Buying a commercial coffee machine is the exciting part. Getting the site ready for it is where things can become a little more complicated.
We regularly arrive at cafés, restaurants and offices where the new coffee machine is ready to go, but the bench, plumbing, drainage or electrical supply isn’t. Sometimes the power point is wrong. Sometimes the drain is too far away. Sometimes a beautiful new stone benchtop has been installed without a hole for the water, waste and electrical connections.
At that point, the coffee machine isn’t really the problem—the site simply isn’t ready for it.
A commercial espresso machine operates using electricity, water, pressure and heat. It also produces a considerable amBlog postsount of waste water during normal operation and cleaning. If any part of the installation has been overlooked, the machine may perform poorly, appear to leak, cause repeated service calls or be unable to be installed at all.
The best time to plan your coffee machine installation is before the benchtop is made, the cabinetry is finished and the electrician and plumber have left the building.
Why proper commercial coffee machine installation matters
A commercial coffee machine installation is more than putting the machine on the bench, plugging it in and connecting a hose.
A professional installation should ensure:
- The bench can safely support the equipment
- The machine has the correct electrical supply
- The water pressure and flow are suitable
- The correct water filtration has been installed
- Waste water can drain away freely
- The equipment can be accessed for cleaning and servicing
- The grinder and machine can be calibrated together
- Staff understand how to operate and clean the equipment
Many problems that appear during the first few weeks of operation can be traced back to the original site preparation rather than a fault with the coffee machine itself. Poor drainage, unsuitable water treatment and incorrect power supplies are particularly common causes of preventable problems.
Plan the entire coffee station—not just the machine
Before ordering cabinetry or cutting a benchtop, confirm the exact dimensions and installation requirements of the coffee machine you intend to purchase.
Do not assume that every two-group coffee machine has the same footprint, weight or electrical requirements. Even machines that look similar can require different power supplies, clearances and plumbing arrangements.
Your coffee station may also need room for:
- One or more coffee grinders
- A knock box
- A jug rinser
- Scales and tamping equipment
- Milk jugs
- Cleaning products
- Cups and takeaway lids
- Water filtration
- A reverse-osmosis system
- A filtration pressure tank or pump
- Under-bench waste plumbing
- Access for future servicing
A coffee machine squeezed tightly between walls, grinders or cabinetry may look neat on opening day, but it can become extremely difficult to clean or repair.
Allow enough room around the machine for staff to work efficiently and for a technician to gain access when the machine eventually requires servicing.
Make sure the bench is strong enough
Commercial espresso machines are heavy.
The benchtop and supporting cabinetry must be secure, level and capable of holding the combined weight of the coffee machine, grinders, cups and other equipment.
The standard Complete Cafe Services installation guide recommends a normal working bench height of approximately 850–1050mm, with a secure benchtop suitable for the weight and dimensions of the selected equipment.
Exact requirements should always be confirmed against the specifications of the machine being installed.
A lightweight freestanding table may not be suitable for a large two-group or three-group commercial coffee machine. Movement in the bench can place unnecessary pressure on plumbing fittings, drainage hoses and electrical connections.
The machine should also sit level. An uneven machine may not drain properly and can make volumetric consistency, cup placement and general operation more difficult.
Don’t forget the hole in the benchtop
A plumbed commercial coffee machine generally requires water, drainage and power connections to pass through the benchtop.
The Complete Cafe Services standard installation document specifies a 60mm-diameter hole positioned around the intended location of the machine. The final position should be confirmed before cutting because it needs to suit the machine layout, cabinetry and location of the under-bench services.
Depending on the quoted installation, our technicians may be able to holesaw suitable timber benchtops.
However, stone, marble, masonry and many stainless-steel benchtops must be cut in advance by the appropriate benchtop supplier or tradesperson. Do not wait until installation morning to discover that nobody can drill your new stone benchtop.
It is also important to check what is directly underneath the proposed hole. Avoid drilling into a drawer, support beam, cupboard divider or the only practical location for the filtration system.
