Commercial Refrigeration Cleaning Tips

Simply wiping off the dust every day is a good way to keep a daily check on the compressor, but to really get into the grit you need to incorporate a more in-depth cleaning method. Follow the below steps at least once every month and no more than once every other week.

SAFETY NOTE:

Always turn off your circuit breaker  while you perform any maintenance on your commercial refrigeration unit.

Walk-In Coolers 

• Turn off the circuit breaker that connects to your walk-in cooler.
• Assign this task to a two-person team.
• Cover and seal all of the contents in the cooler.
•  Find a cardboard box, a bucket or any other sturdy receptacle that can be used to catch dust and debris. Place a damp cloth on the bottom of the receptacle. This will be used to catch and keep the dust in, instead of blowing around.
• Use a shop vacuum with a nozzle to clean the surface of the condenser thoroughly. Let the vacuum run for about 20 seconds after the surface has been cleaned. This is to make sure that all the dust has travelled down the nozzle and into the vacuum’s tank.
• Position one person behind the condenser and have them hold the prepped dust-catching receptacle just behind the condenser’s vent.
• Reverse the air flow of the shop-vac and blow air into the condenser unit, blasting out dust that has settled inside.
• Wipe up any excess dust that has settled on any surfaces in the cooler.
• Mop the cooler floor and wipe down the walls.

Pizza Prep Tables and Chef Bases

• Disconnect from power.
• Remove the condenser’s grill cover.
• Remove any bolts or screws that are holding the compressor to the frame rails.
• Slide the compressor out.
• Use a stiff bristle brush to clean off dirt and dust from the condenser’s coils.
• Use a shop vacuum to clean out the interior area where the compressor sits.
• Vacuum the coils to free any additional dust.
• Reverse the vacuum’s air flow and blow off any additional dust on the coils.
• Slide the compressor back in and re-install the compressor to the frame.
• Wipe off the grill cover with a damp sponge and dry.
• Replace the grill cover.
• Wipe off all counter tops.
• Sweep and mop up the floor area where the cleaning took place.

Reach-In Refrigerator

• Disconnect from power.
• Assign this task to a two-person team.
• Make sure that all of the food inside and outside of the unit is well covered and sealed.
• Find a cardboard box, a bucket or any other receptacle that can be used to catch dust and debris. Place a damp cloth on the bottom of the receptacle. This will be used to catch and keep the dust in, instead of blowing around.
• Use a shop vacuum with a nozzle to clean the surface of the condenser thoroughly. Let the vacuum run for about 20 seconds after the surface has been cleaned. This is to make sure that all the dust has travelled down the nozzle and into the vacuum’s tank.
• Position one person behind the condenser and have them hold the prepped dust-catching receptacle just behind the condenser’s vent.
• Reverse the air flow of the shop-vac and blow air into the condenser unit, blasting out dust that has settled inside.
• Wipe off the grill cover of the condenser.
• Wipe off all outer surfaces of the refrigeration unit, sweep and mop around the cleaning area.

Call us today at 800-252-5892 to learn about the services we can provide for your refrigeration unit throughout the state of Illinois!  Also learn about other pieces of equipment we service here.

-- Commercial Refrigeration Repair -- Commercial Refrigeration Cleaning and Routine Maintenance--
-- Replacement Units and Installation --

Eichenauer Services

2465 N 22nd St Decatur, IL 62526 

Phone: 800-252-5892  

Eichenauer Services

106 E McClure Peoria, IL 61603 

Phone: 800-252-5892  

Eichenauer Services

405 S Neil St Champaign, IL 61820 

Phone: 800-252-5892  

Illinois Satellites:
Springfield, IL | Bloomington, IL | Effingham, IL | LaSalle/Peru, IL | Mount Vernon, IL | Joliet, IL |
Quad Cities, IL (Moline, East Moline, Rock Island) | Marion, IL |
Metro East, IL (Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Fairview Heights)

National Restaurant Association Show 2013

We will be attending the 2013 National Restaurant Association show.  We are looking forward to seeing all of the vendor booths and learning about your new products!!  NRA Homepage

Experienced Commercial Cooking, Refrigeration, and HVAC Technician (Eichenauer Services Illinois)

