The Essential Equipment For Your Commercial Kitchen in 2021
Some very interesting restaurant statistics, just for you.
Did you know that in the USA …
When opening a restaurant, you are not only opening a business, you are also creating a unique space where you can give your patrons a great experience. You need fantastic service, exciting food, state of the art design, but most importantly you have the responsibility of providing a safe environment for your diners with regards to food safety and cross-contamination.
Choosing the right design plan and layout for your kitchen is probably a problem that many entrepreneurs have, when starting a new restaurant business. It is also the biggest investment of any restaurant owner /any restaurant owner can make.
Unfortunately, or fortunately for some, the vast majority of patrons will never set foot in your kitchen.
Of course, you know how to cook, you’re a chef or a restaurant owner, aren’t you? You’ve hit the big time and want to start your own restaurant.
Yes and you know a few things about kitchen appliances. Great!
You also want to design your own commercial kitchen or you want to renovate and revamp without spending too much money.
The key element is to plan your kitchen design effectively. Place and plan it on blueprint software, if you have, or get an architect or designer to help you with the initial stages. Planning is of utmost importance.
Do you know how to design an effectively, well laid out kitchen?
Basically what the average man on the street knows about commercial kitchens, is what we have seen in action movies, when they start running through silver kitchens shooting guns and toting knives, all the while making lots of noise, simultaneously trying to break all the stainless steel they can find.
Modern Commercial Kitchens
Back in the day, when designing a kitchen, you needed to satisfy the needs of the chef, but times they are a-changing! Not only the chef has a say about a new kitchen. Other aspects need to be taken into consideration as well.
Below, are some tips on how to make your kitchen more environmentally-friendly.
Going Green Commercial Kitchen Tips
Characteristics of a good commercial kitchen
A good commercial kitchen should be:
When choosing commercial kitchen equipment, remember the following: ALWAYS CHOOSE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT,. i.e. HEAVY DUTY!
An effective commercial kitchen should have the following areas:
The Cleaning Area
The ideal equipment for the cleaning area is as follows:
The Storage Area
An often overlooked crucial part of a well-designed kitchen. The area can be split into 3 different storage areas.
Fridges and freezers are extremely important.
Temperatures to Subzero!
Cold Storage
Good quality fridges and freezers are imperative in a commercial kitchen. Temperatures should be able to go to below freezing for a freezer and ambient temperature for a fridge. Fridges should include elite extras like air purification systems and a vacuum seal to keep food fresher for longer.
Waste not, want not.
These great appliances can be under counter or countertop, if space is a problem for smaller kitchens and restaurants or walk-in, but within easy reach of a chef’s island or cooking top.
The range starts from smaller under-counter units, right up to walk-in cooler rooms for larger restaurants. Don’t worry if you think you might not need a larger fridge to start, invest in a larger one than required, your restaurant business will soon grow into the new fridge.
It is essential that you choose a good quality fridge as well as freezer that might cost more in the beginning, but by choosing a good brand name, you can ensure that your refrigeration needs are taken care of for the period of the warranty. The reason for this is that kitchens are very hot spaces so ensure your refrigeration is effective. The guys at ckitchen.com have an excellent range of fridges, ranging from walk-in to undercounter. They are also extremely talented in kitchen design and can help you at the press of a button.
Looking for a commercial ice machine? Always having plenty of ice on hand is absolutely essential. Invest in a commercial, heavy duty ice machine - one that is always ready to provide. There is an extremely wide variety of ice machines, categorized into three different types of cooling, air-cooled, water-cooled or remote cooled, depending on your needs and budget. If your budget permits, it is essential that any green restaurateur purchases an air cooled ice maker. They are extremely easy to install and require only fans and vents instead of invasive installations of piping and water lines. They can also easily be moved. A win-win situation in my eyes.
Dry Storage
Use for storing any dry ingredients in ambient temperatures.
Shelves
Should be close to the door for waiters to quickly drop off dirty dishes and for chefs to find clean dishes quickly.
Food Preparation Area
The Food preparation area is one of the most important zones in a kitchen and should be ergonomically designed, i.e. the staff and chef should have everything at their fingertips, without moving about too much.
There are many appliances that you can purchase to equip your food prep area and I have included a list below, depending on the size of your restaurant. Remember: Your chef will know exactly which pieces of equipment he or she needs - listen to your chef.
