What does the machine actually do after a customer orders?

Ask the supplier to describe the complete sequence in plain language. Does the machine mix or form dough, apply ingredients, bake and dispense? Does it store a prepared refrigerated pizza and bake it? Or does it heat a frozen product? The answer determines the food-production workflow, labour requirement, ingredient controls and the type of customer promise you can honestly make.

Do not rely on labels such as “fresh,” “automatic” or “smart” without a process explanation. Ask for a video of the exact generation and configuration, not a promotional video of an older model.

What food format is stored inside the machine?

Confirm whether the machine holds flour and individual ingredients, refrigerated dough, assembled chilled pizzas or frozen pizzas. Then ask who prepares the food, where it is produced, how it is transported and how stock rotation is managed.

This is not a minor operational detail. A central kitchen supplying prepared pizzas needs a different process from a machine using individual ingredients. The correct choice depends on the operator’s food-production capability, replenishment frequency, cold-chain plan and menu strategy. The Fresh vs Frozen comparison explains the main trade-offs.

Which pizza dimensions, weights, crusts and packaging are compatible?

Ask for the maximum and recommended pizza diameter, total weight, product height, crust profile, tray or box dimensions and any limits created by the elevator, conveyor, storage rack or oven opening. A machine that accepts a 30-centimetre pizza in theory may not achieve its advertised capacity when the packaging is unusually thick.

Where prepared pizzas are used, request a product-compatibility test before final configuration. Where a fresh-dough workflow is used, confirm flour, hydration, topping texture and portion limits. The quoted capacity should state the packaging assumption behind the number.

What is the complete service time—and what happens during a queue?

A quoted “three-minute pizza” may describe oven time rather than the entire customer journey. Confirm payment authorisation, product retrieval, preparation, baking, packaging, dispensing and the reset period before the next order.

Ask whether the machine processes only one order at a time, stages the next order or uses more than one oven. A site with short, concentrated demand peaks may need higher throughput even when its total daily sales are moderate. Calculate peak-hour capacity rather than relying only on daily capacity.

Who is responsible for recipe validation, allergens and food safety?

The operator remains responsible for the food business and the products sold, even when the machine automates storage and cooking. Ask what recipe testing, temperature validation, cleaning instructions and allergen-display functions are available, and which duties remain with the buyer.

EU food-business operators must plan hygiene controls appropriate to their process. The official Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on food hygiene establishes general hygiene responsibilities, while Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 covers food information supplied to consumers, including allergens. Local registration and enforcement requirements still need country-specific confirmation.

Use the Vendo Pizza food-safety planning guide to organise the operator side of the project.

What are the exact dimensions and weight of the finished machine?

Request height, width and depth in one stated order, plus packed dimensions and gross shipping weight. Confirm whether measurements include roof modules, payment-terminal projections, advertising screens, ventilation ducts or open service doors.

Ask the supplier to identify the model code on the technical sheet and quotation. When several capacities share a visual design, do not assume they have the same footprint or weight.

What voltage, frequency, phase, current and power are required?

Do not accept “European voltage” as a complete answer. Ask for nominal voltage, frequency, single-phase or three-phase supply, rated power, maximum or peak power, maximum current, recommended protective device and connection method.

Confirm whether the payment terminal, refrigeration system, oven and auxiliary heating are included in the stated electrical load. The site electrician should size the circuit from the model-specific documentation and local installation rules.

EU electrical conformity can involve several legal frameworks. Official background sources include the European Commission’s Low Voltage Directive guidance and Electromagnetic Compatibility guidance.

Does the machine need ventilation, water, drainage or other utilities?

Ask whether heat is rejected into the room, whether extraction or minimum ventilation is required and what clearances are needed around air intakes. Confirm whether a water inlet, internal reservoir, drain connection, condensate route or waste container is used.

Utility requirements can vary between true fresh-dough and stock-and-bake systems. A model that does not require permanent water may still need the operator to refill a food-grade reservoir. Ask how frequently and how cleaning is handled.

