Mobile Kitchen Equipment Calculator

This calculator estimates a full commercial kitchen build from your menu concept rather than requiring you to price out individual equipment items yourself. Every truck starts from a fixed base of required infrastructure — prep surfaces, a hand sink, a three-compartment sink, a fire suppression system, a ventilation hood, a commercial generator, and a POS system — that adds up regardless of what you cook. On top of that, cooking equipment (flat-top grill, deep fryer, steam table) is added only if you select it, and menu complexity adds further cooking equipment: a mid-complexity menu (level 2, sandwiches/burgers) adds a flat $1,500 for extra burners or a plancha, while a complex menu (level 3, specialty items) adds a further $2,500 on top of that for things like a pizza oven or smoker. Refrigeration is priced per unit at $1,500 each, and smallwares (pans, utensils, containers) scale with complexity.

All of that sums to a new-equipment total, which gets a 45% discount applied if you choose to buy used (reflecting typical 40-60% savings on secondhand commercial equipment), then adds a 17% installation and fitting charge — covering gas/electric hookup and professional mounting — for the grand total. Treat the buy-used toggle carefully: the 45% savings assumes functional, well-maintained used equipment, and used gear typically carries no warranty and a higher chance of near-term repair costs — which is why the calculator separately estimates annual maintenance at 5% of equipment cost, and that figure likely runs higher on an all-used build. This tool prices equipment and installation only; it excludes the truck itself, kitchen build-out labor beyond equipment fitting, and permits, so pair it with the startup cost and permit cost calculators for the complete picture of what you need before opening.