Commercial Bakery Equipment List for Starting a New Bakery
Every piece of equipment a new bakery needs, organized in the order dough moves through your shop, with sizing guidance from a team that has outfitted bakeries since 1977.
Before you buy anything, decide three things
Most new bakery owners start with a mixer and an oven and work outward. That is backward. The right list depends on what you bake, how much of it you sell on your busiest day, and how your space is plumbed and wired. Answer these first and the rest of this guide gets a lot shorter.
What is your core product?
A bread bakery, a cake and pastry shop, a bagel store, a cookie operation and a pizzeria each need a different oven and a different mixer. Artisan bread wants a deck oven and a spiral mixer. Cakes and pastries want a convection oven and a planetary mixer. Bagels need a kettle, a revolving or rack oven and a bagel former. Trying to build a line that does everything usually means overpaying for one thing and underbuying another.
How many units on your peak day?
Size every piece of equipment to your busiest realistic day two years from now, not your opening week. Ovens and mixers are the hardest and most expensive pieces to replace, and a bakery that outgrows its oven in year one loses money on every order it has to turn away.
What can your building support?
Confirm gas service, electrical amperage and phase, ventilation, ceiling height and floor drains before signing a lease or ordering equipment. A rack oven can need 3-phase power and a Type I hood. Many otherwise perfect spaces fail here.
Not sure where to start? That is what Dream Builders™ are for.
Empire's Dream Builders™ are our team of experts that can help walk new owners through menu planning, production math, equipment selection and layout so you buy once and buy right.
Learn about Dream BuildersHow this list is organized. Dough moves through a bakery in five stages. Each stage below lists the equipment that belongs there, what it does, and how to size it.
1Mixing equipment
The mixer is the first machine dough touches and the one that sets your batch size for everything downstream. Most bakeries need at least one of the two types below; traditional bakery's usually need both.
Spiral mixer
Built for bread and pizza doughs. The bowl rotates while a spiral hook kneads the dough gently, developing gluten with less friction heat than a planetary mixer. If yeasted dough is more than a third of your menu, a spiral mixer is not optional.
- Small to large retail bakery or pizzeria: 80 to 130 lb dough capacity
- Bread bakery or bagel shop: 160 to 250 lb
- Wholesale: 300 lb and up, often with a removable bowl
Planetary mixer
The all-purpose mixer. Interchangeable whip, paddle and hook attachments handle batters, buttercream, cookie dough, fillings and small bread batches. Every bakery needs one; cake and pastry shops often run two.
- Countertop 20 qt for small batches, glazes and test recipes
- Floor 40 to 60 qt as the primary mixer in most startups
- 80 to 140 qt for high-volume production
Flour handling and scaling
A digital bench scale accurate to a gram, a floor scale for 50 lb flour bags, an ingredient bin system on casters and a flour sifter. Scaling by weight rather than volume is the single cheapest quality improvement a new bakery can make.
2Dividing and shaping equipment
This is the stage most startups underinvest in and where labor costs climb fastest. Hand-dividing 400 rolls is a four-hour job for one baker. A divider rounder does it in a fraction of that time.
Dough divider
Portions a bulk batch into uniform pieces by weight. Consistency matters for baking times, portion cost and appearance. Hydraulic dividers handle a wide range of doughs; volumetric dividers suit continuous wholesale runs.
- Bread loaves, hoagie rolls, pizza dough balls in any real volume
- Any shop producing more than 200 portioned pieces per day
Divider rounder
Divides and rounds in one pass, producing 30 or 36 identical dough balls from a single press. The standard for dinner rolls, buns, kaiser rolls and small pizzas. Semi-automatic units are affordable for small shops; automatic units pay for themselves at wholesale volume.
Shop divider roundersDough sheeter
Rolls dough to a precise, even thickness for croissants, danish, puff pastry, pie crusts, flatbreads and fondant. A reversible sheeter is the standard for retail bakeries. Countertop sheeters work for smaller shops and pastry programs.
- Countertop: laminated dough under 10 lb per batch
- Floor reversible: most retail pastry shops
- Automated Smart sheeter: high-volume croissant and pastry production
Bread moulder
Shapes dough pieces into loaves, baguettes or hoagie rolls with a consistent tight seam. Needed only when bread is a core product, but essential when it is.
Shop bread mouldersCookie depositor
Portions cookie dough, muffin batter, macarons, meringue and cake batter directly onto sheet pans at a fixed weight. A tabletop depositor replaces two people with scoops and gives every unit the same bake time. If cookies or muffins are a signature item, this belongs on the opening-day list.
