New shop owners often ask us for a packing list: what do we actually need on the counter the morning we open. This is that list. It is based on what working bubble tea cafés in Sweden order from us, not on what a catalogue says you should own. We have split it into machines, brewing gear, small tools and consumables.
The machines
Cup sealing machine. This is the one machine you cannot open without. It heat-seals a film across the top of the cup so the drink can be shaken by the customer and carried without spilling. Get a CE-marked machine, since that is the marking Swedish food inspectors and insurers expect on commercial equipment. Automatic models seal a cup in about 3 seconds.
Shaker or shake machine. Milk tea has to be shaken hard to dissolve sugar and mix the tea evenly. A hand shaker costs very little and works fine for low volume. A shake machine does two cups in about 10 seconds and saves your wrists once you pass 100 or so drinks a day.
Fructose dispenser. Doses an exact amount of fructose syrup at the press of a button. Consistent sweetness is what makes drink number 200 taste like drink number 1, and it is much faster than pouring by hand.
Pearl cooker, or induction plate plus stainless pot. Tapioca pearls need a rolling boil and then a covered rest. A dedicated pearl cooker automates the timing and stirring. A 3 kW induction plate and a deep stainless pot do the same job for less money if someone watches the clock.
Brewing and holding
8 L insulated thermos buckets. You brew tea in batches, strain it, and hold it in these at serving temperature. Plan on at least three: one per base tea on your menu, so typically jasmine green, black and oolong. Brewed tea should be used the same day, so the 8 L size fits a normal day for one tea.
Fine strainers. For catching leaves when you pour brewed tea from the pot into the thermos bucket.
Small tools
Measuring cups and jiggers. Every recipe in bubble tea is measured in millilitres and grams. Guessing shows up in the cup immediately.
Thermometers. Green tea brews around 80 degrees, black tea at a full boil. A simple probe thermometer keeps both honest.
Timers. You will be timing tea steeping, pearl cooking and pearl resting all day, usually all at once. Cheap kitchen timers, several of them.
Scoops and shaker cups. A dedicated scoop per topping tub avoids cross-contamination and keeps portion sizes steady.
Consumables
Cups. The standard sizes are 500 ml and 700 ml. Order both from the start, since customers expect a size choice.
Sealing film. Sold on rolls, matched to your cup diameter (95 mm is the common standard). One roll seals roughly 3 000 cups.
Straws. Boba needs wide straws, 12 mm, or the pearls will not come up. Stock normal straws too for drinks without toppings. You can find cups, film and straws in our cups and accessories collection.
What can wait
A second sealing machine, a blender for ice-blended drinks, an automatic tea brewer and a bigger ice machine can all come later, once you know your volume. Plenty of shops in Sweden run their first six months on one sealing station and a hand shaker. The mistake we see is the opposite one: spending 200 000 kr on machines and then having no cash left for stock and marketing.
Where to get it
We stock machines, tools and accessories in our POSSMEI collection and consumables alongside the ingredients in the Boba4T collection, all shipped from our warehouse in Malmö. Prices are listed on the site, so you can put your whole day-one setup in a spreadsheet before spending anything. If you are unsure whether your volume justifies a shake machine or a pearl cooker, send us your expected cups per day and we will give you a straight answer.