Eichenauer Services is an established and growing HVAC and food service equipment repair company that has served the state of Illinois for 60+ years. As a Service Technician you will provide preventive maintenance, warranty work, repair services, and parts for commercial cooking, refrigeration, beverage and other kitchen equipment in restaurants, hotels, nursing homes, schools, and corporations.  The main locations that we are seeking technicians is the Mount Vernon and Effingham areas.  However we would consider any qualified technician located throughout our service area in Illinois

Main Responsibilities:
Perform troubleshooting, repair, and preventative maintenance on commercial foodservice equipment including, but not limited to, refrigeration equipment, cooking equipment, beverage equipment, and dish machines
Demonstrate effective troubleshooting and problem solving skills
Effectively manage time and resources to control costs, enhance efficiencies, and meet commitments
Communicate effectively with internal and external customers
Build strong customer relationships and build knowledge and understanding of new and existing customer needs/expectations
Promote appropriate services, products, and maintenance programs
Attend appropriate technical and manufacturer training
Obtain additional licenses and certifications as appropriate
Train team members and peers on best practice methods of service and sales.

Position Requirements:
Ability to frequently kneel, bend, squat, push, pull and reach above and below waist
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds up to 25 feet. Occasional lifting and carrying, with or without assistance, of items up to 70 pounds
Ability to work in damp and/or humid conditions, coolers/freezers at freezing temperatures, moving mechanical parts, pressurized steam equipment, open flames, heated surfaces, liquids, and risk of electrical shock
Ability to work on ladders, roofs and in rare cases, high, precarious places

Basic Qualifications:
High School diploma or equivalent
A minimum of 1 year service industry experience -- refrigeration, appliance repair, kitchen equipment, HVAC, military service
Valid driver's license and acceptable motor vehicle record (2 yrs)
Willingness / ability to be involved with the emergency on-call rotation that includes nights and weekends

Preferred Qualifications:
Relevant technical training, licenses, and/or certifications (ie. EPA, CFESA)
Commercial refrigeration and/or commercial cooking equipment repair experience.
Self-motivated with the proven ability prioritize and work independently with minimal direct supervision

If interested please forward your resume to j.eichenauer@esiquality.com

Also visit our website www.esiquality.com to learn more about our company.

Commercial Range Cleaning Tips

The commercial range is the most versatile piece of equipment in your kitchen. They come in various widths and various top configurations. They come with open burners, griddle tops, hot top, French tops and charbroiler tops. Each aspect of the range requires special care, and if they care if given, your range will last longer.

Commercial Range Cleaning Tips

During the day, spills happen. Do your best to safely wipe up excess liquids from the range area. At the end of each shift, have your kitchen staff perform a more thorough cleaning process, but implementing some of the procedures below. Before thoroughly cleaning, be sure that the range is off and the top is cool.

Let everything cool down first.

Before you begin any cleaning or maintenance procedures, be sure to turn off your commercial range and allow everything to cool down, first.

• Clean as you go
  Whenever a spill occurs, be sure to wipe it up immediately. This will prevent the food from becoming baked on to the range top. If a spill extinguishes the pilot light on a gas range, you will need to clean the burner heads and pilot orifice before relighting it.
• Clean the grates
  Whether your commercial range is gas or electric, the burners can be removed for cleaning. Cast iron grates, common additions to gas ranges, can be cleaned by simply wiping down with a wet cloth. If they are in need of a deeper cleaning, these grates can be soaked in warm soapy water to break down the grease. Calrod heating elements, that are prominent on electric commercial ranges, can be wiped down the same way. If you choose to soak these elements, be sure to let them dry before plugging them back in!
• Clean under the grates or burners
  When your grates and burners are out for cleaning is a great time to clean under them. If your stove has drip trays, remove them and wipe them down. If they are wiped down daily, they will not be as difficult to clean. These can be soaked in warm soapy water if necessary. For gas ranges, wipe down the area underneath the grates.
• Empty scrap trays
  After cooking on a griddle, use a scraper to scrape off excess food products. Be sure to do this throughout the day. Not only will these keep your griddle surface clean, but it will also prevent taste contamination between foods. At the end of the shift, or the end of the day, pour water on your griddle and heat it to 150ºF or 175ºF and wipe down the area with a thick clean cloth.
• Clean the oven interior
  If the range comes with an oven base, that oven needs to be cleaned at least once a month; more frequently if there is a spillover. If it is a porcelain enamel interior, use a standard oven cleaner. For metal interiors, use a mild detergent and soft cloth.

