How many groups does your venue need? Table and calculator

How many coffees an hour can one group make?

An espresso extraction itself takes a few dozen seconds, so the group could work faster than the bar allows. The real pace is set by the whole cycle: grinding, tamping, locking in the portafilter, steaming milk, serving the drink and cleaning. That is why we count the drinks that actually leave the bar, not the machine's theoretical capacity.

In practice, we assume one group handles about 40 drinks an hour when the menu is mostly espresso, americano and black coffee. With milk drinks only, such as cappuccino, latte or flat white, we count about 28 drinks an hour, because steaming milk takes the barista longer. With a mixed menu, the result falls in between.

These are rough figures from our own experience behind the bar. An experienced barista with a well-set grinder will do more. A new team member will do less.

How do you work out the traffic in your busiest hour?

The average for the whole day tells you little. A café selling 300 coffees a day can have a quiet afternoon and a queue before 9 am. The machine has to be matched to that queue.

The simplest way is to check the hourly report in your till system. If you do not have one, in practice we assume the busiest hour accounts for about 15 to 25% of daily coffee sales. In a café open all day it is closer to 15%, in a venue near offices or a station closer to 25%, and at hotel breakfasts even more. At 300 coffees a day, that gives 45 to 75 drinks at the peak.

After that it is simple arithmetic. 60 drinks at the peak with a half-milk menu (about 34 drinks per group) is 1.7 groups, so 2 groups. 100 drinks at the peak with the same menu is 2.9 groups, so 3 groups. The calculator below does this sum for you.

Are 2 groups enough for a café?

In most cafés, yes. Up to about 300 coffees a day, 2 groups cover a typical peak, and one barista can work on both by alternating portafilters. With two people behind the bar, each has their own group.

All 10 La Marzocco machines we offer come in a 2-group version. The simplest place to start is the Linea Classic S: dual boiler, saturated groups and dual PID. If you want a separate temperature on each group, look at the Linea PB X. If you have queues from the morning, consider the KB90.

Not sure whether 2 groups are enough for your menu? We will work it out with you.

Free consultation Find your machine in 30 seconds

When do you need 3 groups?

A third group makes sense when you sell about 300 to 500 coffees a day, or when your peak is more than 2 groups can cover. In practice, this starts at about 70 to 80 drinks an hour. Three groups are also useful when two or three people work at the machine at the same time.

Each of the 10 models also comes in a 3-group version. The steam boiler grows with the number of groups. In the Linea Classic S it is 7 l with 2 groups and 11 l with 3 groups, so a bigger bar also has more steam for milk. For the heaviest traffic the KB90 works well, and in a specialty café focused on extraction profiles, the Strada X.

When 4 groups, and when two machines?

Above 500 coffees a day, we count 3 or 4 groups, depending on the peak. The Linea Classic S, Linea PB, Linea PB X, KB90, GB5 S and GB5 X come with 4 groups. The Strada and Leva come with a maximum of 3 groups.

Before you choose 4 groups, check your counter. The Linea Classic S is 69 cm wide with 2 groups and 117 cm with 4 groups. We have gathered the dimensions and power requirements of all models in the guide Preparing your venue for an espresso machine. With traffic this heavy, it is also worth thinking about two machines. Two espresso machines give you two independent stations, for example the bar and a takeaway window, plus a backup when one is being serviced.

If your peak calculation comes out above 4 groups, one machine will not be enough. In that case we design a bar with two machines.

1 group in a small venue

1 group is enough in a very small venue, up to about 60 coffees a day: in a bakery, a small office, at a stand or as a second machine next to the main bar. With more traffic, one group quickly becomes a bottleneck, because you make every coffee one after another.

The Linea Classic S and Strada X come in a 1-group version. The 1-group Linea Classic S runs on 220 V single-phase power. If your venue is going to grow, 2 groups will give you headroom for years to come.

How many baristas for how many groups?

A simple rule from practice: you should have at least as many groups as baristas making espresso at the same time during the peak. Otherwise people end up waiting for each other at the machine.

