By selecting the right commercial kitchen equipment and kitchen appliances, your processes can be done more efficiently, and you can even maximize your space. Below are some of the important things to consider when choosing kitchen equipment.
The Equipment Should Be Suitable for Your Commercial Kitchen
Domestic equipment should never be used for a commercial kitchen. Aside from the fact that these appliances would not be able to accommodate the demands of commercial kitchens, some manufacturers won’t honor warranties for these products if they are used for commercial purposes. Obviously, this equipment is only designed for domestic use.
Kitchen Appliances Should Fit Its Purpose
Make sure that your kitchen equipment can meet the demand and generate the quantities that you need. Aside from considering the quality and size of the kitchen appliance, you should also verify its power capabilities. Most likely, less powerful equipment would not be able to keep up. Consequently, you might end up spending more on maintenance costs due to its consistent breakdowns.
Choose Kitchen Equipment and Appliances That Are Energy Efficient
Instead of recognizing the upfront cost of kitchen equipment, you should focus more on its lifetime cost. Commercial kitchens likely consume more energy compared to any other commercial space. Nevertheless, you can obtain huge savings if you use energy-efficient appliances. Certainly, using energy-efficient kitchen equipment can help you in reducing your utility bills.
Your Kitchen Equipment Should Meet the Legislative Requirements
Your business can actually save some money from Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS). MEPS designed for commercial refrigeration products encourage consumers to utilize energy-efficient models. In order to help you in lowering your expenses, you should consider upgrading your equipment.
Your Commercial Appliances Must Meet Food Safety Requirements
There are lots of cases of food poisoning each year and most of these cases are caused by foods that are prepared in commercial kitchens. Keep in mind that selling food that does not meet safety requirements is an offense that has severe penalties including large fines or worse imprisonment for failing to comply with the legislation. Using specifically designed catering equipment like blast chillers can help guarantee that the legislation is met so you can protect your reputation while taking care of the health of your customers.
Think About the Future When Buying Commercial Kitchen Appliances
If you are planning to expand your business, then make sure that your kitchen equipment also grows with you. After you have chosen the kitchen equipment that you like, be sure to verify that there won’t be any new model released soon. If this is the case, then it would be worthwhile to wait for a couple of months to acquire the new model. If new models won’t be coming out anytime soon, then you can verify if your present model can be upgraded. Or will it be difficult for you to maintain and search for its replacement parts? Or perhaps it could become obsolete. These are some important things that you should not ignore, especially if you have plans of expanding your business.
Make Sure That Your Kitchen Equipment Fits
Check your current space and verify if your new commercial kitchen appliances will fit in your present layout. If there is more space, then it would be more practical to use modular kitchen equipment. Additionally, one of the best space-saving solutions would be to use multi-functional items like combi-ovens.
Can Cope with Dietary Requirements and Latest Food Trends
Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic change in the food and catering industry with regard to dietary requirements, intolerances, and allergies. This means that your commercial kitchen must be structured in such a way cross-contamination can be avoided while catering to the unique requirements of your customers.
Commercial kitchens of today must have a layout that prevents cross-contamination when using ingredients such as eggs, nuts, wheat, and other types of allergens. When using fryers, there is a huge risk of allergen cross-contamination, and a few amounts of ingredients can already result in an allergic reaction. That is why it is highly recommended that twin tank fryers or separate fryers should be used.
Cost For the Maintenance of Kitchen Equipment
It is important that you have to keep your kitchen equipment and kitchen appliances in good condition so the food quality and consistency can be ensured. This is critical for your business. That is why when buying new kitchen equipment, maintenance costs should always be considered.
You don’t have to wait until something goes wrong. Calling an engineer when there is a problem can be more costly than having regular maintenance. Additionally, it could cost you unnecessary downtime. Checking the reliability of any equipment is also relevant. And in case it breaks down, make sure that you can easily find replacement parts.
Look For High-Quality Kitchen Equipment
It is quite obvious that commercial kitchens are always busy, some even run for several hours. If you have a busy commercial kitchen, then it would make sense to choose kitchen supplies that will be able to cope with the harshness of everyday use. If you are buying new kitchen appliances, then you should check the model type and brand.
If you prefer to use used kitchen equipment, then you should ensure that it is still of good quality. Before buying, you should verify the previous use, present condition, and the age of the used kitchen supplies. Whether you are buying refurbished or new kitchen appliances, be sure that it is made of genuine commercial-grade materials so you can guarantee that they can last longer. Always inspect the kitchen equipment for any functional or physical defects.
Easy To Use
Among the various industries, restaurants have the most turnover rates. That is why you should choose commercial kitchen equipment that is easy to learn and use. Some of the important things to consider are ease of cleaning, ergonomics, and storage options. Be sure that the technological features are user-friendly, so your staff can easily operate the equipment.
The instructions for cleaning the equipment are something that should be considered so that sanitary standards can be maintained. Look for the NSF symbol since this is an indication that the equipment satisfies the food safety standards. To reduce the cost of repair and maintenance, be sure to check the warranties of your appliances.
Prices Of Kitchen Equipment
You will need a large amount of money for your commercial kitchen equipment. So, be sure to analyze which kitchen equipment is the most important and purchase them first. Nevertheless, you should never compromise on quality since it could get costly in the long run. You should look for high-grade kitchenware since it can help in sustaining your food quality.
Choosing commercial kitchen equipment for your business can be a challenging process. So, be sure to take more time in choosing the appropriate kitchen equipment and avoid mistakes that could burn your fingers.
Match The Style of Your Kitchen Equipment to Your Restaurant
Aside from making sure that the kitchen equipment is functioning well, it is also important that it matches the theme of your business. Using mismatched equipment can make your restaurant look unprofessional. It is recommended that you should choose neutral colors and kitchen supplies that do not have a lot of trimmings to make it look neat and trendy.
Consider The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Of the Kitchen Equipment
By computing the total cost of ownership, you will know the cost of a piece of equipment throughout its entire lifecycle. When comparing costs, you should not only consider the initial purchase price. Aside from consuming energy, the unit will possibly require some water and some inputs like oil. And don’t forget the labor needed for operating the equipment. You need to add all of these factors to your initial purchase cost. It is not necessary that you have an accurate number, having an estimate will do just fine.
After having a complete TCO analysis, you can determine which pieces of equipment are ideal for your business in the long run. For example, a piece of energy-efficient equipment might be more expensive, however, it can help you in saving water and energy consumption in the long run. Since the prices of water and energy keep on increasing each year, you can easily regain your initial investment.
Should You Rent Commercial Kitchen Appliances?
Some businesses choose to rent kitchen equipment rather than buy them. This could make sense if regular maintenance is included in the package. This can help in keeping your equipment in good condition. If you have long-term plans, then rental options would be a good idea since it allows you to upgrade the requirements of your business as it grows. Most importantly, you don’t have to put up any significant upfront payment for the equipment.
Mountain Sales And Service is a wholesale distributor of kitchen appliances and kitchen equipment in Colorado. We can help you in selecting the right kitchen appliances that could make you successful in the food industry. We have been providing kitchen equipment, parts, and services to various businesses. For more details, you can call us at 303-289-5558/800-847-2557 or send us an email at sales@mtnsales.com.
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