Ordering a Commercial Coffee Roaster from a Factory: Payment Stages, Lead Time and Pre-Shipment Checks

The order, stage by stage

A factory order for a roaster follows the same shape everywhere. What differs is how well each stage is documented.

1. Specification and quotation. You send capacity, fuel, voltage and phase, country, and any customisation — colour, logo, control options. The factory returns a quotation for a specific model with those parameters fixed. Read it as a build sheet, not a price list: every line on it is what will be manufactured.

2. Proforma invoice and deposit. The proforma repeats the specification, the price, the payment terms, the delivery term (EXW, FOB, CIF and so on) and the lead time. Your deposit against it starts production. This is the document to check hardest, because after the deposit the specification is locked.

3. Production. The machine is built to the proforma. During this stage a good factory sends progress photos — the drum, the body, the panel — without being asked.

4. Pre-shipment check and balance. Before the machine is crated, it is test-run and you are shown that test. On that evidence, the balance is paid.

5. Shipment, customs, delivery. Documents are issued, the machine sails, clears customs in your country, and is delivered. Sea freight and import are covered in our guide to shipping a coffee roaster from China.

6. Installation and commissioning. The machine is placed, connected, seasoned and run. See coffee roaster commissioning and drum seasoning.

Payment stages and what each one should buy

Two-stage bank transfer is the standard for factory orders of this kind. Our own terms are 50% deposit before production and 50% balance before shipment, by bank transfer, with PayPal and letter of credit also accepted. Some factories offer 30/70; the shape is the same.

What matters more than the split is what each payment is tied to.

The deposit should trigger a production confirmation: a written order acknowledgement with the specification and a production start date. If nothing arrives after the deposit, ask for it before doing anything else.

The balance should be tied to evidence, not to a date. The evidence is the pre-shipment test, described below. A factory that asks for the balance before showing you the machine running is asking you to trust a photo of a crate. A factory that shows you the machine running before asking is doing what you would do in its position.

A letter of credit shifts the verification to the banks and suits larger orders where the buyer's finance team prefers documentary control. For a single machine it is often more paperwork than protection; the pre-shipment video does the same job faster.

One more point on payment: keep the specification and the money in the same document. Deposit against a proforma that names the model, fuel, voltage, colour and accessories. Deposit against an email that says "as discussed" and you have no recourse when "as discussed" is remembered differently.

Lead time: realistic figures by machine size

Lead time is where generic advice fails, because it depends entirely on the machine. Small roasters are built quickly; large ones are built to order and take months. Our working figures:

Customisation adds time. A standard colour ships sooner than a custom one; a full-hot-air electric conversion or a custom loader is a separate build line. Ask for the lead time with your exact options, not the catalogue figure.

Then add the rest of the journey. Sea freight on the main routes runs roughly four to six weeks port to port; customs clearance a few days to two weeks depending on the country and the paperwork; inland delivery and installation another week or two. From deposit to first roast, a production roaster typically takes two to five months. Plan your opening date backward from that, and place the order earlier than feels necessary.

Pre-shipment checks: what to ask for before paying the balance

This stage protects the balance payment, and it costs the factory nothing to provide if the machine is genuinely ready.

Ask for, and expect to receive:

• A running video of your machine, not a stock video of the model. The drum turning, the burner lit, the control panel powered, the cooling tray running. If you ordered a colour or a logo, the video should show it.
• Photos of the data plate showing the serial number, voltage, frequency and gas type — so you can confirm they match the proforma before the machine leaves.
• A test roast on your machine where practical, with the profile log. For PLC machines, a screenshot of the control screen mid-roast.
• Packing photos: the machine on its base, wrapped, and in the wooden case, with the case dimensions and gross weight — which you will need for freight and for the delivery route at your end.
• Accessory list photographed against the crate: tool kit, spares, exhaust pipe, gas fittings, manual.

If you want independent eyes, a third-party inspection agency can attend the test run at a modest fee. For a first order from a factory you have not met, it is reasonable. We also welcome customers or their agents at the factory, and we film everything anyway — video is the single most requested thing in our enquiries, and there is no reason to withhold it.