Commercial Kitchen Storage Tips

Unless you are a multimillionaire owner of a seven star hotel chain, you are likely to be troubled by lack of storage-space in your commercial kitchen. Commercial kitchens, small or big, are high traffic areas where the staff is constantly moving, sometimes along with equipment, food and utensils in their hands. In order to ensure safety, comfort and efficiency, sufficient availability of space is extremely important in commercial kitchens.
Unfortunately, large spaces just don’t fit under every restaurant owner’s budget. Fortunately, however, you can overcome your space issue by optimizing your commercial kitchen storage. Here are a few useful tips to help you efficiently manage your kitchen storage and utilize the available space.

• Walls Must Not Be Wasted – No matter how small your kitchen is, it is very likely to have at least three walls. Take a look at one of the walls and tell us what you see? Well, you see a 12 feet high storage space. While half of that wall might be hiding behind preparation counters and appliances, there is plenty of area above them to place wall shelves, hooks and hangers. If there is enough free space on the lower side of the wall, you can use it by a dunnage rack to store heavy sacks and gallons.
• Avoid the Wired Mess – Restaurant staff are often troubled by electrical leads and cables trailing across the kitchen. Make sure you have installed enough sockets and switch boards to reduce this mess. Electrical appliances must be placed closer to sockets and use proper hooks or equipment to hide cords. This is not only aesthetically pleasing but also extremely safe for a place where fire and water are constantly on.
• Go Underground – While FDA prohibits storage of food items below a certain level, not all the items you need to store in the kitchen are used as, or for, food. There are a number of well planned restaurants that make wise usage of underground storage units to keep items that are not frequently required. This may include extra table clothes or cleaning products.
• Create an Illusion – If your commercial kitchen is not as spacious as you want it to be, you can at least make it appear as if it is. Only a few aesthetical changes in your kitchen can give it an impression of being larger than it actually is. The best part is, that doesn’t even require a professional interior designer. For starters, lighting and a color theme that properly reflect light can create a miraculous illusion.

While these tips will help you overcome your space issue, make sure you don’t overstuff your commercial kitchen with more than it is designed to bear. It can ultimately trash all your efforts and can pose a serious safety threat to your staff and customers.

Eichenauer Services | Effingham | Restaurant Equipment Repair Service Parts

Commercial Kitchen Equipment 

Repair Service Parts

When your kitchen's commercial restaurant equipment needs maintenance or repair in Effingham Illinois Eichenauer Services can help.  For over 65 years they have been offering affordable, courteous and professional commercial kitchen equipment repair for their commercial customers in the Effingham Illinois area.

Regardless of how small or big the repair is, you can count on Eichenauer Services to get the repair done properly, professionally and promptly, as it is understood a restaurant should not have a long down time, which can cause them to lose many customers.  Eichenauer services has multiple CFESA (Commercial Food Equipment Association) and equipment manufacturer trained technicians in the Effingham area.  As well as offering repair of restaurant equipment Eichenauer Services also suggest planned maintenance.  Planned maintenance on heavily used commercial kitchen equipment will save you money and help you prevent downtime.  Our Effingham, IL branch provides repair service on a wide variety of equipment for numerous equipment manufactures including:

• Cooking Equipment
  • Deep Fryers
  • Bakery Equipment
  • Pizza Ovens
  • Grills
  • Steamers
• Refrigeration Equipment
  • Ice Machines
  • Coolers
  • Freezers
  • Prep Tables
  • HVAC
• Beverage Equipment
• Sanitation Equipment
  • Ware-washing
• Holding Equipment
  • Cold
  • Hot

..........and many many more!!

Call us today at 800-252-5892 to learn about the services we can provide for your Effingham area locations!

