4 Essential Types of Equipment for Your Commercial Kitchen

If you're a new restaurant owner, you're probably well aware that your commercial kitchen plays a vital role in the success of your business. In order to have everything you need for your kitchen, you can expect to pay up to $500,000. Of course this number varies, depending on the size and location of your establishment.

One of the most expensive parts of your commercial kitchen is the equipment you'll have to purchase. Depending on what kind of food you'll serve, your commercial kitchen needs will vary. However, there are some basic kinds of equipment that most restaurants need.

Here are four essential types of equipment for your commercial kitchen.

One of the biggest concerns for restaurant owners is food safety. In order to keep your food safe to consume, proper refrigeration is vitally important. When food is properly refrigerated, the cold temperature slows the growth of bacteria.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), bacteria grow the most quickly between the temperatures of 40 and 140 degrees F. Because of this, refrigeration equipment should be set at 40 degrees or lower. Refrigeration equipment includes the following:

• Refrigerators including walk-in coolers and reach-in fridges
• Freezers
• Ice machines

There are a variety of brands, styles, and sizes of refrigeration equipment, and you'll need to choose the kind that best suits the needs of your commercial kitchen.

You'll need a way to cook all of the food you intend to serve in your restaurant. The type of cooking equipment you'll need largely depends on the type of restaurant you own and what kinds of food you serve. For example, if you will not be serving fried foods, you probably won't need a deep fryer.

Some examples of cooking equipment include:

• Oven
• Range
• Grill
• Griddle
• Broiler
• Toaster
• Microwave

It's important to note that just as refrigeration is important for food safety, so is properly cooking the food. For this reason, you'll want to ensure all your cooking equipment is operating correctly so that the food gets cooked to the proper temperature. In order to get rid of harmful bacteria, it's especially important to cook meat, poultry, and seafood to the proper temperature.

Food preparation equipment is very helpful when it comes to tasks such as slicing meats, peeling and cutting vegetables, and making sauces. The right equipment helps cooks stay organized, save time, and prepare food more quickly. Food prep equipment includes:

• Food processors
• Mixers
• Blenders
• Spice grinders

Commercial kitchens are also usually equipped with prep tables that offer a place to safely prepare food and put meals together.

The cooks in your kitchen will need certain tools to prepare food and assemble dishes. These tools are called smallwares and include:

• Knives
• Cutting boards
• Mixing bowls
• Pots and pans
• Turners, spatulas, and whisks
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Cheese graters

If you have a large commercial kitchen, you may need a lot of smallwares. You will also need to ensure that you have enough of each tool to go around. For example, if you have two or three cooks in the kitchen, you'll probably need more than one cutting board or set of knives. Having enough smallwares to go around will prevent your cooks from fighting over certain tools.

When opening a restaurant, purchasing your commercial kitchen equipment is just the first step. You'll also need a trusted service company that provides commercial equipment parts and repairs.

This is where Chandler's Parts and Service comes in. We are headquartered in Baton Rouge and serve Lafayette, New Orleans, Hammond, Mandeville, Lake Charles, and all of Louisiana. Call us today to see how we can help you keep your commercial kitchen running smoothly.