Which Gas Cylinder For Mobile Coffee Trailer

by Sarah
(surrey)


Which gas cylinder do i need for my mobile coffee trailer

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Apr 30, 2025
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starstarstarstarstar 		Gas Cylinder Mobile Catering
by: MobCater

Great question — choosing the right gas cylinder for your mobile coffee trailer is essential for both safety and efficiency. Here's what you need to consider:

1. Type of Gas:
You’ll need LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) — either:

Propane (most common for mobile catering)

Butane (less common due to poor cold-weather performance)

Use Propane. It works better in outdoor/mobile setups and colder conditions.

Cylinder Size:

This depends on what you’re running (coffee machine, water boiler, griddle, etc.).

Typical sizes used in mobile catering:

13kg Propane – good for small setups or backup

19kg Propane – popular for moderate daily use

47kg Propane – for high-demand setups (usually kept outside in a secure gas cage)

Example: A dual-fuel Fracino coffee machine (LPG + electric) will run well on a 19kg or 47kg propane bottle.

3. Regulator:
Use a 37 mbar propane regulator (standard for mobile catering in the UK). Make sure it matches the cylinder fitting.

4. Storage and Compliance:
Store cylinders outside the trailer in a ventilated gas cage.

Follow UK Gas Safe regulations for installation.

You may need a Gas Safety Certificate (CP44) for council and event compliance.

Here are common LPG appliances in a coffee trailer and their average gas consumption:


Appliance Estimated Gas Use

Dual-fuel Fracino coffee machine - ~0.35–0.5 kg/hour
LPG water boiler (10L–20L)- -~0.3–0.4 kg/hour
LPG griddle (if used) - ~0.5–0.8 kg/hour

Let’s assume you only have a dual-fuel coffee machine running on LPG.

Choose a Cylinder Size

For example, a 19kg propane cylinder.

Estimate Runtime
If your coffee machine uses 0.4 kg/hour, then:

19 kg ÷ 0.4 kg/hour = ~47.5 hours of runtime

So: If you run the machine 5 hours per day, the cylinder would last about 9–10 working days. A 47kg cylinder would last about 117 hours, or roughly 23 working days at 5 hours/day.

Tips:

Its good practice to always carry a spare cylinder. Use a changeover valve if you’re running two bottles to avoid downtime. Track your usage over a few days to fine-tune this estimate.

Just to end:
Use propane gas cylinders, these are normally the orange type, have a look at the Calor gas website for a more detailed description, best of luck, and keep us updated.

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