Boba Tea Equipment and Supplies List
What equipment and supplies do you need to open a Boba Tea Shop?
To open a boba tea store you will need some Boba Tea supplies and Boba Tea equipment like cups and straws, utensils a Boba Tea sealing machine, a boba tea shaker machine, and a boba tea fructose dispenser. Depending on the budget of your store you can start with custom cups and all of the machines or if you’re on a low budget you can start with clear cups and just a sealer machine. Custom cups and other machines (shaker and fructose dispenser) can be added later once your business starts to grow.
Boba Tea Machines
The most basic Boba Tea machines are a Sealer Machine, Shaker Machine, and Fructose Dispenser. We also carry Automatic Boba Cookers, Tapioca Pearl Makers blenders, and Automatic Tea Brewers.
A list of Boba Tea Equipment we carry:
Sealer Machines are one of the most iconic Boba Tea machines. They put a plastic seal on your plastic or paper cup which the customer then breaks open with their fat straw. This creates part of the Boba Tea experience and adds to the fun of drinking Boba Tea. Sealer machines can seal PP, PET, and Paper cups. Just make sure that you order the correct size sealer machine and sealer film. For example, for PP cups you will need to use a 95mm Sealer Machine with PP sealer film. While with PET cups you will need to use a 98mm Universal Sealer Machine with PET sealer film.
Shaker Machines make shaking your boba tea easy and fun. The most popular model is the SK300 tabletop model which is easy to use. All you need to do is plug it in, place your shaker cups in the machine, and press start.
Fructose Dispensers are used to keep your drink quality consistent and reduce employee costs. Adding the correct amount of sugar (fructose) to your drinks will be hard without a lot of training. With our automatic fructose dispenser, all you need to do is press a button and the exact amount of sugar will be dispensed into your drink.
Boba Tea Blenders need to be powerful enough to blend ice and fruit but quiet enough to not disturb your customers. We recommend using a blender with a sound enclosure so you can get the best of both worlds.
When brewing tea there are two basic options. Using the traditional method which is basically boiling water in a teapot, manually putting in the tea leaves and then straining them and putting them into a tea dispenser. Automatic tea brewers will do most of this work for you. The Bunn ITCB has 3 settings so you can pre-set 3 different types of tea. This helps improve drink consistency/quality and makes it easier for your employees as well.
You can either buy boba from a supplier or you can make your own. With a Tapioca Pearl Maker, not only will you have the freshest boba in town but you’ll also be able to make your own flavors and colors.
Automatic Tapioca Pearl Cookers
This machine will boil your water, and stir your boba, and has an easy-to-use spout to drain out all of your boba once they’re done cooking. This makes sure that your boba doesn’t get stuck to the bottom or burn like when cooking on a stove.
Boba Tea Supplies include Boba Tea Cups, Straws, and Sealer Film
The first thing to decide for your cups is if you want to use clear cups or custom print cups. Most store owners choose to use custom cups but if you’re just starting out you can also use clear cups until your business is more established.
There are two main types of plastic cups, PP and PET. PP cups come in 12oz, 16oz, and 24oz sizes and have a 95mm diameter. They are also usually cheaper than PET cups because they are made out of a softer material. PET cups are usually 12oz, 16oz, and 24oz and have a 98mm diameter. Their material is harder than PP cups and will be more expensive. Both types of cups can be ordered either clear (transparent) or custom.
Plastic Sealing Film
It’s crucial to choose the same material for both the cup and the film when ordering Boba Tea sealer film. This will guarantee that the cups close properly. If the cups are made of PP, for example, then so must the sealer film. Custom print rolls usually have a similar price per roll, but custom sealer film MOQs.
How to Pick the Right Sealing Film
Fat Straws
It’s hard to imagine a Boba Tea shop without any fat straws. These are iconic and have become synonymous with Boba Tea drinking.
Boba Tea Utensils and Boba Tea Supplies List
The most important utensils you’ll need for making boba tea are:
- Plastic Shaker Cups
- Metal Stirrers
- Measuring Cups
- Plastic Scoops for Powders
- Syrup Pumps
- Tapioca Pearl Scoopers
- A Scale
- Insulated Tea Dispensers
Boba Tea Shaker Cups
Shaker Cups come in two main types, either PC Plastic or Stainless Steel. We usually recommend using PC plastic ones for two reasons. The first is that the stainless steel ones will get really hot when you add hot water or tea to them while the plastic ones handle heat better. The second reason is that the plastic shaker cups are clear so you will be able to see your ingredients more clearly and this will help when adding different ingredients and getting the ratios right.
Insulated Tea Dispensers
The tea is kept at a consistent temperature in the tea dispenser until the customer is ready to order. This is the most economic way to serve tea and most insulated tea dispensers are available in either 5L or 8L dispensers. We recommend using 5L dispensers to make sure that your tea is fresh.
Wholesale Supply Catalog Information
Kitchen Equipment Supplies List
In your kitchen, you will need to make sure that there are enough sinks to comply with health regulations and to prepare and clean your equipment. You will also need to make sure that there are enough power outlets so that you can operate your machinery. Another important aspect is deciding if you want to use an electric stove top or a traditional natural gas stove top. One final consideration is using a water filtration system. Great-tasting tea starts with fresh water so make sure that your tap water tastes good and consider getting a filter if it doesn’t.
Click here for tips on how you can design your Boba Tea store.
Electric or Gas Stove
Both electric and gas stoves will have certain advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage of a gas stove is that it will heat up your water and bring it to a boil a lot faster than an electric stove. Electric stoves will take a little bit longer but produce a more consistent heat supply (especially induction heaters). This will make cooking tapioca pearls easier and less likely to burn.
Other Considerations
Opening your own tea shop will probably be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of your life. If you haven’t done so already, you can get a free copy of our ebook here.
You can also sign up below for our Free Boba Tea Machines Guide or contact us here with any other questions.
