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Plan on opening your dream restaurant?
Then you are probably wondering what commercial kitchen equipment you need to buy to ensure that your dishes come out consistently tasting delicious.
While every cuisine requires specialized equipment and supplies to prepare it, there is essential equipment that every commercial kitchen should get right from day 1.
Here are the 5 essential equipment to include in any kitchen.
1. Refrigeration
Needless to say, choosing the right commercial refrigerator is a necessity to run any restaurant. This is an important piece of kitchen equipment because not only does it store food, it is also responsible for preserving its freshness. General refrigeration equipment includes a fridge and a freezer.
In a commercial kitchen, there are several types of refrigeration equipment available. Walk-in fridges and freezers are the most familiar type. Since they are bigger in size and capacity, these are generally appropriate for larger restaurants and those with larger menus. For example, a restaurant, such as a buffet, would need a walk-in fridge while a small bakery, such as Lady M, would only need a countertop or under-counter fridge.
Another option is freestanding refrigerators, refrigerators that are large but not built-in or walk-in. These are more appropriate for small and medium-sized restaurants and menus. They do not take up much room, can be cheaper than building and installing a walk-in, and can be moved around to adjust kitchen layouts.
A third option is smaller refrigerators that can be placed under the counter for easy reach. These smaller refrigerators, such as the ones manufactured by True, are called under-counter refrigerators. These types of fridges and freezers are perfect for a grab and go, such as adding final touches to dishes on the prep counter that is ready to go out. The smaller refrigerators are space friendly as they go under counters, much cheaper than larger fridges, easy to move around, and perfect for small cafes and dessert shops.
2. Cooking Equipment
The dishes you craft are only as good as the cooking equipment used to prepare them.
Cooking equipment is fundamental to every kitchen despite the type of cuisine. The typical layout for a kitchen includes ovens, ranges, or stoves. Cooking food can range from baking, frying, sauteing, grilling, steaming, and more. To do this, the proper cooking equipment is needed. An oven is needed for baking, stoves are needed for sauteing and steaming, and ranges are used for grilling.
Additional cooking equipment may include fryers like Perfect Fry, steamers/steam tables like Duke Manufacturing, heating stations, microwave ovens, toasters/toaster ovens like Antunes, broilers like Wells, griddles like Imperial, and more. This is where depending on the cuisine of the restaurant, some cooking equipment may be needed while others aren’t.
For example, operating a Panda Express would require a variety of Asian cooking equipment such as fryers, steamers, woks and wok ladles. However, a restaurant like Pieology would not need fryers, steamers, toasters, and others. Rather, they just need a countertop prep table, like Randell pizza tables, to hold all of their ingredients, dough presses, and a pizza oven, along with pizza cutters and pizza peels, such as Update International. Bakers Pride is a manufacturer of pizza ovens, ones that restaurants like Pieology would use.
3. Prep Equipment
An underrated category of equipment that deserves much more recognition is the prep equipment that prepares the food before and after it is cooked.
Prior to the cooking stage, equipment is needed to prep the food. This includes cutting boards, knives, slicers, preparation sinks, portion scales, meat grinders, and more.
During the cooking stage, the prep equipment needed includes spatulas, ladles, tongs, can openers, blenders, whisks, and more. Once the food is cooked, the plating stage is next. When it comes to plating, the prep equipment needed includes prep counters that hold plates to plate the food. Spoons, spatulas, and other smallwares are needed to neatly plate the food, sauces and all. Afterwards, heating stations and countertops are needed to put final touches, wipe off anything that is unnecessary, add side orders, and keep the food warm.
4. Cleaning Equipment
No one likes cleaning, but when it comes to having a restaurant, no one likes going to a filthy and messy restaurant. In fact, cleanliness is an attribute that keeps customers coming because a clean restaurant brings comfort and ease, and of course, looks pleasing.
As a restaurant owner, having the proper cleaning equipment is important to keep your restaurant looking inviting. Most standard commercial kitchens have a commercial dishwasher that allows restaurants to wash dishes in bulk and efficiently. Other necessary cleaning equipment includes having cleaning solutions, gloves, mops, brooms, and more.
Another type of cleaning equipment that is just as essential are hand-washing stations. This includes having soap dispensaries, paper towel dispensaries, and sink cleaning supplies. On another note, don’t forget the importance of trash cans as they equally help keep areas clean and organized.
5. Safety Equipment
One thing many restaurant owners overlook yet is equally as important as the equipment needed to prep, cook, and store the food is the equipment that provides safety. Having proper safety equipment allows restaurants to function smoothly, avoid injury and complications, and help guarantee an A score on your next Inspections check-up.
Safety equipment in a restaurant ranges from equipment relating to cooking and equipment related to the restaurant as a whole. The safety equipment relating to cooking include items like oven mitts, arm guards, potholders, first aid kits, various gloves for dishwashing, cutting, and other tasks, and aprons. The safety equipment relating to the kitchen and other areas of the restaurant include a fire extinguisher, caution signs, slip-resistant mats, and emergency lights and signs.
Impact on Your Restaurant’s Success
Remember that your restaurant is only as good as its kitchen, so it is important to invest in the equipment and supplies that boost your restaurant’s quality and productivity. An efficient kitchen provides a seamless flow from the order to the serving stage and helps you satisfy more customers and keeps them coming back.
Whether you are just starting a restaurant or reconsidering your current restaurant design, these five essential commercial kitchen equipment can help you make the necessary adjustments needed for a seamless kitchen that will increase the efficiency, consistency, and productivity of your kitchen. Faster cooking times, consistent looking and tasting food, and very few mistakes are guaranteed to attract more customers and keep them coming back.
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