1 barista: 2 groups. While one portafilter is brewing, the other is being prepared.
2 baristas: 2 or 3 groups, depending on peak traffic.
3 baristas: 3 or 4 groups. With a team that size, the layout of the stations also matters.

Ideally each group has its own grinder, and in practice you need at least two: one for the espresso blend and one for a single origin or decaf. Also keep staffing in mind. One barista realistically makes about 30 to 40 drinks an hour. If the peak demands more per person, the bottleneck is the team, not the machine.

Milk and working pace

The more milk drinks you serve, the slower orders come out of one group. Steaming milk takes time, and a barista only has two hands. That is why, with a menu based on cappuccino and latte, we count about 28 drinks an hour per group, and with mostly black coffee about 40.

With heavy milk traffic, the machine itself also helps. The KB90 has a straight-in portafilter and Steam Flush, which purges the group with steam and rinses it with hot water after every extraction. The team stops less often for cleaning.

Headroom for growth

You buy an espresso machine for years. If you sell 250 coffees a day today and traffic is growing, size the groups for the traffic you expect in two or three years. You cannot add a group later, and replacing the whole machine is a big expense.

Headroom does not mean the most expensive model. We recommend the simplest model that covers your traffic, with the number of groups chosen with some margin. Spare groups usually give you more than extra features your team will not use.

Table: coffees a day, number of groups and example models

The coffee and peak thresholds are rough figures from Colbergcoffee's experience.
Coffees a day	Peak (approx.)	Groups	Example models
up to approx. 60	up to approx. 12 an hour	1 (2 for headroom)	Linea Classic S, Strada X
60–300	approx. 12–60 an hour	2	Linea Classic S, Linea PB, Linea PB X, KB90
300–500	approx. 60–100 an hour	3	Linea PB, KB90, GB5 X, Strada X
over 500	over 100 an hour	3 or 4	3 groups: KB90, Strada X; 4 groups: KB90, Linea PB, GB5 X
peak above 4 groups	depending on the menu	two machines	e.g. two KB90 or Linea PB machines at two stations

Which model from the table should you choose? The guide Which espresso machine for a café? and the comparison of the Linea Classic S, Linea PB, KB90 and Strada will help. Once you know the model, check how to prepare your venue: power, dimensions, water and drain.

frequently asked questions

How many coffees a day can a 2-group machine make?

In practice, 2 groups handle up to about 300 coffees a day and about 55 to 80 drinks in the busiest hour. Fewer with a menu based on milk drinks, more with mainly black coffee.

Is a 1-group machine enough for a café?

Only in a very small venue, up to about 60 coffees a day, or as a second machine. In a typical café, 1 group quickly becomes a bottleneck. Linea Classic S and Strada X are available in a 1-group version.

How many groups does a restaurant or hotel need?

The peak decides, for example breakfast in a hotel or dessert after dinner in a restaurant. 2 groups are usually enough. When a lot of coffees go out at once in a short time, 3 groups are better.

Is it better to buy a 4-group machine or two smaller ones?

One 4-group machine takes up less space and needs one connection. Two smaller machines give you two independent stations and a backup during scheduled service. When the peak needs more than 4 groups, you need two machines.

Do more groups mean higher power consumption?

Yes. Linea Classic S has a minimum power of 3350 W with 2 groups and 6930 W with 4 groups. For 2-, 3- and 4-group machines we also choose the connection: 200 V, 220 V or 380 V, depending on the venue's installation.

How do I find out how many coffees I sell in the busiest hour?

Ideally from the hourly report in your POS system. Without a report, assume about 15 to 25% of daily coffee sales: less in a café open all day, more with morning office traffic. Enter that figure in the calculator and you will see the number of groups and matching models.

read also

La Marzocco Polska. We help cafés, restaurants and hotels choose a La Marzocco espresso machine for their traffic and menu, set it up and keep it in good shape.

how many groups does your venue need?