Slicers | |
Commercial Bread Slicers Choose between countertop and Freestanding | Cheese Cutters and Graters Choose between handheld or electric, freestanding units |
Commercial Electric Slicers Meat slicers, commercial heavy duty - safety is key! | Commercial Manual Slicers Flywheel slicers - large variety to choose from. |
Fruit and Vegetable Preparation | |
Fruit and Veg Slicers Depending on the size of your kitchen, ckitchen,com has many units to choose from. | Salad and Vegetable Dryers Excellent quality designed appliances, at discounted prices. |
Vegetable Peelers Potato peelers, pineapple peelers, manual peelers galore! | Vegetable Cutters Choose from a wide variety of cutters. |
Meat Preparation | |
Meat and seafood can often be difficult to prepare, but if you have the right, heavy duty equipment, it could turn into a breeze. Choose between various machines: meat saws, meat grinders and meat tenderizers. | |
Dough Preparation | |
Make sure your kitchen is properly fitted and prepared for anything that your restaurant throws at it. Choose between spiral dough mixers, planetary mixers, dough sheeters, dough dividers and rounders, dough cutters and scrapers, etc. | |
Commercial Blenders | |
Ensure your blender can handle the volume of your restaurant. Depending on the needs of your restaurant, choose between food blenders, bar blenders and handheld immersible blenders. Choose heavy duty! | |
Scales | |
Lost for choice with this excellent range! Choose from hanging, digital, dial and label printing scales. | |
Food Processors | |
Get the lowdown on food processors from your chef. Choose between: Continuous Feed Batch Bowl Food Cutter with Hub - food processors. | |
Vacuum Packaging | |
| Probably the next best thing since sliced bread is a vacuum packaging machine. It seals out the air, which makes food last much longer. In any kitchen - commercial or home - one cannot be without a vacuum sealer. | |
Manual Food Preparation Equipment | |
There are various manual preparation tools on the market and they all depend on your chef. Some chefs prefer to manually prepare some kinds of food. Once again - ask your chef before purchasing any manual equipment. Choose from a wide range of Manual Tenderizers, French Fry Cutters, Manual Vegetable Peelers. | |
Meal Cooking Area
Now we’re cooking with gas!
A gas cook range that has been installed and operates effectively is the heart of the kitchen. Nobody wants to struggle to get food cooked when they work in a busy restaurant, as I’m sure any good chef will know.
Choose heavy duty cookers and stoves for commercial kitchens with a lot of traffic because chances are, you’re going to need it. There is a gargantuan range of heavy duty gas stoves and cookers to choose from. Be kind to the environment and kind to your chef and install gas if space permits. Gas gives instant heat, while electrical appliances like stoves would still need to warm up, wasting time you might not have.
Service Area
Worktops, surfaces and chef stations
You can purchase stations and worktops that double up as chef’s stations or ‘workstations’ to begin with and have a communal ‘work station’ as well, when all your chefs and assistants need to work together, side by side. The more dedicated stations you have, the better your kitchen will function and flow.
It’s essential that you also have dedicated space, like tables for dishes, plenty of shelves for storage and well-designed cooker top placement is essential in an effective kitchen.
Worktops and surfaces needs to be easy to clean and preferably, constructed of stainless steel. Shelves can be added beneath the surfaces for extra storage space. Include plenty of space for multiple kitchen staff to stand around a single island to cook at, at the same time, or give each one their own station. You may want to accomplish this more easily by leaving the kitchen designed as an open plan floor, with islands placed in strategic places.
In conclusion, kitchen placement and the workflow plan is the most important element of the whole kitchen. If your kitchen doesn’t work, your restaurant won’t either. 30%-40% of a restaurant’s total space should be allocated to the kitchen alone. Don’t skimp on the size, quality or the equipment that you purchase for your kitchen.
Traditionally, restaurants have created clear boundaries between the front- and back-of-house operations by separating the kitchen from dining area. Consider bringing your closed-system kitchen out to the forefront and on display in your restaurant.
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Many operators choose to purchase meats in bulk to save on costs. While this can save money, the reality is that you will need to invest in specialty equipment in order to get the meat from bulk form into succulent tenderloins, ground burgers, or thick filets. Here are a few of our favorites from CKitchen.
Sound matters in a dining experience, and having noise clutter in the dining area can be offputting for guests. With baby boomers seeking an experience of cuisine, service, and ambiance, it pays to make the changes to reduce noise in your restaurant.
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While every restaurant or commercial eatery knows the importance of getting customers to come in, sit down, relax and enjoy the atmosphere, we also must not overlook another segment of business that has very low overhead and the possibility for an added revenue stream with high profitability.
Chef uniforms exude professionalism while serving the purpose of protecting the wearer as well as your customers, and they’re an essential piece of protective wear for food safety purposes as well. As an operative tool in any kitchen, you should know the true purpose of each piece as well as the dos and don’ts in regards to your chef’s uniforms.
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Chef uniforms exude professionalism while serving the purpose of protecting the wearer as well as your customers. As an operative tool in any kitchen, you should know the true purpose of each piece as well as the dos and don'ts in regards to your chef’s uniforms.
With new considerations that come into play, you will have to retrofit your operation to accommodate the new set of rules and expectations. What are restaurant operators doing to reopen safely?
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Breakfast buffets can be similar to a catering lineup, and many of the pieces of equipment you’d use on a regular basis either in your everyday food preparations or catering can be used for breakfast as well. But breakfast brings with it a few special demands in your equipment.
Food freshness is the foundation of food quality in any foodservice operation. Being able to store and preserve your ingredients properly maximizes the shelf life and minimizes food waste. Freezing is an easy and convenient way to preserve your inventory at its optimal quality. However, it is important that you have the right tools in order to do so.
