Are you wondering what type of machine is needed to open a bubble tea shop? If YES, here are 7 best bubble tea machines and their prices. For a good number of Americans, bubble tea is a new concept.
After being invented in Taiwan in the 1980s, this unique and sumptuous drink with a giant straw has grown in popularity across Asia — and almost in every region of the world. Bubble tea has attracted so much demand globally that McDonald’s added it to their menu in Germany.
If you are a big fan of bubble tea, or you are just looking to invest in a business with a very enticing potential for growth, then you should consider investing or starting your own bubble tea business. Have it in mind that doing so will warrant extensive thought and planning — coupled with sourcing the right supplies to make your business a success.
Bubble tea, or boba, is a Taiwanese treat that has over the years become quite popular in the United States. The word “boba” is used more extensively to relate to any drink with something in it, such as fresh juice with chunks of fruit. Bubble tea (which may also be called pearl milk tea) is a type of boba that features black tea, milk, ice, and tapioca pearls — the bubbles in bubble tea.
Have it in mind that these pearls are gotten from tapioca starch. According to reports, the hard white tapioca pearls are boiled and then steeped in sugary syrup for hours until they become big, chewy, and become black in color.
Note that this tea is made with a range of flavors, from mango to strawberry to matcha. Bubble teas are mostly served in clear cups to enable customers to view or see the tapioca pearls. Fat straws are a necessity for bubble tea so that the bubbles can shoot up the straw as the person drinks.
According to experts, the industry is envisaged to grow by $2 billion to $4.3 billion by 2027. Note that the United States will account for 18.7% of the global bubble tea market by 2026, and owing to the growing demand for bubble tea, starting and managing a boba business seems ideal for many entrepreneurs.
There are many advantages of leveraging a commercial bubble tea machine to make the drinks in a tea shop. Notably, there are a few different types of bubble tea machines and each one makes your business function more smoothly.
Best Types of Bubble Tea Machines and Their Prices
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Automatic Sealer Machines: $1,460 – $1,799
Bubble Tea Sealer Machines are very useful machines needed in bubble tea shops. These machines are used to put a plastic seal on the plastic or paper cup which the customer then breaks open with their fat straw. Note that sealer machines can seal PP, PET, and Paper cups.
You only have to ensure you order the right size sealer machine and sealer film. For instance, for PP cups you will have to use a 95mm Sealer Machine with PP sealer film, while with PET cups you will have to get a 98mm Universal Sealer Machine with PET sealer film.
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Bubble Tea Shaker Machine: $1,210 – $1,400
This machine more or less does all the hard work for you and makes sure that you have a perfectly shaken drink. Bubble Tea is renowned for the “bubbles” that were created from shaking hot tea with ice so you will either need to shake your tea by hand or use a shaker.
Shaking with a machine can save time, reduce employee costs and give your bubble tea shop a more professional appearance. One of the most popular models is the SK300 tabletop model which is easy to use. The only thing you have to do is plug it in, place your shaker cups in the machine, and press start.
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Automatic Fructose Dispensers: $890 – $1,782
This machine is 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.
Fructose is a type of sugar that comes from fruit and is a perfect way to sweeten your tea without using HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). Note that this machine makes the job easier and features 24 buttons so you can have various settings and sugar amounts for every drink that you serve!
In addition, when making use of the automatic sugar dispenser, your customer will receive the exact amount of sugar that they order every single time.
Have it in mind that steady and consistent quality remains one of the best ways to keep your customers coming back over and over again. Also, note that having a boba tea fructose dispenser will also cut down employee training and costs by simplifying your SOP.
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Bubble Tea Blenders: $435 – $1136
Just like Bubble Tea Machines, Bubble Tea Blenders are a very crucial part of your bubble tea shop. Note that having a powerful Bubble Tea Blender will present you with the platform to offer your customers varying bubble tea choices like smoothies and slushies (or freezes).
However, before you go out and buy a blender from the store make sure that you consider these 3 factors: Power, Reliability and does it have a Sound Enclosure.
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Automatic Tapioca Pearl Maker: $1042 – $1389
This machine is very important especially if you are eager to give your tea shop a unique and custom feel. Aside from having the freshest boba in town, you’ll also be able to customize your boba flavors and colors.
A good number of tapioca pearls have a 6-month shelf life and the 3kg bag they come in will have to be used within a day or two of opening it. However, making your own fresh boba offers a solution to this problem and this machine will make 9mm boba at a rate of 16-22kg/hour.
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Automatic Tea Brewers – $899.00
In terms of brewing tea, know that there are two basic options. Leveraging the traditional method, this is basically boiling water in a teapot, and manually putting in the tea leaves and then straining them and putting them into a tea dispenser.
However, note that automatic tea brewers will do most of this work for you. To start and run a bubble tea shop, consider getting a Bunn ITCB that comes with 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.
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Automatic Boba Cookers – $1515 above
Note that one of the most crucial factors in managing a successful bubble tea shop is having perfectly cooked boba. Have it in mind that it will set your bubble tea shop apart from your competitors and give you a massive advantage in the market.
Notably, you can choose to cook your tapioca pearls using the traditional method on a stove or you can decide to use an Automatic Tapioca Pearl Cooker.
According to reviews, the Automatic Boba Cooker comes with an English Manual and an English touch screen. The touch screen is known to be pre-loaded with cooking presets that can be altered if need be but the standard cooking time is 95 Minutes including boiling time. You can speed this up by pre-heating or pre-boiling your water.
Starting and managing your tea shop will more or less be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of your life. However, your commercial equipment ultimately depends on your budget and what you want for your bubble tea shop.