How Much LPG Gas would I use up in a day?

by Charlie
(London)

A converted Mercedes Sprinter mobile coffee van with the serving hatch open.

A converted Mercedes Sprinter mobile coffee van with the serving hatch open.

Hi David,

I'm in the midst of putting together my business plan for a coffee and sandwich van, I think powering it of a LPG generator would be the most efficient and cost effective source of energy. How much LPG gas do you think I would use in a day taking in mind that my equipment consists of;

Contact grill/ panini press
Group 2 coffee Machine
Fridge
Lights
Laptop
Till
Card Machine
Boiler
Usb speaker system

Look forward to hearing back from you.

Charlie

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Apr 20, 2026
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starstarstarstarstar 		You do not need a generator — run a coffee van direct on LPG
by: MobCater

Hi Charlie,

Quick reframe before I answer the gas usage question, because I think you have got the architecture wrong and that will save you a lot of money and hassle.

You do not need an LPG generator. For a coffee and sandwich van you can run the heavy equipment directly off LPG, with a small 12V leisure battery handling the low-power bits. That is the standard setup for coffee vans and it is far simpler, quieter and cheaper than a generator.

What runs on LPG (no electricity needed)

- Group 2 espresso coffee machine — LPG version: these exist and are very popular for coffee vans. Same machine, gas heating element instead of electric. No big electrical draw, no warm-up tripping the generator.
- Contact grill / panini press — LPG version: commercial gas griddles and gas panini presses are widely available
- Water boiler: a standard propane Burco-style boiler does the job for hot water and tea

That is your three biggest power draws gone.

What runs on a small 12V leisure battery + inverter

- Fridge (look for a low-draw 12V compressor model)
- Lights (12V LED strips)
- Laptop, till, card machine, USB speakers

Total draw for that lot is tiny. A 110Ah leisure battery charged from the van engine (or topped up by a small solar panel) will run it all day. A reader of mine uses 12V LED lights with a leisure battery and solar panel — free lighting that charges itself while driving.

So how much LPG will you actually burn in a day?

For your three main bits of LPG equipment running through a typical 8-hour trading day:

- LPG espresso machine: ~0.3–0.5 kg/hr while pulling shots, less idling
- Gas griddle/panini press: ~0.3–0.6 kg/hr depending on use
- Gas water boiler: ~0.2–0.3 kg/hr

Over a full trading day you are looking at roughly 4–8 kg of propane, depending on how busy you are. That is well under half of a 19 kg propane bottle, so one bottle should comfortably do you 2–3 days.

Carry a spare cylinder. The day you run out mid-rush is the day you remember to.

Why not the generator route?

A 5kVA LPG generator would burn 12–20 kg of LPG a day to make the electricity to heat the same equipment that LPG could heat directly. You are paying twice — once for the generator, once for the inefficiency of converting gas to electricity to heat. Plus the generator needs annual servicing and adds noise.

Generators make sense for fish and chip vans, full kitchens, ice cream vans with motors and other setups where the equipment HAS to be electric. For a coffee van, go LPG direct.

One important safety note

Any LPG installation must comply with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Get a Gas Safe registered engineer to certify the setup, get an annual gas safety inspection, and make sure cylinders are stored properly with ventilation. Without a current certificate your insurance is void and the EHO will shut you down.

Disclaimer: Gas usage figures are approximate and depend on equipment, load and operating conditions. Always follow the manufacturer's specifications and have your installation certified by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Try the free MobCater App — there is a Generator Setup Helper if you do go down the generator route, and a startup checklist for getting your gas certification in order: https://app.mobcater.co.uk

David

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