Eichenauer Services

2465 N 22nd St Decatur, IL 62526 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

106 E McClure Peoria, IL 61603 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

405 S Neil St Champaign, IL 61820 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.co
 

Illinois Satellites:
Springfield, IL | Bloomington, IL | Effingham, IL | LaSalle/Peru, IL | Mount Vernon, IL | Joliet, IL |
Quad Cities, IL (Moline, East Moline, Rock Island) | Marion, IL |
Metro East, IL (Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Fairview Heights)

Eichenauer Services | Mount Vernon | Restaurant Equipment Repair Service Parts

Commercial Kitchen Equipment 

Repair Service Parts

When your kitchen's commercial restaurant equipment needs maintenance or repair in Mount Vernon Illinois Eichenauer Services can help.  For over 65 years they have been offering affordable, courteous and professional commercial kitchen equipment repair for their commercial customers in the Mount Vernon Illinois area.

Regardless of how small or big the repair is, you can count on Eichenauer Services to get the repair done properly, professionally and promptly, as it is understood a restaurant should not have a long down time, which can cause them to lose many customers.  Eichenauer services has multiple CFESA (Commercial Food Equipment Association) and equipment manufacturer trained technicians in the Mount Vernon area.  As well as offering repair of restaurant equipment Eichenauer Services also suggest planned maintenance.  Planned maintenance on heavily used commercial kitchen equipment will save you money and help you prevent downtime.  Our Mount Vernon, IL branch provides repair service on a wide variety of equipment for numerous equipment manufactures including:

• Cooking Equipment
  • Deep Fryers
  • Bakery Equipment
  • Pizza Ovens
  • Grills
  • Steamers
• Refrigeration Equipment
  • Ice Machines
  • Coolers
  • Freezers
  • Prep Tables
  • HVAC
• Beverage Equipment
• Sanitation Equipment
  • Ware-washing
• Holding Equipment
  • Cold
  • Hot

..........and many many more!!

Call us today at 800-252-5892 to learn about the services we can provide for your Mount Vernon area locations!

Eichenauer Services

2465 N 22nd St Decatur, IL 62526 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

106 E McClure Peoria, IL 61603 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.com/

Eichenauer Services

405 S Neil St Champaign, IL 61820 US

Phone: 800-252-5892 Website: http://www.esiquality.co
 

Illinois Satellites:
Springfield, IL | Bloomington, IL | Effingham, IL | LaSalle/Peru, IL | Mount Vernon, IL | Joliet, IL |
Quad Cities, IL (Moline, East Moline, Rock Island) | Marion, IL |
Metro East, IL (Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Fairview Heights)

Buy or Lease Commercial Kitchen Equipment

There is a thing that we always repeat when advising restaurant owners on kitchen equipment – it’s a onetime investment so better invest in the best. However, one thing that is understandable is that most people start with a small budget. Due to this reason, they face a very difficult situation of deciding whether they should buy or lease the equipment.

To be honest, each one has its own set of pros and cons. The choice of most suitable option may vary from person to person. It depends on countless factors, including the budget, space and future goals of the owner.
Now, we understand that these statements are doing nothing but further complicating the decision. So, without further ado, let us make a comparison between leasing and buying commercial kitchen equipment.

Leasing

Leasing commercial kitchen equipment means you will be able to use the equipment for a certain period of time. The lease period is usually two to three years. After the lease period ends, the equipment is returned to the owner.
Pros – There are many advantages of leasing the equipment. First of all, you don’t have to pay the full price of the equipment. This way, you can have the highest quality equipment for a fairly low amount of money. By the time the lease ends, the value of equipment has already depreciated a lot but you won’t be the one bearing the loss.
Cons – The only con here is that it won’t be possible for you to replace or change the equipment before the term ends. In case the equipment is damaged or broken before the term ended, you are not likely to get your payment back.

Buying

Buying means to simply ‘own’ the equipment. It may sound very tempting but it also has its downsides. Let’s take a look at its obvious benefits before discussing the drawbacks.
Pros – As a buyer, you are the owner and you won’t have to worry about expiration of the lease. You can use the equipment and sell it whenever you want. The equipment becomes your asset and you can borrow money against it if required.
Cons – One of the major cons is that you need a huge capital to buy your equipment. If your budget is not enough, you will have to compromise on the quality. Also, you are the one who will ultimately be hit by the depreciation.
Apart from these two options, some people also prefer hiring commercial kitchen equipment. In hiring, you pay monthly rent for as long as you use the equipment and then return the equipment when you are able to afford leasing or buying. However, hiring is generally considered a short term solution and that is why it is much preferred by catering services rather than restaurants.