The Bakery Purchasing Guide

Most bakeries will need the following equipment to get started (though this may differ if your bakery has a specific niche):

You should think about budgeting up to $20,000 for initial equipment. However, this does not include the cost of baking ingredients, such as flour, butter, sugar, etc. It is also a good idea to stock other types of safety and sanitary equipment.

Picking the right appliances is arguably the most important buying decision you’ll make when starting a bakery. Unfortunately, this is not a business where it is necessarily a good idea to buy the equipment used. New kitchen equipment will come with a warranty, and you can also be assured of its cleanliness. Typically, it is much easier to order large appliances online, as they can be difficult to find in-store.

Here are some of the most important buying decisions that your bakery will have to make. We outline the key considerations you’ll need to keep in mind when making these purchases and provide some popular options.

Considerations When Purchasing an Oven

An oven is the centerpiece of any bakery. You have many options when it comes to selecting one or more suitable ovens for your bakery. When selecting an oven, keep in mind that certain types of ovens are better suited to different types of baked goods and can accommodate different volumes of production. In addition to cost, consider which kinds of pastries and bread can be cooked in each oven. For example, deck ovens are best for bread and pizzas.

Convection Oven

This is the most common and least expensive oven for a bakery to have.

• Central Exclusive Double Stack Convection Oven ($7,800)
• Vulcan Natural Gas Double Deck Convection Oven ($6,800)

Deck Oven

This is preferred by artisan-style bakers who want their bread to have crispier outsides but a soft inside. They are very large but are easy to use and last a long time.

• Blodgett 911P Deck Oven ($15,800)
• Doyon Double Deck Oven ($14,300)

Roll-in Rack Oven

This kind of oven saves you time by allowing you to roll a rack of bread or pastries straight into the oven.

• Doyon Full Height Three Section Roll-In Proofer ($12,600)

Revolving Oven

These are very expensive, but their many revolving trays (similar to rotisseries for chicken) allow for very high output.

• Baxter Mini Rotating Rack Oven ($18,750)

Considerations When Purchasing a Mixer

You may already own a Kitchen Aid mixer or something similar, but you’ll need a much larger (20-40 quart) mixer for your business. Depending on your product, you may want an even larger floor mixer.

Stand Mixer (rests on counter-top)

• Avantco 20 Qt. Commercial Planetary Stand Mixer with Guard ($750)
• Eurodib M20 ETL 20 Qt. Commercial Planetary Stand Mixer ($909)

Floor Mixer (rests on the floor)

• Avantco 30 Qt Stainless Steel Floor Mixer ($1,600)
• Avantco 40 Qt Stainless Steel Floor Mixer ($2,700)

Here are some resources for buying equipment and ingredients. Since you will need a lot of kitchen equipment, it makes sense to buy in bulk online. This will also save you money in the long run. Some of the more complex equipment, such as the oven, will have to be ordered online.

Webstaurant

This website is an excellent source for all kinds of equipment. It is relatively rare in offering larger, more expensive equipment for cooking and refrigeration. You can even purchase janitorial supplies and other everyday business needs for your bakery, so this website is excellent for one stop shopping.

Bakery Equipment

This site primarily offers appliances such as ovens, proofers, mixers, etc. It also sells the different parts so that you can fix one of the appliances if it breaks. If you do not want to fix the equipment yourself, this company offers repair services.