KOT machine, KOT printer or KOT software — what does a small restaurant actually need?

A Kitchen Order Ticket is the slip that goes to the kitchen when a table orders: the table, the round, each dish with its quantity and any note ("less spicy", "no onion"), and no prices. It exists so that what the guest asked for and what the cook makes are the same list, written once. Before it, the waiter shouts across the pass and the argument at billing time is about what was actually ordered.

Every round is a new ticket. A table that orders starters, then mains, then dessert fires three KOTs. The KOT tells the kitchen what to cook; the guest bill separately records prices, discounts, configured taxes and payment. They come from the same order, but they do different jobs.

A seller may use "KOT machine" for a billing device, a printer or a device-and-software bundle. Ask what the quote includes and see the exact model take an order, send a kitchen ticket and print a bill before you pay.

Hardware prices vary by model and seller. Get a current quote and check the printer width and connection before paying. Start with the thermal printer buying guide.

Compare the whole setup, including hardware, subscription, taxes and support. A printer alone does not take orders. A billing device may already include software, so compare its demonstrated features with the work your restaurant needs.

Use the desktop setup if you want to run the Desktop App on a laptop, or the Android setup if you want the phone to run the counter. Decide which device takes waiter orders and which device prints the bill before choosing a printer.

Desktop download and setup · Android phone counter setup · Waiter-phone ordering

• Check the device first. Use the download page to check the current desktop requirements before installing. Try the Desktop App on your own laptop.
• One compatible thermal printer. A configured counter printer can print KOTs and bills. If you want a separate kitchen printer, check its exact model, connection and setup too.
• The Desktop App. Sign up, download, type the printer's address or let the Desktop App find it, print the test slip. The printer guide is the two-minute version; the kitchen printer guide is how you name one printer for KOTs and another for bills.

No laptop either? One Android phone and a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi thermal printer is a complete billing setup: it takes the order, prints the KOT and the GST bill, runs the cash box. The phone billing page covers it.

You can use a kitchen screen instead of paper KOTs. Set it up on a compatible device, check the connection, send a test order and mark its ticket complete. A spare screen does not mean every old device will work. The desktop Kitchen view needs a supported computer or browser display connected to the powered Desktop App on its configured local network. It shows every fired ticket as a card with a timer; the cook taps Bump when it is done. A separate Android phone in the Chef role shows all open tickets and uses Done. It can receive new tickets from a configured desktop hub over the LAN or through online cloud sync. In a phone-only store, the counter phone does not host an offline phone-to-phone KDS feed, so the separate Chef phone needs internet for new tickets.

The screen and the printer are not either/or. A printer at the pass for the paper trail and a screen for the line is a common shape; EasyKOT sends the same ticket to both. The kitchen display page has the detail: timers, the prep lane, what the cook sees on a phone.

Once the kitchen is more than one corner, a single ticket with everything on it is the wrong ticket: the tandoor wants the kebabs and the naan, the wok wants the Chinese, the bar wants the lassi. In the dashboard you tell each category which station cooks it, and a fired round splits itself: the tandoor gets only its lines, no second KOT number, nothing to explain to anyone. The guide is kitchen stations setup.

For ordering at the table, use the captain app. Kitchen delivery needs a working connection. Check the kitchen status on the phone; saving the order alone does not confirm delivery.

EasyKOT costs ₹299 + GST a month; hardware is purchased separately. Check the setup on your own devices before using it during service.