The Equipment List: What to Buy, Where, and Whether to Buy It Used

Everything the other pages mention, in one place: what it is for, what it costs, where it is sold, and whether a used one is a good idea. Prices are the maker’s or seller’s own, as listed on 2–5 October 2026; “not listed” means the seller publishes no price. Prices move; treat them as the size of the bill, not a quote. Equipment for a fixed shop (batch brewers, ice machine, sinks, refrigeration) is on Opening a Coffee Shop.

I already own a burr grinder, a pour-over kit, a French press, a phin, a temperature-controlled kettle and a power station, so those rows are for the record and for anyone starting from nothing. The new-or-used advice is judgement, not something a source settled.

Roasting

Item	What it is for	Price	Where	Buy used?
Fresh Roast SR800 (sold by Sweet Maria’s)	Learning to roast, 6–8 oz at a time	$334	Sweet Maria’s, Roastmasters	Yes, if it runs. Simple machine, little to wear out.
Behmor 2000AB Plus	Learning on 12 oz–1 lb batches; samples	$479	Roastmasters, Burman Coffee Traders	With care. The warranty is 12 months and does not transfer to commercial use anyway; check that both elements heat and the afterburner works.
Aillio Bullet R2	Production: 1 kg, on a 120 V circuit	$4,099	Aillio’s US store, Sweet Maria’s	Rarely appears used. Before buying a discontinued R1, confirm parts support with Aillio.
Aillio Bullet R2 Pro	Production: 1.2 kg, needs 240 V	$5,299	Aillio’s US store, Sweet Maria’s	As above
3–5 kg drum roaster	The shop	Varies widely; for scale, a 500 g Mill City is $9,100 new and a 2 kg about $20,000	Mill City, used-equipment dealers	Yes. These run for decades and the used market is deep.
Venting for a 1 kg roaster	Carries smoke outdoors	Depends on the run of duct; see Smoke, Air Permits and the Neighbours	Built to suit	New ducting; a used inline fan is fine
Bench scale, 0.1 g	Weighing batches in and out	$65 (OXO); $99 (Timemore)	Kitchen and coffee suppliers	New. Cheap, and accuracy is the point.

Bagging

Which bag and which sealer, and why, is settled on Bags, Labels and What a Bag Costs, which is the single source for bag costs: a 12 oz bag costs $7.80 to make in the first season and $6.06 once green coffee is bought by the box. The rows below follow it.

Item	What it is for	Price	Where	Buy used?
Foil-lined valve pouches, 16 oz, zipper (PET / aluminium / LLDPE; a 12 oz fill goes in this size)	The bag to buy	$225 per 500 (45¢ a bag)	Uline S-23457	New
Valve pouches, compostable, 12 oz	Only if the supplier gives an oxygen transmission rate (what “compostable” buys)	$95 per 100	Elevate Packaging	New
Kraft block-bottom bags with valve	The classic roaster’s bag	$413 per 500, tin ties extra	TricorBraun Flex	New
Constant-heat hand sealer rated for foil pouches up to 10 mil	Sealing the 6 mil foil pouch above the zipper	$185 (Uline H-1069)	Uline; packaging suppliers	Yes, if it holds temperature
Impulse heat sealer, 8 inch	Thin film only; rated for metallised bags up to 2.5 mil, so not the foil pouch	$97 (Uline H-163)	Packaging suppliers	Yes; replace the heating strip
Brand labels, printed roll	The front of the bag	about $125 per 500	Online label printers	New
Thermal label printer	Coffee name and roast date	about $200	Rollo and others	Yes
Rubber stamp and pad	Marking bags, cups and sleeves	about $50	Stamp makers; café suppliers	New, made to order
Storage liners for green coffee	Keeping green coffee 6–12 months	A few dollars each	Sweet Maria’s (Ecotact), importers	Reuse the liners coffee arrives in

