking line scales with your menu. A toastie-and-cake cafe needs far less than an all-day brunch kitchen — but everyone needs reliable, commercial-grade cooking gear that can run all service without faltering.

• Cooktop or range — gas or electric, sized to your menu. A brunch kitchen typically wants a 4–6 burner range with an oven below. Browse commercial ovens.
• Griddle / hotplate — the workhorse for eggs, pancakes, halloumi and toasties. See benchtop griddles.
• Convection or combi oven — for baking, roasting and consistent results at volume. Compact convection ovens suit smaller kitchens; combi steam ovens add versatility as you grow.
• Salamander or grill — for finishing, melting and toasting.
• Commercial toaster & sandwich press — commercial toasters and panini presses handle the high-rotation toasties, bagels and jaffles that are a staple of café menus, and the go-to for toasted sandwiches. A conveyor toaster suits high-volume breakfast service.
• Deep fryer (optional) — if your menu runs to chips, fritters or hot snacks, a commercial fryer earns its place; skip it if you're coffee-and-cabinet only. Browse benchtop deep fryers.
• Exhaust canopy & ventilation — non-negotiable wherever you have cooking equipment, and a council requirement. Plan this with your layout early.

Start with the essentials your launch menu demands and add capacity as you grow — over-buying cooking gear is one of the most common first-cafe budget leaks. A useful rule of thumb: every cooking appliance you add also adds ventilation, bench space and cleaning time, so each one should earn its place on the menu. If a dish only sells a handful of serves a week, ask whether it justifies a dedicated piece of equipment or whether your existing line can cover it.

Think too about gas versus electric. Gas gives instant, responsive heat that many chefs prefer for a range and griddle, but it requires gas connection and more involved ventilation. Electric is simpler to install and increasingly efficient, and is often the easier path for a compact café or a tenancy without gas. Your fit-out, your menu and your site's existing services all feed into that call.

3. Refrigeration

Refrigeration is where compliance and food safety meet day-to-day workflow. Under Australian food-safety standards you need enough cold storage to keep everything below 5°C, with separation between raw and ready-to-eat. Size up rather than down — running a fridge packed to the door wastes energy and shortens its life.

• Under-bench / prep fridges — cold storage built into the line so staff aren't walking to a back room mid-service. See countertop prep fridges and under bench fridges.
• Upright fridge & freezer — bulk storage for stock and frozen goods. Browse commercial fridges.
• Display fridge — sells your cabinet food and cold drinks; covered below in Front of House.

4. Food preparation

The prep zone is where mise en place happens before doors open. Even a small cafe needs a dedicated, hygienic prep area separate from the cooking line.

• Stainless steel benches — durable, easy to sanitise and the backbone of any commercial kitchen. Buy more bench than you think you need. See stainless steel benches.
• Prep sinks & hand-wash basins — separate basins for food prep and hand washing are a compliance requirement.
• Food prep machines — slicers, mixers and processors for higher-volume kitchens. Explore food preparation equipment.
• Storage shelving — keep dry goods off the floor and organised.

5. Warewashing

Underestimate dishwashing and you'll feel it every single service. A commercial dishwasher isn't a luxury — it's what keeps cups cycling back to the coffee station fast enough to keep up with the queue.

• Commercial dishwasher — an under-bench glasswasher suits a small cafe; a passthrough machine handles higher volumes. Browse commercial dishwashers and under-bench dishwashers.
• Inlet & outlet benches — feed and stack the dishwasher efficiently. See dishwasher inlet sinks & outlet benches.
• Glass & cup racks — keep washing organised and protect your stock.

6. Display & front of house

Your front of house is a silent salesperson. The right display equipment turns a customer waiting for coffee into a customer buying a slice of cake.

• Cake & cold food display — refrigerated cabinets that show off your cakes, pastries and cabinet food while keeping it compliant. A well-stocked pastry display is one of the easiest ways to lift average spend. See cake display fridges and countertop display fridges.
• Hot food display — for pies, sausage rolls and grab-and-go. Browse countertop hot food displays.
• Drink fridge — upright glass-door fridges for bottled drinks. See the full food displays range.
• POS counter & service bench — the hub where ordering, payment and pickup flow.

