Complete Café Equipment List for Australia: What to Buy Before You Open

Opening a café in Australia is one of the most exciting — and most equipment-intensive — ventures in hospitality. Whether you're setting up an espresso bar in Surry Hills, a brunch café in Brunswick, or a takeaway window on the Gold Coast, the equipment you choose on day one determines your speed of service, coffee quality, and operating costs for years to come. At Hospitality Connect, we've been supplying equipment to Australian cafés, restaurants, and hospitality venues for over 21 years — and we know exactly what you need to get open and stay running.

This guide covers every piece of commercial equipment you actually need, organised by priority. We've included realistic budget ranges based on current Australian pricing and linked directly to each equipment category so you can see what's available right now — from Espresso Machines to Dishwashers and Display Fridges.

How to Budget for a Café Equipment Fit-Out

Equipment typically represents 40–60% of your total café fit-out cost. For a small to medium café in Australia, expect to spend between $50,000 and $120,000 on equipment alone — separate from construction, joinery, and compliance costs.

The smartest approach is to break your equipment budget into three tiers:

• Non-negotiable equipment — espresso machine, grinder, refrigeration, dishwasher. This is where most of your budget should go. Cutting corners here affects every service.
• Essential support equipment — stainless benches, shelving, water filtration, display cabinets. These support workflow and compliance.
• Smallwares and accessories — tampers, jugs, cups, knock boxes. Lower cost per item, but the list adds up quickly.

If budget is tight, consider equipment financing through providers like SilverChef, which offers rent-try-buy arrangements specifically for hospitality equipment in Australia.

Espresso Machine and Grinder — The Heart of Your Café

Your espresso machine and grinder are the two most important purchases you'll make. Every flat white, latte, and long black your café produces flows through these two machines, so quality, reliability, and serviceability are non-negotiable.

Choosing an Espresso Machine

For most Australian cafés, a two-group head machine is the minimum starting point. It allows two baristas to pull shots simultaneously during a morning rush. High-volume venues should consider a three-group machine for future capacity.

Key features to look for include:

• Volumetric dosing: Delivers consistent shot volumes without the barista holding a button.
• PID temperature control: Maintains stable brew temperature across consecutive shots.
• Powerful steam wands: Essential for the microfoam that defines Australian milk coffee.
• Easy-access drip trays and group heads: Simplifies daily cleaning and end-of-shift maintenance.

At Hospitality Connect, we stock commercial espresso machines from Wega, Slayer, Astoria, and Bezzera — all proven performers in Australian café environments. Wega machines offer outstanding value with robust Italian engineering, while Slayer delivers boutique-level precision for specialty coffee venues. Astoria and Bezzera round out the range with reliable, mid-to-premium options suited to everything from neighbourhood cafés to high-traffic venues.

Browse our full range of Commercial Espresso Machines to find the right fit for your café's volume and budget.

Budget guide: $5,000–$8,000 for a reliable two-group machine. $10,000–$20,000+ for premium models with advanced features.

Choosing a Coffee Grinder

A common mistake new café owners make is spending heavily on the espresso machine and skimping on the grinder. The grinder has a bigger impact on cup quality than the machine itself — inconsistent grind size means inconsistent extraction, and no amount of barista skill can fix that.

Look for an on-demand grinder with flat or conical burrs designed for commercial volume. If you're serving more than 150 cups a day, consider running two grinders — one for your house blend and one for single-origin or decaf.

We stock commercial grinders from Mazzer and Eureka, both trusted across Australian cafés for precision, consistency, and build quality. Explore our Commercial Coffee Grinder collection.

Budget guide: $1,500–$4,000 per grinder.

Coffee Accessories

You'll also need tampers, dosing tools, knock boxes, milk jugs in multiple sizes, and cleaning brushes. These items are low cost individually but essential for a smooth barista workflow. Browse our Coffee Accessories and Tamper collection.

Water Filtration — Protecting Your Investment

Coffee is over 98% water. Australian water quality varies significantly between cities and regions, and unfiltered water causes limescale buildup inside espresso machines — shortening their lifespan and degrading shot quality.

A quality water filtration system is one of the cheapest ways to protect your most expensive equipment. Under-sink carbon or reverse osmosis filters remove chlorine, sediment, and excess minerals that affect taste and machine longevity.

We supply filtration systems from Brita and Zip Water. See our Water Filter collection.

Budget guide: $300–$1,200 for the system, plus ongoing filter replacements.

Display Refrigeration — Showcasing Cakes, Salads and Cold Drinks

If your café serves food — and most Australian cafés do — a display fridge is one of the first things customers see when they walk in. The right cabinet drives impulse purchases and showcases your food at its best.

