Essential Commercial Kitchen Equipment

When it comes to commercial kitchens, most people imagine it like James Bond’s car – fully-loaded with high tech gadgets and equipment. Have you ever imagined how useless some of that technology actually is and how they could have saved the millions they spent on those things? Well, Mr. Bond may not be on a budget but most of the restaurant owners are.

So, the very first thing you need to manage your restaurant budget is to make a proper, streamlined list in order to cut down all the unintentional and unnecessary expenses. What happens is that most of the restaurant owners are unable to resist the urge to buy every equipment/appliance they find in the store.  While most of this equipment may be like innovative gadgets that can reduce time and effort required for a job, they won’t be much helpful for smaller budgets.
So, before you end up helplessly spending all your money on things you don’t need, here is a streamlined list of necessary equipment to keep your temptations from straying in the store.

Cooking Range and Ovens

Commercial kitchen or domestic, you definitely need a cooking range. However, when shopping for an oven or cooking range, make sure you know the number of people you are likely to serve at a time. For most of the start-ups, a medium range stove or oven would be more than enough. For start-ups, it is best to stick to gas ranges as electric ovens can double your electricity expense and they also take a longer time to heat up.

Grills and Griddle

Most of the kitchens do require deep fryers and grills, more specific range such as Panini grill may not be necessary for everyone. You can choose a grill with a thinner sheet as it requires less heating time and energy. The thicker sheet grill, on the other hand, is more appropriate for larger kitchens as it can spread the heat more evenly over the large area.

Preparation Area

Preparation area is a must-have for all kinds and sizes of commercial kitchen. This is where the food is processed. To make things easier and faster, you must find a food processor with all the required features along with a proper mixer/blender and professional slicer. Moreover, this must be placed closer to storage shelves where most of the utensils are kept.

Cold Storage

Similarly, cold storage is also a necessary requirement for all kinds of commercial kitchens. Of course, the most heavy duty and high-tech refrigerator is not what every restaurant requires. Go for a medium range but top quality refrigerator which will be enough to meet your cold storage requirements. It is best to avoid spending on a walk-in freezer or refrigerator unless you need to store a lot.

Washing Station

A washing station may not sound like a necessity for the overly-frugal restaurant owners here. However, it is a onetime investment that can save the cost of hiring extra staff members for the job. Besides, depending on the area your kitchen is located in, the local laws might require you to have proper hand washing and dishwashing equipment.

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Commerical Kitchen Energy conservation tips

Running a restaurant means working off a bottom line. This is the amount of money you will spend to run your business. Earning more that this bottom line is the key to success. One of the ways to increase your chances of doing this is by getting that line as low as possible. The easiest way to lower your bottom line is by cutting down on the cost of production. Here are a few tips that will keep your bottom line lower and profits higher.
Tip 1: Monitor Air Flow

Though you can’t see it, your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning costs are likely about a quarter of your daily overhead. By monitoring these systems to ensure they aren’t working overtime for no reason, you can cut over a thousand dollars from the energy bill of almost any restaurant.
Tip 2: Shut off Idle Equipment
When you aren’t using an appliance, shut it off. Making and sticking to a schedule for these machines will help you manage this process and provide staff with clear direction on when to turn off the big energy eaters. The result is a longer life for your equipment and lower energy costs once again.
Tip 3: Space out Cold and Hot Equipment
One of the easiest ways to organize a commercial kitchen for efficiency is to have the cold and hot equipment separated. If you have a freezer and fridge system, ensure they aren’t beside the grill. By separating these units you are able to better manage how hard they have to work. If it’s too cold your oven will be working overtime to get up to max temp. The same applies to your fridge and freezer. Make sure they don’t get overworked simply by having other hot equipment within a few feet.
Tip 4: Hot Water Can Cost You
If you want to run a more efficient commercial kitchen, you have to manage the hot water it uses. This means educating staff on which tasks require hot water and which don’t. It can also mean insulating hot water pipes to ensure that you aren’t loosing excess energy to get that hot water to the tap.
Tip 5: Maintain your Equipment Regularly
The last tip for keeping costs down in your commercial kitchen is to ensure you maintain your equipment. As commercial kitchen equipment ages, it becomes less efficient. Avoid this trend by keeping a tight schedule for equipment maintenance. Not only will you spend less on replacements, you will ensure that your equipment doesn’t suck energy while it’s in use.