Best Commercial Coffee Machine for a Cafe: 1, 2 or 3 Groups, Boilers and Power Explained

The best commercial coffee machine for a cafe is the one with enough groups and boiler for your busiest hour, on a power supply your shop actually has. A 1 group machine suits a low-volume counter, a 2 group machine is the cafe standard, and a 3 group machine is for two baristas working a queue. In our range, 2 group espresso machines are 500 to 840 mm wide and need anything from a 15 amp outlet to three-phase power, so check the electrical before you choose.

This guide compares the commercial coffee machines we sell by groups, boilers, power and width, using each maker's figures.

Commercial coffee machines compared

Sizes are width x depth x height.

Model	Groups	Boilers	Power (as listed)	Size (mm)
Rancilio Classe 5 USB Tall	1	4 litres	See listing	410 x 539 x 519
La Marzocco Linea Classic S, 1 group	1	Dual: 1.8 litre coffee, 3.5 litre steam	Single phase, 220-240 V	490 x 585 x 445
Bezzera Otto Compact	2	8 litres	2,600 W, 15 amp	500 x 495 x 535
Bezzera Moda DE PID	2	Copper-insulated boiler, PID control	5,500 W, 25 amp	667 x 505 x 520
La Marzocco Linea Classic S, 2 group	2	Dual: 3.4 litre coffee, 7 litre steam	Single phase, 220-240 V	690 x 585 x 445
La Marzocco Linea PB, 2 group	2	Dual: 3.4 litre coffee, 7 litre steam	Single phase, 220-240 V	750 x 590 x 533
Bezzera Victoria PID	2	Multi-boiler	415 V, 5 kW	820 x 680 x 560
Rancilio RS1	2	11 litres	See listing	840 x 600 x 512
La Marzocco Linea Classic S, 3 group	3	Dual: 5 litre coffee, 11 litre steam	Single phase, 220-240 V	930 x 585 x 445

How many groups do you need?

A group is one brewing head: one barista can pull one or two shots from it at a time. More groups mean more coffees under way at once and a bigger steam boiler behind them for milk.

• 1 group: a bakery, a bar, an office or a shop where coffee is a side line. Widths in our table: 410 to 490 mm.
• 2 groups: most cafes. One barista can work both groups, or two can share in a rush. Widths: 500 to 840 mm.
• 3 groups: busy cafes with two baristas on the machine at once. The 3 group Linea Classic S is 930 mm wide.

The La Marzocco Linea Classic S shows how the boilers grow with the groups: 1.8 and 3.5 litres on the 1 group, 3.4 and 7 litres on the 2 group, 5 and 11 litres on the 3 group. The maker lists it in 1, 2, 3 or 4 groups.

Single boiler, dual boiler or multi-boiler?

• One large boiler: a single boiler makes steam and heats the brewing water. The Bezzera Otto Compact has an 8 litre boiler; the Rancilio RS1 2 group has 11 litres.
• Dual boiler: one boiler for coffee and one for steam, so heavy milk steaming does not pull the brew temperature around. La Marzocco lists separate, insulated coffee and steam boilers with dual PID control on the Linea Classic S and Linea PB.
• Multi-boiler: independent boilers for the groups plus a service boiler for steam and hot water. Bezzera lists this on the Victoria PID.

PID is electronic temperature control. It matters most if you serve lighter roasts or single origins, where a degree either way changes the cup.

Check your power before you choose

This is the step people skip. A standard power point is 10 amp, and no 2 group machine in our table lists one.

• 15 amp: the Bezzera Otto Compact (2,600 W). A 15 amp outlet is a job for an electrician.
• 25 amp: the Bezzera Moda DE PID 2 group (5,500 W). This is a dedicated circuit.
• Three-phase: the Bezzera Victoria PID 2 group lists 415 V at 5 kW. Not every shop has three-phase at the counter.

Ask your electrician what the counter has before you fall for a machine. Traditional espresso machines also need a water connection and drainage, and a water filter protects the boiler from scale.

Cup height and takeaway cups

If most of your coffee leaves in a takeaway cup, check the clearance under the group. The Rancilio Classe 5 USB Tall takes cups up to 145 mm high and includes a step for espresso cups. The Bezzera Otto Compact takes cups up to 13 cm.

Traditional, fully automatic or filter?

• Traditional espresso machine: a barista grinds, doses, tamps and steams. It makes the best coffee in trained hands and needs a separate grinder: see our commercial coffee grinders and coffee tampers.
• Fully automatic (bean to cup): one touch makes the drink, so any staff member can serve it. The Rancilio Egro QuBe Pro is listed at up to 120 cups a day, with 27 programmable drink recipes and a 4 litre milk fridge, in a body 368 mm wide. That suits a shop, hotel breakfast room or office where coffee is not the main trade.
• Filter coffee: for meetings, functions and breakfast service. The Apuro CW305-A filter coffee maker holds 1.7 litres, is manual fill with no plumbing, and keeps coffee hot on two hotplates. For hot water for tea, see hot water urns.

Fitting out a whole counter? Our cafe equipment range covers the rest.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best commercial coffee machine for a small cafe? A 2 group machine that runs on the power you have. In our range the Bezzera Otto Compact is 500 mm wide with an 8 litre boiler on a 15 amp outlet, and the La Marzocco Linea Classic S 2 group is 690 mm wide with dual boilers.

How wide is a 2 group coffee machine? From 500 to 840 mm in our range. Allow extra bench for the grinder, a knock box and room to work.

Do commercial coffee machines need three-phase power? Some do. The Bezzera Victoria PID 2 group lists 415 V. Others run on single phase: the Bezzera Otto Compact lists 15 amp and La Marzocco lists the Linea Classic S and Linea PB as single phase 220-240 V.

Is a 1 group machine enough for a coffee shop? Only for low volume. With one group you can make one or two shots at a time, so a queue builds quickly. Most coffee shops choose 2 groups.

What coffee machine suits a shop that is not a cafe? A fully automatic machine, because it needs no barista. The Rancilio Egro QuBe Pro is listed at up to 120 cups a day.

Sources: each model's groups, boiler sizes, power and dimensions as listed by its maker on our product pages.