Cake and Cold Food Display Cabinets

A countertop or floor-standing refrigerated display is essential for cafés selling cakes, slices, sandwiches, salads, or cold drinks. Look for units with LED lighting, adjustable shelves, and easy-access rear doors for restocking during service.

Key considerations include:

• Curved vs flat glass: Curved glass maximises visibility from multiple angles; flat glass suits modern, minimalist interiors.
• Temperature range: Most cake displays operate at 2–8°C for safe food holding.
• Footprint: Measure your counter space carefully before ordering — an oversized cabinet disrupts workflow.

We stock display cabinets from Bonvue, Cossiga, Criocabin, Emainox, and FED-X. Bonvue offers excellent value for small to mid-sized cafés, while Cossiga and Criocabin deliver premium European quality with advanced temperature management for venues that demand the best.

Browse our Cake and Cold Food Display collection.

Budget guide: $1,500–$5,000 for countertop models. $4,000–$12,000+ for floor-standing cabinets.

Commercial Drinks Fridges

A glass-door drinks fridge for bottled water, juice, and cold beverages is a high-margin revenue stream for any café. Position it near the counter for impulse purchases. See our Commercial Drinks Fridge collection.

Back-of-House Refrigeration

Behind the scenes, you'll need reliable storage refrigeration to keep ingredients fresh and meet HACCP food safety requirements.

Under Bench Fridges

Under bench fridges sit beneath your prep benches, giving baristas and kitchen staff direct access to milk, sandwich fillings, and prep ingredients without leaving their station. For most cafés, one or two under bench fridges are essential for efficient workflow.

We stock under bench refrigeration from brands including Skipio, Atosa, Tecnodom, and Polar. Browse our Under Bench Fridge collection.

Budget guide: $1,500–$4,000 per unit depending on size and brand.

Upright Fridges and Freezers

For bulk ingredient storage, you'll need at least one upright fridge and potentially a freezer. Choose units with GN-compatible interiors so your gastronorm pans and containers fit without wasted space.

We stock upright refrigeration from Skope, Atosa, Tecnodom, and FED-X. See our Upright Fridge and Upright Freezer collections.

Budget guide: $2,000–$6,000 per unit.

Commercial Dishwasher — Keeping Up with Cup Volume

Cafés generate a relentless stream of cups, saucers, jugs, and spoons. Without a commercial dishwasher, your team will spend hours hand-washing, and you'll need significantly more crockery to keep up during peak service.

For most cafés, an underbench dishwasher is the right fit. These compact units slide under a standard bench, run a full rack in 60–120 seconds, and handle the volume a typical café produces. Larger brunch venues with full food menus may need to consider a passthrough dishwasher for higher throughput.

Key features to look for include:

• Rack capacity: Standard 500mm × 500mm racks accommodate most cups, glasses, and plates.
• Cycle time: Faster cycles (60–90 seconds) reduce crockery shortages during busy periods.
• Built-in rinse aid dosing: Ensures spot-free results without manual chemical handling.
• Drain pump: Essential if your dishwasher location doesn't have gravity drainage.

We stock commercial dishwashers from Comenda, Eswood, Hobart, and Fagor. Comenda is renowned for Italian build quality and energy efficiency, while Eswood remains a trusted Australian favourite for value and reliability. Hobart delivers heavy-duty performance for high-volume venues, and Fagor offers a strong mid-range option with smart water management features.

Browse our Underbench Dishwasher collection.

Don't forget Dishwasher Racks and Cleaning Chemicals — you'll need both from day one.

Budget guide: $3,000–$7,000 for underbench models.

Stainless Steel Benches and Shelving

Every café needs food-grade work surfaces and storage. Stainless steel benches are the Australian industry standard — durable, hygienic, and compliant with council food safety requirements.

Work Benches

You'll typically need at least two benches: one for food prep and one as a dishwasher landing area. Benches with splashbacks are required against walls to meet food premises standards in most Australian jurisdictions.

We stock stainless steel benches from Simply Stainless, Modular Systems, and FED-X. Simply Stainless is the gold standard in Australian commercial kitchens — modular, durable, and backed by extensive local support. Modular Systems offers strong value for budget-conscious fit-outs.

Browse our collections of Stainless Steel Work Benches and Benches with Splashback.

Commercial Shelving

Wire or stainless steel shelving keeps dry goods, takeaway packaging, and back-of-house supplies organised and off the floor — a basic council compliance requirement. We stock shelving from Metro, Atlas Shelving, and Simply Stainless. See our Commercial Shelving collection.