Brewing

Item	What it is for	Price	Where	Buy used?
Temperature-controlled gooseneck kettle	Pour-over; topping up hot water	$199.95 (Fellow Stagg EKG Pro, the current Stagg EKG); $132 refurbished from Fellow; $89.99 (Bonavita)	Fellow, coffee retailers	New. A used kettle’s history of being boiled dry is unknowable.
Water boiler and warmer, 4–5 L	Holding hot water at the stall on 28–48 W; filling presses and kettles	$192 (Zojirushi CD-LTC50, commercial) to $305 (Zojirushi CV-JAC, vacuum-insulated)	Zojirushi; restaurant suppliers	New. The lid gasket and the pump wear. See Hot Water and Power.
Stovetop gooseneck kettle	Pour-over where there is a burner	$22 (basic) to $58 (Hario Buono)	Restaurant suppliers; Hario	Yes
V60 dripper	Single-cup pour-over	$13–$14 plastic; $24–$27 glass; $31 ceramic	Hario	Yes. Plastic holds heat best and cannot break at a market.
Clever dripper, or a similar valve dripper	Single cups with the hands free	about $20–$25 (OXO’s valve dripper is $19.99 at WebstaurantStore)	Coffee retailers	Yes
AeroPress	A fast cup with cooler water	$39.95 (Original); $49.95 (Go, Clear) (AeroPress)	AeroPress; widely sold	Yes; replace the rubber seal
French press, 32 oz	Three cups at once	$11–$15 glass; $45 double-wall steel	Restaurant suppliers	Steel, yes. Glass, check for chips.
Phin, 4 oz and 24 oz	Vietnamese coffee; concentrate	A few dollars for an aluminium phin at a Vietnamese grocer; more for stainless	Vietnamese grocers; Nguyen Coffee Supply	Yes
Large manual dripper or 8–10 cup Chemex	Batch brewing into an airpot with no power	$51.50 (8-cup) and $53.50 (10-cup) Chemex (Chemex)	Chemex; coffee retailers	Yes
Vacuum airpot, 3.8 L	Tasting coffee; carrying hot water	$100 (Zojirushi SR-AG38); $28–$79 others	Restaurant suppliers	Stainless-lined, yes: test it overnight with boiling water. Glass-lined, no.
Cold brew system	Concentrate, for home and the shop	Toddy’s home system is sold widely; the commercial one is a shop purchase	Toddy	Yes; new filters
Water filter or RO jug	Brewing water, when the market’s water or the home well is hard	See Water	Hardware stores	New filters
Scale with timer	Every brew	$65–$99	As above	New

Grinding

Item	What it is for	Price	Where	Buy used?
Hand grinder, entry	To sell; one or two cups	$79–$119 (Timemore C3)	Timemore; coffee retailers	For own use, yes
Hand grinder, upper	The enthusiast’s grinder	about $259 (1Zpresso K-Ultra)	1Zpresso	Yes
Battery grinder	Doses at a stall with no outlet	$169 (Timemore Whirly 01S, 7.4 Wh battery, about 20 espresso doses a charge)	Timemore	New: the battery is the wearing part
Home electric grinder	Doses; grinding bags at home	$150 (Baratza Encore)	Baratza; coffee retailers	Yes. Baratza sells replacement parts for it.
Filter grinder, upper	Quiet, even filter grinding	$400 (Fellow Ode Gen 2)	Fellow	Yes
Shop grinder	Bags and batch brew; also the grinder a roaster lends a café (Wholesale)	$1,457 (Bunn G1); $1,999 (Ditting 807); $3,899 (Mahlkönig EK43)	Restaurant suppliers; Mahlkönig	Yes. Built for decades of use; budget for a new set of burrs.

Power, heat and cold

Item	What it is for	Price	Where	Buy used?
Power station, about 1 kWh, 1,500 W or more	A kettle at full speed	$559 (Jackery Explorer 1000 v2); $669 (EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus)	The makers	New. A used battery’s cycle count is unknown.
Single propane burner	Hot water where a market allows flame	about $60	Restaurant and outdoor suppliers	Yes
Inverter generator	Markets that allow one	about $400–$600 (Champion); $1,100–$1,200 (Honda EU2200i)	Hardware and outdoor stores	Yes, with service records
Cooler, rotomolded, 45 qt	Ice and cold food	$239 (RTIC)	RTIC and others	Yes; check the gasket
Bagged ice, 20 lb	Drinks	about $5.50	Any grocery	—
Probe thermometer, 0–220 °F	Required for a licence	about $10–$20 for a basic dial or digital probe; $74 for a Thermapen ONE on closeout	Restaurant suppliers; ThermoWorks	New

Serving and the stall

Item	What it is for	Price	Where	Buy used?
Hot cups, 12 oz kraft	Drinks	$65 per 1,000	Restaurant suppliers	New
Lids; sleeves		$30 per 1,000; $41 per 1,200	Restaurant suppliers	New
Clear compostable cold cups, 16 oz, with lids	Iced drinks	$99 and $51 per 1,000	Restaurant suppliers	New
Sample cups, 4 oz compostable	Tastes	$40 per 1,000	Restaurant suppliers	New
Wooden honey dippers	In honey drinks	$1.19 each; about $2 in a 16-pack	Restaurant suppliers	New
Handwashing station	Required	A 5-gallon insulated drink cooler with a spigot (about $40–$60 at hardware stores), a 5-gallon bucket, soap and towels	Hardware stores	Yes
Sanitizer and test strips	Required	Under $20 for both	Restaurant suppliers	New
Cleaning kit	Descaling the kettle and boiler; cleaning airpot liners and brewers	Citric-acid descaler, a coffee-equipment cleaner (Cafiza or brew-through tablets), a bottle brush (Cleaning and Descaling)	Restaurant and coffee suppliers	New
Canopy, 10 by 10	The stall	$82–$162 (WebstaurantStore, slant- and straight-leg instant canopies)	Outdoor and event suppliers	Yes, if the top carries its flame-resistance label
Canopy weights, tables	The stall	Weights of 25–40 lb a leg; two 6-foot folding tables	Hardware and outdoor stores	Yes
Card reader	Payments	$59 (Square Reader for contactless and chip); fees and alternatives on Taking Cards	Square and others	—
Cash box and float	Change	A lockable box; a float of small bills	Office suppliers	—
Refractometer	Proving the jam reaches 65% solids	A 58–90 °Brix model is listed at $200 retail (Matfer, WebstaurantStore); hobby models cost less	Brewing and canning suppliers	Yes
Honey pump or squeeze bottles	Condiments must be in pumps or squeeze bottles (the rules)	A few dollars each	Restaurant suppliers	New
Sample-cup trays and lids	Carrying tastes across the table, covered	A few dollars	Restaurant suppliers	New