What is included, and what to add

A factory quote for a roaster normally includes the machine, its chaff cyclone, a standard tool kit and spares, and the wooden export case. It normally does not include the flue duct beyond the first section, the gas regulator on the supply side, or the electrical connection.

Ancillary equipment — loader, destoner, afterburner, smoke filter — is quoted separately on smaller machines and as part of a complete set on larger ones. Our 30 kg and larger SD Pro lines ship as roaster, loader, destoner and afterburner together, engineered from a layout drawing. Our guide on when a roastery needs a destoner, loader or afterburner helps decide what to include in the same order rather than retrofit.

Ask about commissioning support. For larger machines in some regions we send an engineer to commission the machine on site — for our SD 20 Pro and above in Southeast Asia, for example, the engineer's time is free and the customer covers local travel and meals. Elsewhere, commissioning is done by video with your installer.

Warranty and after-sales in the same conversation

Settle warranty at order, not at the first fault. Our standard is one year on the complete machine, with extended cover available. Ask three things: what the warranty covers, how spare parts are shipped and how quickly, and who you talk to when something goes wrong. The answers are in our coffee roaster after-sales support article, and they should be in writing on your order too.

The checklist

Before paying the deposit: - Proforma names model, capacity, fuel, voltage and phase, frequency, colour, logo, control level and every accessory. - Delivery term and lead time are stated with your options. - Warranty and payment terms are on the same document.

Before paying the balance: - Running video of your serial-numbered machine, data plate photo, test roast evidence. - Packing photos with case dimensions and gross weight. - Accessory list confirmed against the proforma.

Before the machine arrives: - Site prepared per our installation and voltage guides; delivery route measured; installer booked.

FAQ

What payment terms are normal when buying a coffee roaster from a factory?

A two-stage bank transfer: a deposit to start production and a balance before shipment. Our terms are 50/50; 30/70 is also common. What matters is tying the balance to a pre-shipment test of your specific machine, not to a date, so you pay against evidence.

How long does it take to get a commercial coffee roaster?

Small machines are quoted with a current lead time on the proforma; a 20–60 kg production roaster takes 60–90 working days to build; 120 kg and larger lines take three to six months. Add four to six weeks of sea freight plus customs and installation. From deposit to first roast, plan on two to five months for a production machine.

Should I use a letter of credit for a coffee roaster order?

For a single machine, usually not. A letter of credit adds bank fees and paperwork and verifies documents rather than the machine. A running video, data-plate photo and test roast before the balance give more practical protection. For large multi-machine orders where your finance team requires documentary control, an L/C makes sense.

What should the pre-shipment video show?

Your machine, identified by serial number and colour, running: drum turning, burner lit, panel powered, cooling tray operating. Ideally a test roast with the profile visible. Plus the data plate, the accessories laid out, and the packed crate with dimensions and weight. A stock video of the model is not a pre-shipment check.

Can I visit the factory or send an inspector?

Yes. Buyers and their agents are welcome at the factory, and third-party inspection agencies can attend the test run for a modest fee. For a first order it is a reasonable step. Most customers find the running video sufficient once they have seen one order through.

What is usually not included in a factory quote?

The flue duct beyond the first section, the supply-side gas regulator and pipework, the electrical connection, site installation labour, and — on smaller machines — ancillary equipment such as loaders or smoke filters unless specified. Ask for an itemised list and add what you need to the same order.

Is the deposit refundable if I change the specification?

Once production has started, changes to fuel, voltage, drum or control system usually cannot be absorbed, because those parts are built early. Colour and accessories can sometimes still change. Fix the specification on the proforma before paying, and confirm any change request in writing with the factory's response.

Final Thoughts

A safe factory order is a well-documented one: a proforma that reads like a build sheet, a deposit that triggers a production confirmation, and a balance paid only after you have watched your own machine run. Plan two to five months from deposit to first roast on a production machine. Tell us your specification and country and we will send a proforma you can check line by line — for any commercial coffee roaster in our range.

Request a factory-direct quote or message us on WhatsApp at +86 184 0771 4607.

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