Shop cookie depositorsBagel equipment
Bagel shops replace the moulder with a bagel divider former and add a bagel kettle for boiling before the bake. Sizing is by bagels per hour; a two-lane former handles most retail shops.
Shop bagel equipment3Proofing and retarding equipment
Controlling temperature and humidity between shaping and baking is what separates a bakery that produces consistently from one that has good days and bad days.
Proofer
A heated, humidified cabinet that holds shaped dough at the ideal rising temperature, typically 80 to 90°F with high humidity. Roll-in proofers accept full bakery racks; reach-in proofers hold sheet pans directly. Size by how many racks you need to proof at once ahead of your oven.
Shop proofersRetarder proofer
Combines refrigeration and proofing with a timer, so dough shaped the night before rises automatically for a morning bake. This is the single most effective way to avoid a 2 a.m. start for a small crew, and it is the reason many new owners choose it over a plain proofer.
Shop retarder proofersRefrigeration
Reach-in refrigerators and freezers for ingredients, a roll-in rack refrigerator if you retard dough on racks, a walk-in cooler for any bakery with a wholesale account, and refrigerated prep tables for finishing stations. Plan more cold space than you think you need.
4Baking equipment
The oven is your most important purchase and the one to decide first. It sets your output ceiling, your product quality and your building requirements. The three oven types below are not interchangeable.
Deck oven
Stone hearth decks with independent top and bottom heat and optional steam injection. The oven for artisan bread, bagels, pizza and any product that needs oven spring and a crisp crust. Electric decks are simpler to install; gas decks cost less to run at high volume.
- Small retail bread program: 2 decks, 20 - 60 loaves per bake
- Bread bakery: 3 to 4 decks with steam, 60 - 500 loaves per bake
- Pizzeria: 2 to 3 stone decks, 8 - 12 pies (18")
Rack oven
A full bakery rack of 13 to 30 sheet pans rolls in, rotates and bakes evenly at once. Highest throughput per square foot of any oven type, and the standard for bagel shops, wholesale bread, pastries at volume and supermarket in-store bakeries. Single-rack models fit most retail shops; double-rack models serve wholesale.
- Ceiling height (typically 9 ft or more)
- Gas line or 3-phase electrical service
- Type I exhaust hood
Convection oven
Fan-driven heat for cakes, cookies, muffins, pastries and anything baked on sheet pans in moderate volume. Bakery-depth models hold full-size pans. Nearly every bakery runs at least one, either as the main oven or alongside a deck or rack oven for the pastry side of the menu.
Shop convection ovensBake your recipe in the oven before you buy it.
Empire's Baking Center in Hicksville, NY is a working showroom. Bring your dough, run it on the deck oven, rack oven, spiral mixer or sheeter you are considering, and compare results side by side before spending a dollar.
Schedule a test bake5Cooling, finishing and display equipment
Product does not earn money until it is sliced, packaged and in front of a customer. Do not let this stage become an afterthought at the end of the budget.
Bread slicer
Countertop or floor models slice a loaf in seconds and are expected by customers in any retail bread shop. Choose slice thickness based on your core loaf: 1/2 inch is standard, 3/8 inch for sandwich bread, 3/4 inch for Texas toast and specialty loaves.
Shop bread slicersCooling racks and bakery racks
Plan for at least two full-size mobile racks per oven, plus racks for proofing, staging and cooling. Bakeries never have enough racks. Aluminum racks are lighter; welded steel racks last longer under heavy daily use.
Display cases
Refrigerated cases for cakes, cream pastries and cheesecakes; dry non-refrigerated cases for bread, cookies and croissants; and self-serve bread displays for loaves. Case placement and lighting drive impulse sales, so this is where your storefront investment should be visible.
Packaging and finishing tools
Cake turntables, decorating tools, a heat sealer or bag closer, bread bags, cake boxes, labels and a label printer. Small line items that add up quickly on the opening-week order.
