Beverage Equipment & Supplies

Beverage Supplies: What You Need to Know

Beverage equipment is a broad category that includes the pieces necessary for producing any kind of beverage in almost any environment. Drink dispensers make up the largest subcategory; they include equipment used to freeze and serve frozen beverages, chill and serve cold beverages, and insulated dispensers used to keep drinks hot or cold longer at catered events. Another significant category is commercial coffee makers, which includes all the beverage supplies needed to create or enhance a coffee program.

Common Questions About Beverage Equipment

What is beverage equipment?

Commercial beverage equipment includes everything you need to produce, store, transport, and serve drinks of all kinds. That includes drink dispensers, commercial coffee makers, draft beer dispensers, hot beverage dispensers, commercial tea brewers and equipment, and commercial juicers. Accessories such as water filters and filtration kits also fall in this category.

Once you've stocked all the commercial beverage equipment and supplies you need, all that's needed to build a complete restaurant drink program are drinkware and restaurant cups.

Cold Beverage Equipment

Whether you're brewing tea to serve over ice or processing fruit with an automatic juicer, cold beverage equipment enables operators to prepare beverages with start-it-and-forget-it convenience. Once the drinks are ready, choose from an array of options that equip you to hold and serve refreshments to all your guests.

Juice dispensers and refrigerated beverage dispensers can be purchased with sprayers and impellers to keep beverages evenly mixed and ensure a delicious, consistent product. Frozen drink machines and margarita machines bring beverage mixes to freezing temperatures and hold them there to quickly serve thirsty customers. Plastic and glass beverage dispensers without built-in cooling are also available, providing attractive serving options in settings where beverages are consumed immediately or electrical connections aren't accessible.

Hot Beverage Equipment

It's no secret that coffee is a profit center for many foodservice operations; entire international empires are built on this product alone. Equip your operation to prepare and serve brewed beverages with commercial coffee makers of any style. Whether you're looking for a standard drip coffee maker for a mom-and-pop diner or you want to build a menu of specialty drinks around a cappuccino and espresso maker, hot restaurant beverage supplies have it covered.

Once the java's brewed, restaurant beverage supplies such as decanters, airpots, urns, and satellite systems enable you to store, move, and serve large volumes of coffee. If you're taking your joe farther afield, you should consider an insulated beverage dispenser, which can keep the beverage hot during transportation to a remote location for serving.

For in-house serving, commercial beverage equipment is available that can serve bulk, premade containers of coffee, powdered product mixed with hot water, and even iced coffee machines that serve brewed coffee cold.

What beverage equipment should I buy?

It's best to analyze this question by segment, as different foodservice operations require different commercial beverage equipment, just as they need different storage supplies and cooking equipment.

Convenience Store Beverage Equipment

Many C stores have built reputations on their drink programs, whether by becoming a city's go-to stop for a morning cuppa or offering various cold drinks. Here's some of the beverage equipment typically found in convenience stores.

• Commercial decanter coffee makers
• Hot chocolate machines
• Coffee concentrate machines
• Juice dispensers
• Frozen drink machines
• Iced coffee dispensers

Coffee Shop Beverage Equipment

With a business model based on drinks, it's safe to assume there's plenty of beverage supplies and equipment in a coffee shop. Depending on the operation, service can include everything from simple black coffee to mochaccinos made with hand-pulled shots from a manual espresso maker.

• Drip coffee makers
• Satellite and airpot brewers
• Commercial espresso machines
• Commercial coffee grinders
• Hot water dispensers
• Carafes, decanters, airpots, shuttles, and other coffee serving supplies

Catering Beverage Supplies

As with all foodservice equipment, caterers have a unique set of needs to meet when it comes to beverage supplies and equipment. Mobility is vital, as it enables operators to transport equipment around a banquet facility or take it miles down the road.

• Coffee percolators
• Satellite coffee brewers
• Insulated beverage dispensers
• Commercial tea brewers and dispensers
• Plastic beverage dispensers
• Glass beverage dispensers

Restaurant Beverage Supplies

The type of beverage supplies and equipment required for a restaurant varies based on the menu and the operation. Building a drink program at a restaurant can be as simple as getting a coffee maker and soda rail, or it can be quite complex. If beverages are a significant part of the business or the clientele expects haute potables, several other units may be needed.

• Drip coffee makers
• Commercial tea brewers and dispensers
• Juice dispensers
• Frozen drink machines
• Hot water dispensers
• Juicers