The three essentials: water, drainage and electricity
Almost every plumbed commercial espresso installation comes back to three main services:
- Water
- Drainage
- Electricity
All three should be installed, tested and accessible before the coffee machine technician arrives.
Where possible, the services should be positioned directly beneath or very close to the machine. Long electrical leads, flat drainage runs and water hoses stretched across cupboards are not a proper substitute for thoughtful site preparation.
The exact locations should be checked against the machine-specific installation sheet. The Complete Cafe Services documents generally require utilities to be located underneath or close to the machine, with some connections required within approximately 600mm.
Water-supply requirements
A commercial coffee machine normally requires a dedicated cold-water supply.
The Complete Cafe Services installation guide calls for a dedicated cold-water connection with an accessible quarter-turn isolation tap located close to the machine. It also requires suitable pressure control and the correct outlet connection for the filtration and coffee equipment.
Your plumber should be provided with the current installation document before beginning work.
The water connection should:
- Be accessible after the cabinetry is completed
- Have an isolation tap that can be reached quickly
- Supply adequate water flow
- Include the specified pressure-limiting equipment - Most commonly a 350kpa PLV
- Be positioned near the filtration system and machine
- Be installed by a suitably qualified plumber
- Be flushed before the coffee equipment is connected
An isolation tap buried behind drawers, appliances or permanent shelving may technically exist, but it is not particularly helpful when a leak needs to be stopped quickly.
Why water pressure matters
Water pressure that is too low can restrict filling and affect machine operation. Excessively high pressure can place unnecessary load on valves, pumps, filtration heads, fittings and internal components.
A pressure-limiting valve should be selected and installed according to the current machine and filtration specifications.
Do not assume the pressure coming from the building supply is automatically suitable. The pressure should be checked at the equipment connection rather than estimated from how strongly the sink tap appears to run.
Water filtration is not optional
Water filtration is one of the most important parts of a commercial coffee machine installation—particularly in Adelaide.
Adelaide water is generally hard and may contribute to scale accumulation inside boilers, pipes, valves and solenoids if it is not treated correctly. Chlorine, sediment and unsuitable water chemistry can also affect equipment life and the flavour of the coffee.
A standard drinking-water filter is not necessarily a coffee machine filter. Many basic filters improve taste and reduce sediment but do not provide the scale or hardness reduction required by commercial espresso equipment.
The correct filtration system depends on:
- Local water conditions
- Machine design
- Boiler construction
- Daily coffee volume
- Hot-water usage
- Manufacturer requirements
- Available under-bench space
Some specialty coffee machines may require reverse-osmosis filtration with controlled mineral blending, a pump and a pressure-storage tank.
The filter must also be flushed correctly before the machine is connected. Loose carbon or manufacturing residue from a new filter can otherwise enter the coffee machine and restrict small valves or solenoids.
Read our guide to water filtration for coffee machines, browse our coffee machine filtration range, or view the installation and filtration guides on the Complete Cafe Services resources page.
Allow enough room for filtration equipment
One of the easiest installation mistakes to avoid is filling the entire cupboard underneath the coffee machine with drawers and shelving.
Water filtration systems need room. Reverse-osmosis systems may also require a pump, membrane housings, pre-filters, a blending system and a pressure tank.
Your cabinetry should provide:
- Adequate height, width and depth
- Access to the water isolation tap
- Room for filter cartridges to be removed
- Space around pumps and pressure tanks
- Access to the waste connection
- Ventilation where required
- A dry area away from loose electrical connections
- Enough room for a technician to work
It is often better to leave the cupboard open initially and install removable shelving after the coffee machine and filtration system have been fitted.
Our specialty coffee equipment and RO installation information includes examples of suitable under-bench layouts.
Commercial coffee machine drainage requirements
The drip tray on a commercial espresso machine is not designed to store large amounts of water. It relies on a drain hose carrying waste water away from the machine.
Waste water is produced through:
- Flushing group heads
- Backflushing
- Purging steam wands
- Emptying cups and jugs into the tray
- Automatic rinsing cycles
- Pressure release and discharge processes
The waste connection should generally be directly underneath the bench and positioned towards the rear of the cabinet.
