What it draws,
what it costs.
Search for catering equipment specs and you get commercial-kitchen data — three-phase 400V, walk-in chillers, 80 kW cooking zones. None of it applies to a trailer running single-phase off a generator. This is the same information written for the constraint that actually applies: Irish 230V, a 13A or 16A hookup, and whatever your generator can really deliver.
What your supply can actually run
Irish mains is 230V. Multiply by the breaker rating for your ceiling — everything on the trailer has to fit under it at the same moment.
| Supply | Ceiling | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| 13A socket | 2.99 kW | A standard socket or domestic hookup. One serious appliance, not two. |
| 16A commando hookup | 3.68 kW | The most common powered-pitch hookup at Irish markets and festivals. |
| 32A commando hookup | 7.36 kW | A large hookup. Available at some festivals, rarely on a casual trading bay. |
Generators: kVA is not kW
Generators are sold in kVA, appliances are rated in kW, and the two differ by the power factor — typically 0.8. Sizing off the number on the label is the most common and most expensive mistake in trailer power.
| Rated | Usable | Realistically suits |
|---|---|---|
| 2.2 kVA | 1.8 kW | A coffee trailer with a 1-group machine and a grinder, and nothing else. |
| 3.5 kVA | 2.8 kW | A coffee trailer with a 1-group machine, grinder and an under-counter fridge. |
| 5 kVA | 4 kW | A 2-group coffee setup, or a food trailer where the cooking is all LPG. |
| 7 kVA | 5.6 kW | A food trailer with LPG cooking plus refrigeration, lighting and a water heater. |
| 10 kVA | 8 kW | A larger unit, or one running any electric cooking. Heavy, thirsty and loud — avoid if LPG will do the heat. |
Then add 30–40% headroom on top for motor startup surge. A fridge compressor or grinder draws several times its running figure for a fraction of a second, and two starting together is what trips a generator whose running totals looked fine.
Electrical load by appliance
Ranges across models commonly sold into the Irish trailer trade — always read the rating plate on the actual unit. Items marked surge have a motor that draws well above the running figure on startup. Gas appliances are not in this table: they are rated in kW thermal and draw no meaningful electricity, so they never belong in a generator calculation.
| Appliance | Running load | Startup |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial espresso machine | 2000–5000 W | — |
| Hot water boiler | 1500–3000 W | — |
| Trailer water system | 50–3000 W | — |
| Bain marie / hot holding | 1200–2500 W | — |
| Ice maker | 300–800 W | Surge on start |
| Extraction canopy | 150–750 W | Surge on start |
| Commercial coffee grinder | 250–700 W | Surge on start |
| Under-counter refrigeration | 150–400 W | Surge on start |
| Chest freezer | 100–300 W | Surge on start |
Every item
Coffee equipment
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How do I work out what generator a food trailer needs?
Total the running wattage of everything electrical, add 30–40% for motor startup surge, then buy the next size up. Remember that generators are rated in kVA and appliances in kW: at a typical 0.8 power factor a 3.5 kVA generator delivers about 2.8 kW usable, not 3.5 kW. Sizing off the kVA figure is the most common mistake in trailer power.
What can a 13A socket run in a food trailer?
About 2.99 kW at Irish 230V, which is one serious appliance and not two. A 1-group espresso machine at 2.5 kW leaves almost nothing for a grinder or fridge. A 16A commando hookup gives 3.68 kW and is the realistic floor for anything beyond a single appliance.
Why do Irish food trailers cook on gas rather than electricity?
Arithmetic. A single-tank electric fryer draws 2.8–3.5 kW — most of a 13A supply for one appliance — while an LPG fryer does the same job on gas and costs nothing from the electrical budget. Running electric cooking would need a 10 kVA-plus generator, which is heavy, thirsty and too loud for most pitches. Gas does the heat, electric does the cold and the coffee.
Can I add a gas appliance's kW rating to my electrical load?
No, and doing so is why people buy generators twice the size they need. A gas appliance is rated in kW thermal, which is heat output from burning LPG. It draws no meaningful electricity. Only electrical loads belong in a generator calculation.
Why does my generator trip when nothing has changed?
Almost always motor startup surge. A fridge compressor or grinder motor draws several times its running figure for a fraction of a second, and when two start at the same moment the combined spike exceeds the generator even though the running totals are fine. Size with headroom and stagger your loads rather than totalling the running figures.