There is no reliable “drinks per hour” number from group count alone. Barista speed, grinder dosing, shot recipe, milk steaming, cup handling and order mix usually limit output before the group heads do.
Time the process from ticket to finished drink during a representative rush. If the bottleneck is milk or grinding, adding another group head will not solve it.
For a new shop, model the busiest 15-minute period and the percentage of milk drinks. Then confirm the machine can sustain brew and steam recovery with the planned number of baristas.
For “How Many Drinks per Hour Can a 2-Group Espresso Machine Make?,” these three models give you concrete products to compare against the requirements above, instead of leaving the answer at theory.
Our strongest starting point because its steam capability represents a useful machine type to compare against the workflow and utility requirements above.
A useful second comparison because its semi-automatic design represents a different workflow to compare against the requirements above.
A contrasting third option because its multi-drink platform represents a different machine type to compare against the workflow and utility requirements above.