The Complete Cafe Services standard installation guide calls for a suitable 40–50mm waste pipe with an S-trap or P-trap and adequate fall before the trap water level.
The exact arrangement should be confirmed by the plumber against the current installation sheet and site conditions.
Drainage needs gravity
Coffee machine waste normally relies on gravity rather than pressure.
That means the drain hose needs to fall consistently from the machine to the waste connection. Long flat sections, uphill sections, crushed hoses and tight bends can slow the flow of water.
A drain may appear to work during a quick test and then back up when the café becomes busy. When this happens, water can rise into the drip tray and make the machine look as though it is leaking.
In many cases, the machine is doing exactly what it should—the waste water simply has nowhere to go.
Avoid:
- Long horizontal drain runs
- Drain hoses looping upward
- Tight ninety-degree bends
- Small improvised waste pipes
- Pushing coffee grounds into the drain
- Positioning the trap too high
- Sharing an unsuitable waste connection with other equipment
Your plumber should ensure the drain is properly trapped, vented where required and compliant with the relevant plumbing standards.
Electrical requirements must match the exact machine
Commercial coffee machines can have very different electrical requirements.
Depending on the model, a machine may require:
- A standard 10-amp outlet
- A 15-amp outlet
- A 20-amp circuit
- A 25-amp circuit
- A 32-amp supply
- A higher-amperage hardwired connection and isolator
Never order the electrical work based only on the number of group heads. Some compact two-group machines have relatively modest power requirements, while high-performance machines may require a considerably larger supply.
The electrician needs the actual machine specification sheet.
The circuit should have:
- The correct voltage and amperage
- The appropriate socket or hardwired connection
- Suitable circuit protection
- Correct earthing
- An accessible isolation method
- A location close enough to avoid extension leads
- Installation by a licensed electrician
The Complete Cafe Services installation guide also recommends a dedicated circuit for most commercial machines rather than sharing the supply with other high-load appliances.
Your grinder needs power too
This sounds obvious, but it is surprisingly common to install one power point for the coffee machine and forget everything else.
You may also require outlets for:
- The primary grinder
- A decaffeinated coffee grinder
- An automatic tamper
- Scales
- A blender
- A point-of-sale system
- Under-bench filtration or RO pumps
- A jug-rinser pump in mobile installations
- Other nearby café equipment
Do not plan to run the grinder, till and other appliances from a collection of double adaptors and extension boards underneath a wet coffee bench.
The coffee machine should have the supply specified for it, while surrounding equipment should have appropriately positioned outlets and circuits planned by your electrician.
Position power away from water
Coffee stations combine water, steam, electricity and staff moving quickly during service.
Power points and electrical connections should be located where they will not be exposed to leaking hoses, overflowing drains or routine cleaning water.
Loose connections should not sit on the floor of the cupboard underneath water filtration equipment.
Where a machine requires a high-amperage connection, the final connection and isolation arrangement may need to be completed by the electrician after the machine is positioned.
Think about staff workflow
A technically correct installation can still produce an awkward coffee bar.
Before the bench is finalised, imagine the full sequence of making a coffee:
- Grinding the coffee
- Dosing and distributing
- Tamping
- Locking in the group handle
- Starting the extraction
- Collecting milk
- Texturing milk
- Pouring the drink
- Rinsing the jug
- Knocking out the coffee puck
- Serving the customer
The grinder, tamping area, milk fridge, knock box and jug rinser should support that workflow rather than forcing the barista to cross back and forth across the café.
Allow enough clear bench space for group handles and milk jugs. Make sure cupboard doors and drawers can still open when a barista is standing at the machine.
A little thought at the design stage can save thousands of unnecessary steps every week.
Plan for cleaning and servicing access
Coffee machines eventually need servicing. Filters need replacing. Pumps, valves and drain hoses need to remain accessible.
Avoid permanently boxing equipment into cabinetry.