Glassware and cups for “here”

Glasses, ceramic cups and cupping bowls are for the shop, for tastings at home (Hosting a Tasting) and for gift baskets. At a stall, anything washed and reused needs three wash basins and hot water, or a licensed kitchen to go home to (Cups, and Standing Out). Restaurant-supply prices, from WebstaurantStore on 5 October 2026:

Item	What it is for	Price	Case
Libbey Gibraltar 4.5 oz rocks glass	Cortados, espresso, tasting pours	$1.79 each	36 for $64.49
Libbey Gibraltar 9 oz rocks glass	A small coffee “for here”; cold brew	$2.19 each	36 for $78.99
Libbey Gibraltar 16 oz cooler	Iced coffee and cà phê sữa đá (kah fay shoo-uh dah · [kaː˨˩ fej˧˧ ʂɨə˨˩˦ ʔɗaː˦˥])	$3.96 each	24 for $94.99
Clear glass coffee mug, 12 oz (Acopa)	A latte or a honey coffee that shows its color	$2.21 each	12 for $26.49
Irish coffee mug, 8 oz (Anchor Hocking)	Coffee cocktails; egg coffee	$2.54 each	24 for $60.99
White china diner mug, 9 oz (Tuxton)	The everyday mug	$3.33 each	24 for $79.99
Stoneware mug, 7 oz (Acopa)	A small, cheap mug for tastings	$1.58 each	12 for $18.99
Cupping bowl, 7.4 oz (Rhino)	Cupping (Cupping)	$6.95 retail	sold singly

Which to buy first: a case of 9 oz rocks glasses and a case of 16 oz coolers cover nearly every drink on the menu, and rocks glasses stack, survive a dishwasher and cost about two dollars. Tempered “fully tempered” glass costs about three times as much and is for a busy shop. When the shop comes, restaurant-supply auctions and closing cafés are the cheaper source: cups and glasses are sold by the case for very little, and they do not wear.

The whole list at a glance

What	Buy first	Cost	New or used	When
Learning roaster	Behmor 2000AB Plus, or keep roasting by hand	$479	Either	Stage 1
Green coffee	Small lots, then 65 lb boxes	$6–$9 a pound	—	Stage 1
Bags	A carton of 500 foil-lined valve pouches	$225	New	Stage 1
Labels and stamp	A roll of brand labels; a rubber stamp	about $175	New	Stage 1
Heat sealer	Constant-heat hand sealer for foil pouches	$185	Used is fine	Stage 1
Scale	Bench scale with timer	$65	New	Stage 1
Tasting airpots	Three stainless-lined pots	$90–$300	Used is fine	Stage 1
Sample cups	1,000 compostable	$40	New	Stage 1
Handwashing station	Insulated spigot container, bucket	about $60	Used is fine	Stage 1
Hot-water airpots	Four, then up to twelve for a full no-power day (why)	$120–$400 for four; $340–$1,200 for twelve	Used is fine	Stage 2
Brewers	Two drippers, a 24 oz phin, spare presses	about $200	Used is fine	Stage 2
Second cooler	45 qt	$239	Used is fine	Stage 2
Cups, lids, sleeves	First 1,000	about $130	New	Stage 2
Thermometer, sanitizer, strips		about $40	New	Stage 2
Canopy and weights	10 by 10 instant canopy	$82–$162, plus weights	Used is fine	Stage 1
Card reader	Square Reader	$59	New	Stage 1
Glassware	Rocks glasses and coolers, a case each	about $175	Used is fine	The shop
Bigger power station	1 kWh, 1,500 W	$559–$669	New	Stage 2, optional
Production roaster	Aillio Bullet R2 or R2 Pro	$4,099 or $5,299	New	Stage 3
Shop grinder	Ditting 807 or Bunn G1	$1,457–$1,999	Used	The shop
Shop roaster	3–5 kg drum	varies	Used	The shop

The stages are the ones on The Plan, and The Numbers adds them up.

The pattern in the last column: buy new what has a battery, a seal, a food-contact surface that cannot be inspected, or a warranty that matters. Buy used what is steel, simple and built for a café: grinders, drum roasters, airpots, coolers, sealers. Gear that travels can be insured with an equipment floater (Insurance).

Sources

• Makers’ and sellers’ pages named in each row, as listed on 2–5 October 2026.
• Restaurant-supply prices from WebstaurantStore listings (glassware, mugs, glass mugs, cupping bowls, canopies, refractometers).
• The fuller comparisons are on Choosing a Roaster, Grinders, Hot Water and Power, Bags, Labels and What a Bag Costs and Cups, and Standing Out.