7. Storage

Storage is the zone first-time owners forget until they're tripping over stock. Plan dry, cold and chemical storage from day one.

• Dry store shelving — adjustable, food-grade shelving for ambient goods.
• Bulk cold & frozen storage — see refrigeration above; a chest or upright freezer covers frozen stock.
• Chemical & cleaning storage — kept separate from food, as required by food-safety standards.

8. Smallwares

Smallwares are low-cost but high-impact — running short on plates or portafilters mid-service is a genuine problem. Budget a lump sum and buy in sensible multiples.

• Crockery, glassware & cutlery — enough to cover peak plus what's in the wash.
• Cookware — pans, trays, gastronorm pans and utensils.
• Barista tools — spare jugs, tampers, cleaning brushes and group-head cleaner.
• Cleaning & first-aid — mops, buckets, microfibre cloths, sanitiser and a stocked first-aid kit.

Tips for first-time cafe owners

• Buy essentials first, stage the rest. Open with what your launch menu needs and add capacity once you know your real volumes. Cash flow in month one matters more than a complete kitchen.
• Choose commercial-grade, Australian-supported brands. Trusted ranges like GasMax, FED-X, Thermaster, Atosa and CookRite are built for daily commercial use and backed by local parts and service — a world away from consumer-grade gear that fails under load.
• Use finance to protect cash flow. Rather than tying up working capital in equipment, SilverChef financing lets eligible operators fund commercial kitchen equipment with approvals on qualifying applications in as little as five minutes. See our payment and finance options.
• Lean on the price-match guarantee. We'll match a genuine lower price on like-for-like commercial equipment, so you can plan your budget with confidence.
• Mind your warranty. Commercial equipment carries manufacturer-backed warranties that vary by product — always check the warranty terms for each item before you buy.

What to look for in commercial cafe equipment

Two cafes can buy the "same" piece of equipment and have wildly different experiences three years later. The difference is usually what they checked before buying. A few things matter more than headline price:

• Commercial-grade build, not consumer-grade. Equipment in a cafe runs for hours every day, often back to back. Commercial-grade gear is engineered for that duty cycle — heavier components, better thermal recovery and parts designed to be replaced rather than thrown away. Domestic-style equipment simply won't last under café load.
• Energy efficiency. Refrigeration and cooking equipment run constantly, so their running cost adds up fast. A more efficient fridge or oven can pay back its price difference over its life through lower power bills — worth weighing when you compare options.
• Serviceability and local support. When something fails mid-service, you need parts and a technician quickly. Choosing Australian-supported brands means spares are on the shelf and service is a phone call away, not a six-week wait on an overseas part.
• Warranty terms. Commercial warranties vary by product and brand — some cover parts and labour for several years, others are parts-only. Always read the warranty terms for each item so you know exactly what's covered before you commit.
• Footprint and fit. Measure your space and doorways before you buy. A machine that won't fit through the door, or that crowds the line, is an expensive mistake that the right floor plan prevents.

Buying on these criteria — not just the sticker — is what separates a kitchen that runs reliably for years from one that becomes a callout treadmill.

Matching your equipment list to your café type

Not every café needs every piece on this list. The fastest way to right-size your fit-out is to match the equipment to the kind of venue you're actually opening.

• Espresso bar / takeaway window. Coffee is the whole business, so over-invest there and keep the kitchen minimal. You'll want a quality 2-group espresso machine, one or two grinders, an under-counter milk fridge, a small display cabinet for cabinet food, a glasswasher and a sandwich press or panini grill. You can often skip a full cooking line entirely.
• Standard sit-down café. This is the most common build and where the full station-by-station list applies. Expect a higher-volume coffee setup, a 4–6 burner range with oven, a griddle, full under-bench and upright refrigeration, a commercial dishwasher, and a refrigerated display cabinet up front.
• All-day dining café. Larger menus mean more cooking firepower — a combi or convection oven, more griddle and grill capacity, a salamander, and significantly more cold storage and warewashing throughput. Front-of-house display and hot food units also do more work here.

When you're unsure, build the list around your menu first and your seating second. The menu sets your cooking and refrigeration needs; the seating sets your coffee and warewashing volume.