Budget guide: $500–$2,000 per bench; $200–$800 per shelving unit.

Cooking Equipment (If You're Serving Food)

Not every café needs a full commercial kitchen, but if you're serving toasties, breakfast, or a lunch menu, you'll need some cooking equipment. The most common café cooking setup includes:

• Contact grill / panini press: The workhorse for toasted sandwiches and paninis — see our Contact Press collection.
• Convection oven: For baking pastries, reheating pies, or roasting vegetables — see our Convection Oven collection.
• Benchtop griddle: Essential if you're doing a breakfast menu — see our Bench Griddle collection.
• Commercial toaster: For toast service and open melts — see our Toaster and Conveyor Toaster collection.

Cafés that want to expand their food offering without a full kitchen should look at High-Speed Ovens from brands like TurboChef and Merrychef — they combine convection, microwave, and impingement cooking to produce oven-quality results in under two minutes.

Cups, Saucers, Glassware and Servingware

You'll need significantly more crockery than you think. A good rule of thumb: buy three times your peak-hour seating capacity in cups and saucers to cover the gap between service and dishwashing cycles.

For dine-in cafés, choose a crockery range that suits your brand — from clean, modern porcelain to rustic stoneware. We stock tabletop ranges from Tablekraft, Bonna, Zuma, and Bevande. For takeaway-heavy venues, factor in disposable cup costs and consider eco-friendly options from Biopak.

• Mugs and Coffee Cups
• Coffee Glasses (for cold brew, iced lattes)
• Tumblers and Hi-Balls (for water service and juice)
• Disposable Cups (for takeaway)

Packaging and Disposables

If you're doing any takeaway trade — and in 2026, most Australian cafés are — you'll need a supply of takeaway cups, lids, bags, and food containers. With single-use plastics being phased out across Australian states, choosing compliant, eco-friendly packaging from the start avoids costly switches later.

We stock eco-friendly packaging from Biopak and conventional disposables from Castaway. Browse our Disposable Cups, Disposable Containers, and Disposable Cutlery and Straws.

The Complete Café Equipment Checklist

Here's everything in one place. Use this as your shopping list when planning your fit-out:

Total equipment budget (small–medium café): approximately $30,000 – $80,000 for essentials. Full-service cafés with complete food menus will sit at the higher end.

How Hospitality Connect Supports Café Fit-Outs

We've been supplying equipment to Australian cafés, restaurants, and hospitality venues for over 21 years. We understand that opening a café involves juggling dozens of decisions at once, and we're here to simplify the equipment side.

• Physical showroom: See and compare equipment in person before you buy.
• Bundled pricing: We can package complete café equipment lists at competitive rates.
• Expert advice: Our team knows which equipment fits which venue type and budget.
• National delivery: We ship equipment Australia-wide.
• 300+ brands: From premium to value, we stock the full range.

If you're planning a café fit-out and want to discuss your equipment needs, contact our team or request a quote for a package tailored to your venue.

FAQs — Café Equipment Questions Answered

Planning a café fit-out raises plenty of questions about costs, sizing, and priorities. Below are answers to the most common questions new café owners ask when sourcing equipment through Hospitality Connect.

How much does café equipment cost in Australia?

A basic café equipment fit-out in Australia typically costs between $30,000 and $80,000 for essentials. Full-service cafés with complete food kitchens can spend $80,000 to $120,000 or more on equipment alone. The espresso machine, grinder, and refrigeration usually represent the largest individual costs.

What size espresso machine do I need for a small café?

Most small to medium cafés in Australia start with a two-group head espresso machine. This handles up to approximately 200–300 cups per day comfortably. If you're expecting higher volume or want future capacity, a three-group machine is worth the investment.

Do I need a commercial dishwasher for a café?

Yes. Cafés generate a high volume of cups, saucers, and utensils — far more than hand-washing can efficiently handle. An underbench commercial dishwasher completes a full rack in 60–120 seconds and is compact enough to fit under a standard bench. It's one of the most time-saving investments in any café.

What display fridge should I get for a café?

The right display fridge depends on what you're showcasing. For cakes, slices, and sandwiches, a refrigerated countertop or floor-standing display cabinet with LED lighting and rear access is ideal. For bottled drinks, a glass-door drinks fridge positioned near the counter maximises impulse purchases.

Can Hospitality Connect supply equipment for a full café fit-out?

Absolutely. We supply everything from Espresso Machines and Dishwashers to Stainless Benches, Shelving, and Disposable Packaging. We can package complete fit-out lists at competitive bundled rates. Contact our team to get started.