Which major components and consumables does the configuration use?

Identify the oven technology, refrigeration system, refrigerant, touchscreen, industrial controller, payment interface, modem, sensors, motors and dispensing mechanism. Ask which components are proprietary and which can be sourced through established service channels.

Also request a consumables list: trays, boxes, labels, filters, cleaning products, food-contact parts and any periodic replacement items. A low machine price can be offset by expensive proprietary consumables or limited parts availability.

How will the machine be tested before shipment and accepted after installation?

Agree on factory testing before the machine is packed. The check should cover electrical operation, refrigeration, oven cycle, dispensing, touchscreen, payments, connectivity, alarms and the intended product format. Ask whether photos, video, test records or a remote factory-acceptance session will be provided.

Define what constitutes acceptance after installation. A machine should not be considered successfully delivered merely because the crate reached the site. Clarify commissioning, payment activation, test transactions, product calibration and issue reporting.

Which CE and technical documents will be supplied for the exact machine?

Ask for the EU Declaration of Conformity or applicable declaration for the finished model, together with model identification, manufacturer details, applicable legislation, referenced standards, instructions and technical information needed for installation and safe use. A CE mark on the cabinet is not the complete evidence package.

For machinery placed on the EU market in 2026, Directive 2006/42/EC remains the current machinery framework; Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027. The official EU-OSHA Machinery Directive overview explains the transition. The European Commission also provides official CE-marking guidance.

Use the Vendo Pizza certifications and compliance guide to identify common document checks.

What installation, commissioning and training are included?

Separate delivery from installation. Clarify unloading, positioning, assembly, electrical connection, network connection, payment activation, software setup, levelling, product calibration, test transactions and operator training.

Ask whether training is remote or on site, how many people can attend, which language is used and whether a recording or written operating procedure is supplied. If a local contractor performs the installation, define who supervises and signs off the work.

What exactly does the warranty cover—and what can invalidate it?

Request the complete warranty before purchase. Check the start date, duration, covered parts, labour, travel, remote diagnosis, shipping of parts, consumables, exclusions and the process for reporting a fault.

Confirm whether incorrect installation, unstable power, unauthorised modifications, outdoor exposure, cleaning failures or missed preventive maintenance can affect coverage. Ask who pays the cost of returning a major component and whether replacement parts become the buyer’s property.

Review the current Vendo Pizza warranty coverage information, while treating the accepted warranty document for the ordered model as controlling.

How are spare parts, remote support and on-site service handled?

Ask which spare parts are stocked, where they are held, typical dispatch times and whether the buyer should purchase a commissioning spares kit. Identify the remote-support hours, issue-priority system and the information needed to open a case.

Do not assume “Europe-wide support” means a technician is available locally in every country. Ask for the actual arrangement at the delivery destination: remote diagnosis, buyer’s technician, contracted service partner or supplier visit. The Vendo Pizza support centre explains the areas that should be confirmed.

What must appear in the final quotation and sales contract?

The quotation should identify the legal seller and buyer, exact model, capacity, food workflow, indoor or outdoor configuration, voltage package, payment equipment, connectivity, branding, documents, warranty, training, packing, delivery basis, price, VAT treatment, payment schedule, lead time and validity period.

Clarify the delivery rule and the point at which risk and cost transfer. The official ICC Incoterms rules provide the recognised framework used in international sale contracts, but the exact named rule and place must be written correctly.

For equipment entering the EU from outside the Union, establish who acts as importer, who completes customs clearance and who bears import VAT, duties and destination charges. EU guidance states that an EORI number is mandatory for customs operations. Your Europe explains that a business buying goods from outside the EU generally pays VAT at import and can usually deduct it later when the relevant conditions are met. See the official cross-border VAT guidance.

Use the Vendo Pizza European price and project-cost guide to compare the machine price with the complete operating-ready budget.