Don't forget compliance: food safety and council requirements

Equipment choices in Australia aren't just about workflow — they're tied to food safety standards and building requirements that your local council and the food authority will check. business.gov.au provides a comprehensive guide to the licences, registrations, and regulatory requirements that Australian food businesses need to meet when starting or operating in the hospitality sector. Like all hospitality venues around Australia, your café has to meet these rules, so factoring them in early avoids expensive retro-fits.

• Temperature control. Australian food-safety standards require cold food kept at or below 5°C and hot food at or above 60°C. That drives how much refrigeration and hot-holding display you need, and why commercial-grade units (which hold temperature under load) matter over domestic gear.
• Ventilation and exhaust. Any cooking line generally needs a compliant exhaust canopy and mechanical ventilation. This is a council and Australian-Standards matter, so plan it alongside your cooking equipment, not after.
• Hand-washing and sinks. Dedicated hand-wash basins separate from food-prep and warewashing sinks are a baseline requirement. A grease trap is commonly required where you have a kitchen.
• Surfaces and storage. Food-contact surfaces should be smooth, durable and easy to sanitise — which is why stainless steel benching is the commercial standard — and chemicals must be stored away from food.

None of this is meant to overwhelm you; it simply explains why the list leans commercial-grade throughout. If you'd like a hand mapping equipment to a compliant layout, our team fits out Australian venues every week.

Choosing a cafe equipment supplier in Australia

Where you buy matters as much as what you buy. A good café equipment supplier doesn't just sell you boxes — they help you spec the essential equipment for your space, supply genuine commercial coffee gear and cooking equipment in Australia, and stand behind it with parts and service. When you're comparing suppliers, look for the full range under one roof (so your coffee machine, commercial coffee grinder and refrigeration come from a partner who knows how they work together), transparent pricing, and local support you can actually reach.

That one-stop-shop approach is how first-time owners get the essential coffee shop equipment right without juggling five vendors. From commercial grinders to a fryer to display cabinets, sourcing your gear from a single trusted supplier keeps the build simpler and the after-sales support clear — which is exactly what you want when you're trying to run your cafe, not chase warranty claims. Get this decision right and you've laid the groundwork for a successful cafe. (For more, browse our Business Guides hub — a dedicated guide on choosing a commercial kitchen equipment supplier is on the way.)

Your cafe equipment checklist at a glance

Use this condensed coffee shop equipment list as a quick reference once you've planned your layout. It's the short version of everything above — print it, tick it off, and talk to our team about the gaps.

• Coffee station: commercial espresso machine, coffee grinder (one per bean), knock box, milk jugs, coffee bean storage, under-counter fridge, water filtration
• Cooking: range or cooktop, oven, griddle, commercial toaster, sandwich press, salamander, exhaust canopy
• Refrigeration: under-bench prep fridge, upright fridge, freezer — enough cold storage to keep everything below 5°C
• Prep: stainless steel benches, prep and hand-wash sinks, food-prep machines, shelving
• Warewashing: commercial dishwasher (glasswasher or passthrough), inlet/outlet benches, racks
• Display & front of house: cake and pastry display, hot food display, drink fridge, POS counter
• Storage & smallwares: dry shelving, chemical storage, crockery, glassware, cookware, barista tools

It maps the equipment needed from the front bench to the back of house: the gear that suits the types of coffee you'll serve, what your coffee shop needs on opening day, and the right equipment for your cafe over the long term. Whether you're fitting out a small takeaway coffee shop or a busy café in Australia, working from a checklist like this keeps a complex commercial kitchen build manageable — and gives you everything you need to run your cafe smoothly from day one.

Ready to fit out your cafe?

Commercial Kitchen Appliances is your one-stop-shop for commercial-grade cafe equipment, Australian owned and backed by local support. Talk to our team about your fit-out, get a package built around your floor plan, and lock in our price-match guarantee.

• 📞 Call 1300 000 927 to speak with our team
• 📍 Showroom: 151 Parramatta Road, Granville NSW 2142
• 💳 SilverChef finance available for eligible operators
• ✅ Price-match guaranteed on like-for-like commercial equipment

Planning the rest of your venue? Read our guides on commercial kitchen equipment costs and kitchen layout, or explore payment and finance options.

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