The purchase makes financial sense only when faster extraction produces enough additional saleable cups to cover equipment, labour, power, cleaning and downtime. By the end, you will be able to calculate your break-even volume, test whether your site can support the machine and compare ownership with manual pressing, ready-made juice and outsourcing.
Key takeaways
- Divide net machine cost by contribution margin per extra cup.
- Test output during your busiest 30-minute service window.
- Confirm cleaning, chilling, guarding and emergency-stop procedures before purchase.
- Demand capacity, warranty, spares, installation and downtime terms in writing.
How many extra cups must the machine sell to pay for itself?
Break-even cups equal the machine’s net cost divided by contribution margin per extra cup, not purchase price divided by retail price. Calculate daily contribution as: saleable cups × selling price, minus cane, sweetener, cups, ice and other per-cup costs; add labour saved, then subtract electricity, cleaning supplies, maintenance, financing, spoilage and expected downtime.
Use your own figures. If the machine costs 120,000 and produces 20 contribution per incremental cup, you need 6,000…