Leave sufficient room so a technician can:
- Access the underside and rear of the machine
- Reach water and drain connections
- Isolate the water supply
- Disconnect the power safely
- Replace filtration cartridges
- Remove an RO membrane or pressure tank
- Inspect pumps and fittings
- Pull the machine forward where required
A machine that has to be lifted over fixed shelves or dismantled from custom cabinetry before it can be repaired will cost more to service and create additional downtime.
What to prepare before installation day
Before confirming your installation date, make sure:
- The benchtop and cabinetry are complete
- The bench has been cleared and cleaned
- The machine location has been finalised
- The required benchtop hole has been cut
- Water and drainage have been installed
- The correct electrical supply is operating
- Water filtration has been fitted or is ready to be fitted
- The machine can be safely carried into the building
- Doorways and stairs are wide enough
- Parking and loading access have been arranged
- Building-management access has been approved
- Coffee beans and milk are available
- A manager or responsible staff member will be present
The Complete Cafe Services resources page contains downloadable standard and specialty installation guides that can be passed directly to your builder, cabinetmaker, plumber and electrician.
Check access before the machine arrives
Commercial espresso machines are large, heavy and difficult to manoeuvre.
Check:
- Doorway widths
- Staircases
- Lifts
- Tight corners
- Service corridors
- Loading zones
- Bench height
- Overhead cupboards
- Distance from the delivery vehicle
- Whether extra lifting staff will be required
A machine may fit perfectly on the bench but still be impossible to get through the front door.
Tell the installation team in advance about stairs, narrow access, shopping-centre restrictions or difficult parking. Surprises are rarely improved by being discovered while a 90-kilogram coffee machine is sitting on the footpath.
What happens during a professional installation?
The exact service will depend on the equipment and installation package, but a professional commercial coffee machine installation may involve:
- Checking the site and utilities
- Positioning and levelling the equipment
- Connecting the filtration system
- Connecting the water and drain
- Filling the machine before heating
- Checking the connections for leaks
- Bringing the machine up to operating temperature
- Testing boilers and heating systems
- Testing steam and hot-water functions
- Testing volumetric buttons
- Checking brew pressure and water flow
- Setting up the grinder
- Dialling in the coffee
- Explaining daily cleaning procedures
- Providing basic operator training
- Completing a final safety and function check
A machine should be correctly filled before the heating elements are energised. Heating an empty or partially filled boiler may damage internal components.
Have coffee and milk ready
Installation normally includes initial testing and calibration.
Have the coffee beans you intend to use available, along with milk, jugs and any recipe information supplied by your coffee roaster.
Without coffee on site, the technician may be able to test whether the equipment works, but cannot properly set the grinder or confirm that the machine and grinder are producing sensible extraction results together.
The initial dial-in will not eliminate the need for normal daily grinder adjustments. Coffee changes with age, weather and environmental conditions. It does, however, provide the team with a sensible starting point.
Make sure the right person is present
Someone responsible for the equipment should be present during the installation.
This is the opportunity to learn:
- How to turn the machine on and off
- How to backflush correctly
- How to clean the group heads
- How to clean the steam wands
- How to adjust the grinder
- How to isolate the water
- How to recognise a drainage problem
- How often to replace filters
- What to do if the machine displays an error
- Who to contact for service assistance
Training a manager or senior barista at installation is considerably more useful than asking the technician to explain everything to an empty room.
Common commercial coffee machine installation mistakes
The problems we see most often include:
- Ordering cabinetry before selecting the machine
- Installing the wrong electrical outlet
- Sharing the machine circuit with other equipment
- Forgetting power points for the grinders
- Positioning utilities too far from the machine
- Failing to cut the benchtop before installation
- Using an unsuitable drinking-water filter
- Providing no room for filtration equipment
- Failing to flush a new filter
- Installing the drain too high
- Running the drain hose flat or uphill
- Providing insufficient fall to the waste
- Blocking access with permanent shelving
- Forgetting to allow for a jug rinser
- Leaving no room for servicing
- Not checking doorways and delivery access
- Having nobody available for training
- Assuming the installer will complete unfinished building work
Most of these problems are relatively easy to fix during the design stage. They become considerably more expensive once cabinetry, stone benchtops, plumbing and electrical work have been completed.