Shop bakery smallwaresSupport equipment every bakery needs
None of these are glamorous, but a health inspector will look for most of them before you sell a single loaf.
| Category | What to plan for |
|---|---|
| Work tables | Stainless steel for wet work; hardwood or maple bench tops for bread shaping. At least 8 linear feet per baker. |
| Sinks | Three-compartment sink, hand sink at every prep area, mop sink. Check local code for a dedicated prep sink. |
| Sheet pans and bakeware | Full and half sheet pans (plan 4 to 5 sets per oven), loaf pans, cake pans, muffin pans, baguette trays, proofing baskets. |
| Ventilation | Type I hood over gas ovens, Type II over electric convection and proofers, per code. Confirm before ordering ovens. |
| Dry storage | Wire shelving, ingredient bins on casters, flour dollies, pan racks. |
| Dishwashing | A high-temperature undercounter or door-type dishwasher for pans, bowls and tools. |
| Front of house | POS system, coffee equipment, bread display, cake case, bagging station, signage. |
| Safety and sanitation | Fire suppression, Class K extinguisher, first aid, hand sanitizer stations, pest control access. |
Printable opening-day equipment checklist
Use this as a starting point and cross off what your menu does not need. Items marked core belong in nearly every bakery.
| Equipment | Priority | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Planetary mixer | Core | pastries and cookies |
| Convection oven | Core | pastries and cookies |
| Refrigeration (reach-in, walk-in) | Core | Every bakery |
| Work tables, racks, sheet pans | Core | Every bakery |
| Display cases | Core | Every retail bakery |
| Spiral mixer | Core if bread | Bread, pizza, bagels |
| Deck oven | Core if bread | Artisan bread, pizza, bagels |
| Rack oven | Core if volume | Bagels, wholesale, in-store bakery |
| Proofer or retarder proofer | Core if yeasted dough | Bread, rolls, croissants, bagels |
| Dough sheeter | Core if laminated | Croissants, danish, pies |
| Divider rounder | Recommended | Rolls, buns, pizza dough balls |
| Dough divider | Recommended | Loaves, high-volume portioning |
| Bread moulder | Recommended | Bread bakeries |
| Cookie depositor | Recommended | Cookies, muffins, macarons |
| Bread slicer | Recommended | Retail bread |
| Bagel former and kettle | Specialty | Bagel shops |
What commercial bakery equipment costs
Ranges below cover new equipment from established manufacturers and exclude installation, hood systems and buildout. Use them to sanity-check a business plan, then get a real quote for your specific menu and volume.
| Bakery type | Typical equipment investment |
|---|---|
| Small retail café bakery | $50,000 to $100,000 |
| Retail bread and pastry bakery | $100,000 to $200,000 |
| Bagel shop | $120,000 to $220,000 |
| Wholesale or commissary | $200,000 to $500,000+ |
Most owners finance the oven, mixer and refrigeration rather than paying cash, which keeps working capital available for ingredients, payroll and marketing in the first six months. See Empire's equipment financing options.
Frequently asked questions
How much does commercial bakery equipment cost for a new bakery?
A small retail bakery typically invests $50,000 to $150,000 in production equipment. A wholesale or high-volume operation with a rack oven, spiral mixer, sheeter and divider often runs $150,000 to $400,000 or more. Financing and leasing are available for most equipment.
What is the most important piece of equipment for a bakery?
The oven. It sets your output ceiling, your product quality and your utility requirements, so it should be the first decision. Match the oven type to your core menu before selecting the rest of the line.
Should I buy new or used bakery equipment?
Ovens, mixers and refrigeration are the workhorses of a bakery and are worth buying new with a warranty and service support. Tables, racks, sheet pans and smallwares are safe to buy used if they are in good condition.
What size mixer does a new bakery need?
Most startup bakeries need at least a 60 to 80 quart planetary mixer for general work, and bread-focused shops add a spiral mixer in the 100 to 200 pound dough capacity range. Size to your busiest expected day, not your first week.
Can I test bakery equipment before buying?
Yes. Empire Bakery Equipment operates a Baking Center showroom in Hicksville, NY where you can run your own recipes on ovens, mixers and dough equipment before purchasing.
How long does it take to get bakery equipment delivered and installed?
In-stock mixers, sheeters and convection ovens can ship within days. Deck ovens, rack ovens and custom configurations typically run 6 to 12 weeks. Order your ovens as soon as your lease is signed and utilities are confirmed.
Build your bakery with people who have done it since 1977.
Send us your menu and your floor plan. Empire will put together an equipment list, layout and quote for your bakery, in English or Spanish, and you can test every major piece in our Baking Center before you commit.
Request a quote Start with Dream Builders 800-878-4070Empire Bakery Equipment, 1C Enterprise Place, Hicksville, NY 11801. Serving bakeries, pizzerias, bagel shops, in-store bakeries and wholesale producers nationwide since 1977.
