01Three stages of growth — and why you should plan equipment for the next one

Most pastry businesses start small: a café that bakes its own cakes, or a home baker moving into their own premises. A year or two later there are more orders, shops and cafés to supply, and the kitchen becomes a bottleneck. That is exactly when you see whether the first equipment was chosen with growth in mind.

02Production flow: how a product moves through the bakery

An equipment list makes sense when built along the product's path. Each step has its own machine, and each machine is a potential bottleneck.

If one stage has half the capacity of the others, the whole line runs at its pace. A classic example: a new, large oven and an old 10-litre mixer — the oven waits while the next batch is mixed.

03Planetary mixers — the heart of the pastry kitchen

In a planetary mixer the tool spins on its own axis while orbiting the bowl, so it reaches the whole volume. It is the most versatile machine in pastry: whipped cream, egg whites, sponge batter, creams, shortcrust, icings. It usually comes with three tools — a whisk for whipping, a beater for batters and creams and a hook for dough.

How to choose the bowl size

• Size for the largest batch, not the average. A bowl is used effectively up to about 2/3 of its volume; for whipping even less, as the mass expands several times.
• Two mixers beat one big one. While dough is mixing in the large one, the small one can whip cream or make a cream — cheaper than one huge mixer standing half-empty.
• From 40 litres a bowl lift is a must. A full 40-litre bowl is too heavy to lift by hand regularly.
• For heavy yeast dough in large volumes take a spiral mixer. A planetary can do it, but prolonged heavy kneading loads the gearbox and shortens its life.

04Dough machines: kneading, sheeting, dividing

Once buns, pastries, croissants and puff pastry appear on the menu, a mixer alone is no longer enough. The next step is machines that knead, sheet and divide dough into equal pieces.

05Proofing cabinets: controlled warmth and humidity

Yeast dough rises in any warm place, but evenly only in a controlled environment. A proofing cabinet keeps temperature and humidity stable, so the dough surface doesn't dry out, croissants keep their layers, and each batch proofs as long as the last. That means a predictable schedule: you know when the next tray will be ready for the oven.

Digital cabinets with a water connection are the most convenient day to day: no need to remember to refill the tank, and humidity doesn't drop mid-shift. That is also why water quality matters for them — more on that in the maintenance section.

06Pastry ovens: from mini to large

A pastry oven differs from an ordinary convection oven in three ways: it is designed for 600×400 trays, it has even airflow on every level, and it has the functions dough needs — fan reverse (direction change for even colour) and a humidifier (steam for croissants, bread and puff pastry).

Mini ovens — for starting out and cafés

Compact 3–4 tray ovens with manual control, a 0–60 minute timer and up to 250 °C cost from €599 to €889. A version with humidifier and grill is about €1,079. They suit bake-off, small cake batches and cafés where the oven runs a few hours a day. They can be placed on top of a proofing cabinet to form a compact “tower”.

600×400 pastry line — 4, 6 and 10 trays

Manual control is robust and simple when the range is small and bakers are experienced. The touchscreen pays off when the oven runs several shifts or different people use it: the programme ensures Wednesday evening's croissant is the same as Monday morning's.

Large ovens — the production bakery

Production uses ovens with 16–18 trays and roll-in trolleys: trays are loaded into the trolley at the bench or proofing cabinet, rolled into the oven all at once and wheeled out to cooling after baking. A 16-tray 600×400 oven costs from €7,269 (manual) to €8,179 (touchscreen); an 18-tray large-format model about €16,259. Trolleys cost €509–€589 depending on oven size.

07Complete equipment for the three stages

Below is an equipment set for each stage with indicative prices. Each row links to the relevant category.

08Premises, power and water — what to check before buying

• Electrical capacity. The pastry oven, proofing cabinet and blast chiller are the biggest consumers. Add up the ratings and compare with your connection — a production bakery often needs an upgrade.
• Water connection and filter. An oven with humidifier and a digital proofing cabinet need a water supply. Hard water quickly scales the steam system, so a water filter is essential, not an extra.
• Extraction. Ovens give off heat and steam; they need a steam hood, and with several ovens — make-up air too.
• Door width and trolleys. The large oven and 16-tray trolleys must get into the room and roll to the oven. Check doors, thresholds and turns at planning stage.
• Space for servicing. The technician needs access behind the oven and mixers — a machine built into a niche without clearance has to be pulled out for repair.

09Maintenance: a schedule that extends equipment life

Pastry equipment is durable, but it has common enemies — flour, sugar, fat and limescale. They settle on fans, gaskets and heating elements and gradually reduce efficiency. Regular maintenance costs little; neglected maintenance costs a lot.

10Service and spare parts: keeping production running

In a bakery downtime is especially costly: if the oven stops the night before a big order, there is nothing to deliver in the morning. So when choosing equipment, ask not only about the price but also about what happens when it needs repair.

What we provide

• Service — warranty and post-warranty repair, installation and commissioning, staff training.
• Preventive maintenance — regular scheduled checks to replace worn parts before they fail, not after. A maintenance contract can be adapted to your shifts.
• Spare parts from our warehouse in Riga — the most requested items for pastry equipment are in stock; others are ordered from the manufacturer and delivered across the Baltics and Europe.
• Customer service 24/7 — +371 25 522 233.
• 12-month warranty on professional equipment.

Which parts wear out most often

Tip: a spare oven door gasket and chamber lamp, plus a spare tool set for the mixer, cost a few dozen euros but let you keep working the same day something wears out.

11How we help build a pastry business

12All pastry categories in one place

13Frequently asked questions

Prices are taken from the catalogue in September 2026 and exclude VAT; they may change. Equipment set totals are indicative and do not replace an individual estimate.