Can you install a commercial coffee machine yourself?
It may be physically possible to connect some machines yourself, but that does not mean it is the best approach.
Incorrect plumbing, drainage, electrical supply or filtration can cause poor performance, water damage and expensive repairs. Installation-related damage may also fall outside the manufacturer’s warranty.
Electrical and plumbing work must be completed by appropriately licensed tradespeople. The coffee equipment should then be installed or commissioned by someone who understands the specific machine, filtration system and operating requirements.
A professional installer is not there simply to connect hoses. The technician is also checking that the machine fills, heats, drains and operates correctly before it is handed over to your team.
Installation is the beginning—not the end
Once the machine has been installed, preventative maintenance starts immediately.
Your staff should follow a proper daily cleaning schedule, and water filters should be replaced according to their capacity, water quality and usage—not simply when somebody remembers.
Keep a record of:
- Installation date
- Equipment serial numbers
- Filter type and installation date
- Water-test results
- Service visits
- Repairs
- Grinder burr changes
- Staff training
- Cleaning responsibilities
Read our guide to commercial coffee machine preventative maintenance, our article on cleaning your coffee machine, or learn why you should have your coffee machine serviced each year.
Set your coffee bar up properly from day one
A commercial coffee machine is a major investment, but the machine is only one part of the installation.
The bench, water, drainage, electrical supply, filtration and workflow all need to work together.
Planning these details early can prevent installation delays, unnecessary trade callouts and avoidable equipment problems. It also gives your staff a safer, cleaner and more efficient coffee station from the first day of operation.
Before completing your cabinetry or booking trades, download the installation guides from the Complete Cafe Services resources page.
For help selecting, installing, calibrating or servicing commercial coffee equipment in Adelaide and across South Australia, contact Complete Cafe Services.
Our experienced technicians install, service and repair commercial coffee machines and grinders for cafés, restaurants, offices and other hospitality businesses.
Call Complete Cafe Services on 08 8338 0600, email tech@cafeservices.com.au, or visit us at 45 Charles Street, Unley SA 5061.
Frequently asked questions
What is required to install a commercial coffee machine?
Most plumbed commercial espresso machines require a stable bench, dedicated cold-water connection, suitable water filtration, correctly configured waste drainage and the electrical supply specified by the manufacturer.
The exact requirements vary between models, so always use the installation sheet for the actual machine being purchased.
Does a commercial coffee machine need its own power circuit?
Most commercial machines should have the dedicated circuit specified by the manufacturer and Complete Cafe Services. The required amperage varies considerably between machines, so the supply must be confirmed before electrical work begins.
Does a commercial coffee machine need a drain?
Most plumbed commercial espresso machines use a drain hose connected to the machine’s drip tray. The drain requires suitable fall and should normally be positioned directly underneath or close to the machine.
Do I need water filtration in Adelaide?
Yes. The filtration system should be selected for the machine, water conditions and expected usage. Adelaide’s hard water can contribute to scale, while other aspects of water chemistry may contribute to corrosion or poor-tasting coffee.
Can a standard drinking-water filter be used?
Not necessarily. A general drinking-water filter may reduce chlorine or sediment but may not provide the hardness and scale reduction required by an espresso machine.
Who should cut the hole in the benchtop?
This depends on the benchtop material and quoted installation. Suitable timber tops may be able to be cut by the installer. Stone, marble, masonry and many stainless-steel tops should be professionally pre-cut before installation.
What should be available on installation day?
The bench, water, filtration, drainage and power should be complete and operational. You should also have coffee, milk and a responsible staff member available for setup and basic training.
Why is my new coffee machine’s drip tray overflowing?
The machine may not be leaking. The drain hose may be kinked, running uphill, blocked or connected to waste plumbing without sufficient fall.
Where can I find the Complete Cafe Services installation documents?
The standard installation requirements, specialty equipment information and water-filtration guides are available through the Complete Cafe Services resources page.
