You’ve decided to utilize your Health Coach and Certified Juice Therapist qualifications and open a juice business to support your customer’s health and lifestyle. Great choice, but you need to consider the right equipment for the juicing business that you are setting up. And it all depends on the types of juices that you will be serving on the menu.
Essential Information Before Your Go Looking
Be clear on what type of juice business you are opening. If you will be taking online orders and delivering your juice on a schedule, using a hydraulic press is feasible because it has a high yield, and the integrity of the juice is kept for longer than a few hours. But if you are serving juice immediately in a shop where people want to pick up and go, a commercial-grade centrifugal juicer is a better choice.
To determine the best juicer for your business, you need to look at the quantity of fruits and vegetables you are going to juice. How many liters or ounces of juice will you be preparing daily?
Always make sure your equipment is certified to ensure it is safe and compliant with food safety standards.
A word of warning about used products: these are a definite way to save money in your start-up, but if considering second hand, focus on the equipment without a motor. Anything with a motor, make sure it has a warranty. They can be regarded as a liability because of the engine.
Stainless steel is terrific for durability and longevity.
Always have a back-up just in case things go haywire. There is nothing worse than having customers and not having the means to serve them.
Major Equipment
Centrifugal Juicer
A commercial Centrifugal juicer is the most common type of juicer for juice bars and vans. It juices almost anything, is fast, easily cleaned, and usually cheaper than the other juicer types.
However, there are some downsides to this type of juicer. You do lose yield from the product. The juice will oxidize faster, which impacts the quality, so it needs to be consumed immediately. This juicer is a perfect option for a juice bar but not so good for a home delivery juice business, or juice cleanse program.
The Cold Press/Slow Juicer
This is an excellent juicer for processing fruit and vegetables together with leafy greens. It can even process wheatgrass – not able to be done by a centrifugal juicer. The main benefit is getting a living juice that can be stored up to 48 hours while retaining its nutritional integrity. These juicers are perfect for the home juice delivery business.
The horizontal slow juicers need to have the food significantly prepped before being entered into the juicer. This isn’t always necessary with the slightly faster vertical slow juicers.
Hydraulic press juicer
This is the highest quality of juicer – but it takes time, so not always feasible for juice vans or bars where people want to order and go. But this option is perfect for the fresh juice business that delivers.
It works in two distinct steps. Firstly, it shreds everything into small pieces. These pieces are put into a mesh bag, and this is placed under a press. The juice is squeezed out and leaves the driest pulp – giving a very high yield from your raw produce.
Refrigerator
There are a few different types of refrigeration that you will need to consider. The type of refrigeration you require will depend on your menu, space, and business type.
You will need to ensure you have adequate refrigeration space for your produce to reduce the risk of being spoiled. Ensure your containers fit inside the refrigeration space and have enough room for the amount of produce.
Grab and go refrigerators allow your customers to pick up and purchase their juice. Perfect if you sell juice in bottles. They are a challenge to keep them cool as they are open to the public.
Undercounter refrigerators – these are coolers and sometimes come with preparation tops. Perfect if your business is space poor.
Reach in refrigerators – They hold a lot of products and can be purchased in single to three-door. Some are placed on wheels so you can move them around, which is a bonus.
Walk-in cooler – if you plan on having huge sales of $5000 daily and over, this is the ultimate option.
Sinks
You need to make sure your sink is certified, so it is sanitary for food production.
It is essential to have a hand sink in any food production area. Splash guards will be required if it is right next to the food prep area. You can also get sinks for food prep with drainboards, which will help when washing large quantities of fruit and vegetables.
Sinks can be bought second hand. You know what you are getting and don’t have any machinery to worry about.
You may also need a mop sink as you can’t wash the mop in hand or food prep sinks. It is preferable to have this sink close to the ground for ease of washing out the mob.
Other Equipment
Of course, the other equipment depends on your budget, menu, and food production. But you will need to consider:
Ice machines will reduce the need to buy a freezer if you only need ice for your product.
Food processors – if you are making small food goods to enhance your menu.
Dishwasher – if you have a glass bottle return program, this is an exceptionally good idea to invest in.
You will need other small goods: a food scale, plastic cutting boards, and salad spinner to get your washed greens dried, a cutting knife, and trash cans.
There is a lot to think about when purchasing your equipment. Remember, the larger machinery pieces are going to be your juicing business’s most significant investment. It is worth spending time researching all the available options. Consider asking other juice business owners what works for them. Then it’s time to set your budget and start sourcing your equipment.