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Blenders are used around the commercial kitchen to create a variety of dishes and menu items. From smoothies to sauces, blenders are a great tool for spicing up your menu and improving customer satisfaction.
Investing in kitchen equipment can be costly, and many try to stretch their pennies when it comes to deciding what to get. When choosing between gas and electric equipment, there are more factors than just cost that can affect your restaurant! Knowing the differences between gas and electric equipment for your kitchen can help you make an informed decision in purchasing foodservice appliances.
When it comes to cooking pasta consistently and precisely, a pasta cooker is a must-have! If you’re looking for an efficient appliance with reliability when cooking pasta, a specialized pasta cooker might be right for you!
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For small business owners, opening a new restaurant can be a financially daunting task. There are a variety of small business lease options to help you and your business afford quality, name-brand equipment to support your kitchen operations.
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Waste management is a fact of life for any restaurant kitchen. Take a look at your waste management plan and we’ll uncover some of the hidden costs you may be missing.
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When it comes to specialty broilers, those with light broiling needs may find themselves faced with confusion. Cheese melters and salamander broilers are both great finishing tools for those who need to melt items at low temperatures over fully-cooked products. So what’s the big difference?
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Your profits are dependent on how you market your product, and how you display your products can make or break a sale. Display cases come in many options, and choosing the correct case for your restaurant is key to maximizing your potential profits!
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When it comes to upgrading and updating your restaurant, your focus should be on money generation. A general rule of thumb to follow is that, while you will want to spend money to make money, you’ll want to spend the least amount possible while getting the most bang for your buck! Capitalizing on your current customers can be a great way to increase the cash flow of your restaurant, and an easy way to grab their attention is with an appropriate display case. Investing in display cases is a great way to increase revenue by tapping into impulse buys.
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The equipment you choose to outfit your foodservice establishment with is typically tailored to your customers’ demands and needs. Many times, owners overlook the needs of their own workers and the role that their equipment plays in it!
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Here are a few pointers to keep in mind about the effects of the equipment you choose on the food you prepare and how it can influence your profits.
As a food and beverage professional, you know just how vital a clean commercial kitchen is. That’s why knowing how to clean kitchen sinks is an essential part of any kitchen staff’s training. Sure, while cleaning a kitchen sink doesn’t seem like rocket science. Extra precautions need to be taken when you work in an industry that prepares and serves food to the general public.
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Your refrigeration unit is a focal point in your kitchen, but in addition to your walk-in or reach-in unit, there are several types of specialty refrigerations units to consider.
There are many different ways to cook food, but the basic process involves applying high levels of heat to a raw product in order to change the chemistry of the item. In most cases the heat is transferred through a medium of some kind, like an oil or boiling water, but there is another method of cooking that is common, especially in health restaurants, steam.
Steaming is generally considered one of the healthiest ways to cook food, as it has less fat content then cooking with oil, and many believe less of the nutrients are lost when compared to boiling. A commercial steamer takes this to the next level, and allows for powerful, quick and large quantities of steaming for restaurant use.
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Anyone with a deli-style meat selection will certainly need to invest in extra equipment that a traditional restaurant may not. One big area of difference is with your meat slicing equipment. Choosing the appropriate slicer for your kitchen can make or break your efficiency and final product.
The cook and hold oven is the perfect versatile solution, preparing foods slowly for better results and maximum yields while holding cooked foods safely until serving. If you haven’t considered a cook and hold oven for your restaurant, then it’s time to take a closer look.
From the back of the house to the front, your equipment should cater to the specific processes and the unique demands of your menu and operation. To help you get started on your shopping, we put together a checklist of these important pieces of equipment, tools, and supplies.
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This equipment will help you streamline your service and improve the experience for your customers looking for convenience and immediacy.
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With so much selection typically comes confusion. What exactly do I need? What’s important when buying my commercial equipment? How do I know that I’m getting the right equipment for the job?
Just because you’re operating a commercial kitchen doesn’t mean that appearances in the kitchen have to be industrial and plain. In fact, many organizers used in at-home kitchens can easily be translated to the commercial kitchen and can help improve storage neatness and kitchen aesthetics.
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Outfitting your kitchen with the right equipment is essential for an efficient work environment. Keep your kitchen equipment simple yet versatile with these must-haves!
Like any specialty service, offering catering to your guests requires an extra investment in time and effort in order to ensure that you’re ready to handle the equipment needs and extra business that comes with catering. Here’s a quick guide to purchasing the right equipment for your catering needs!
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If you’re a veteran, then you know the drill - but if you’re new to using a blender, then it’s important to note that there’s more to it than simply adding ingredients and pushing the ‘blend’ button. Heres a quick guide to help you decide which ones will work best for your needs!
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While contracting a specialist will alleviate the need for you to worry about any layout issues, here are a few things your professional designer will look for when planning your kitchen layout.
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Based on your space and needs, there are four standard configurations that designers will typically use for your kitchen setup.
There are several different types of chefs in the world. There is the type that seem to have an intuitive knowledge of food and the way that different flavors commingle.
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