What Espresso Setup Fits on a Mobile Coffee Cart?

A Cartssify mobile coffee cart gives you a worktop of 1800 x 750 mm, made of a 1000 mm centre section and two 400 mm side sections that fold out when you serve. That is usually enough room for a typical two group espresso machine, a grinder, a knock box and a pitcher rinser, with room left to hand over cups. Send us your machine and grinder model and we check the footprint against the worktop before production.

Here is how to plan the layout before you order, so the cut-outs and the shelves match the machine you actually own.

Start with your three biggest items

Measure the footprint of your espresso machine, your grinder and your water containers. Depth is the number that catches people out. Most commercial machines are 500 to 600 mm deep, and the cart is 750 mm deep, so most machines sit with space behind for hoses and cables. Measure your own machine before you order, because depths vary by model.

Width is where the choice gets made:

• Single group machine and one grinder. Usually fits on the 1000 mm centre section alone, so both side sections stay free for cups, service and payment.
• Two group machine and one grinder. Typically uses the centre section plus one side, leaving the other side as your service area, though it depends on the width of your own machine.
• Two group machine, two grinders and a batch brewer. This usually takes the whole worktop, and on wider equipment it will not all fit. At this point look at a second cart, because the carts connect into a longer bar with straight and corner connectors.

Weight matters more than you think

A two group machine full of water is heavy, and it usually shares the worktop with a grinder and a water tank. The Heavy-Duty cart is built for exactly this case, with 15 mm plywood and a worktop rated to 180 kg. If your machine is a single group, the standard 12 mm cart is enough. The shelf underneath takes 80 kg, which is where most people put water containers, cups and beans.

Cut-outs: plan them, do not improvise them

Cut-outs are the openings we cut into the worktop before the cart is built, so equipment sits flush and the surface stays easy to wipe down. The standard worktop layouts are sized for a Barista Basic knock box and a Rhino pitcher rinser. If you use other equipment, send the measurements through the custom layout form and we cut your own plan for the same price.

Three things are worth deciding at this stage:

1. Where the knock box goes. Next to the grinder, on the side your hands land after pulling a shot.
2. Where water and cables come up. If you want a sink, the Sink Edition comes with a pre-cut side box and routing for a fresh water inlet, a waste water line and cables. The sink fixture itself is not included, so you fit the one you prefer.
3. Which side is the customer side. Everything that is not equipment goes there: cups, lids, menu, card reader.

Power and water are on you

The cart is furniture, not a power supply. Check the power draw of your machine before you book a pitch. A two group machine typically needs more than a standard household socket can give, which is why many vendors run a single group machine outdoors and keep the two group for indoor venues with proper power. For water, the shelf holds the fresh and waste containers, and the routing in the Sink Edition keeps the lines tidy and off the worktop.

A checklist to send us

If you tell us these five things, we check the fit against the worktop before production:

• Espresso machine make, model and number of groups
• Grinder make and model, and whether there are two
• Knock box and pitcher rinser models, if you already own them
• Whether you need a sink
• Whether you serve indoors, outdoors, or both

That is usually enough to say which model fits, which layout to cut and whether a second cart would make your service faster.

Common questions

Can I move the machine between carts later?
Yes. The cut-outs are in the worktop, so a machine that fits one cart fits another cart of the same model.

Can you cut a layout after the cart is built?
Cut-outs are made during production and cannot be added later. Ask before you order, and send the layout with your order.

Does the cart come with a machine?
No. The cart, wheels, one shelf, the assembly tool, bolts, spare parts, a transport strap and a handlebar are included. Coffee equipment is yours to bring.

How long does setup take at an event?
The cart arrives as a flat pack, is assembled on site and rolls on four wheels, two of them braked. Add the time your machine needs to heat up, which is usually the longer wait.

See the mobile coffee carts, or send us your equipment list and we will plan the worktop around it.