At M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks we’ve installed just about every appliance imaginable into a food truck or concession trailer. This list compiles the most commonly requested appliances to be installed onboard a mobile food unit.
If you don’t find the device you need on this list, not to worry. Our motto is: “If you can dream it, we can build it.” We’ve received countless one-of-a-kind requests during our 15+ years in the custom manufacturing industry and welcome the opportunity to execute your vision. Beyond just appliances, check out our previously published equipment checklist here for information about ovens, refrigerators, and more.
Commonly Installed Appliances
| Mobile Coffee / Beverages | Common Use |
| Coffee Maker | Making coffee! |
| Espresso Maker | Often equipped with milk steamer and other features. |
| Grinder | Fresher beans and enhanced flavor. |
| Blender | Smoothies, juices, iced coffees, specialty drinks. |
| Water Purification System | For higher quality and more consistent coffee, tea, and beverages. |
| Commercial Juice Press | For freshly squeeze fruit juices. |
| Spindle Mixer | Most commonly used for milk shakes. |
| Shaved Ice Machine | Snowcones, Italian ice, etc. |
| Food Prep | |
| Food processor | Quickly mix sauces / salsas. |
| Lettuce cutter | Faster more consistent way to chop lettuce. |
| Vegetable dicer | Faster more consistent way to dice carrots and other veggies. |
| Cutting board | This is a must have on any mobile food unit. |
| French Fry Cutters | If you serve hand cut french fries, you need this. |
| Shredders / Graters | Must have if you need shredded cheese. |
| Meat | |
| Meat Grinders | Ideal if you require freshly ground meats or unique burgers. |
| Meat Slicer | Perfect for mobile delis / sandwiches. |
| Pizza | |
| Mixers | Great if you want to make your own crust. |
Selecting the Right Appliances For Your Food Concept
Wondering what appliances you should have installed on your food unit? The best way to accomplish this is to figure out what type of menu you plan to serve and then work backwards. After you get the menu figured out, determining the appliances you need to operate will be almost a no brainer.
Using the example list above, if you plan to open a coffee truck, you’ll need blenders, an espresso machine, coffee maker, and likely water-purification. If you don’t plan to serve juices though there’s no need for the juicer to be installed.
As a first step in the concession business, we always recommend writing a business plan. As part of that plan you will draft the initial menu, appliances, cooking equipment you need to cook and serve that menu. From there, we can help you select the size of unit, layout, power and health code requirements for your specific area.
We can also work with you to determine the appliances that are built-into your mobile kitchen and those that should be plugged-in and stored in a cabinet when not in operation. The size of the appliance and frequency of use for each device is a major factor in determining the right choice.
One rule of thumb in the mobile food business is to keep your menu and number appliances to a minimum. From a space perspective, you’re limited on a food truck. The other factor to be aware of is that every appliance requires more power. So the size and model of your generator will change depending the appliances installed and power requirements.
We hope this blog post has given you a simple road map for selecting the right appliances for your food unit. If you have questions about your own future mobile kitchen, give us a call at 904-397-0246. At M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks, we provide free consultations and no obligation blue-print designs for all our builds.
