Having the proper restaurant equipment sorted out is crucial, therefore, you should be prudent in selecting restaurant equipment that will satisfy your needs. Equipment used in restaurants can be split into three groups:
- Kitchen Equipment
The restaurant kitchen equipment differentiates from the one you will find in your home. You will have to buy stoves, steamers, fryers, mixers, slicers, and more. Also, your kitchen will need different kinds of pans, pots, and utensils that are used to prepare food.
Freezers And Refrigerators
These units help in extending the food products’ shelf life. You can find different kinds of commercial freezers and refrigerators but usually, it involves reach-in and walk-in units.
Before purchasing, you should take into consideration your restaurant’s size and operations. For example, smaller restaurants might not require a walk-in cooler.
Ovens And Ranges
There are several oven and range designs available to fit any kitchen type. Both standard and convection ovens are necessary, but ovens that combine elements of the two can be used if your kitchen is tight on space.
Counters And Cutting Surfaces
Like the freezers and refrigerators, counters and cutting surfaces are essential for all restaurants. The sizes of these elements will depend on the magnitude of operations conducted in your kitchen.
You will want to pick stainless steel for your kitchen counters as this material will resist corrosion, and can easily endure various cleaning chemicals that are used in kitchens.
As for the chopping surfaces, be sure to pick wooden or plastic ones. While these materials are easily sanitized, chopping on the plastic surface might lead to creating grooves where bacteria can develop.
Slicers
Slicers are needed to cut any food with precision and speed. Before purchasing slicers, you need to understand the way they are going to be used. If you need to slice smaller amounts not so frequently, then you should pick a manual slicer, as these are much cheaper.
On the other hand, if you need to use slicers more frequently and with greater precision, it’s generally recommended to opt for electric slicers as these will save you labor and time.
Mixers
Depending on what your kitchen specializes in, you will or will not need mixers. For instance, if you make anything that needs batter preparation such as pastries or pizza dough, then you definitely need a mixer.
There are two mixer types, one being a spiral mixer used for preparing dense batters and the other one being a planetary mixer that aids in combining all sorts of stuff such as mashed vegetables or whipped cream.
Sinks
Lastly, without a water sink, a restaurant kitchen can’t really operate as it’s needed to wash dishes and food. Additionally, most local health authorities asked restaurant kitchens to include a triple-sink wash station as well as a dishwashing machine.
- Front-Of-House Equipment
Once you’ve sorted out your restaurant kitchen equipment, you’ll have to consider the equipment you’re going to put in the part of your restaurant where your guests will be served.
Restaurant chairs and tables are the crucial prerequisites as well as silverware, glassware condiment dispensers, and salt and pepper shakers.
If you intend on running a multi-cuisine restaurant, getting items that are specific to certain cuisine is also needed – for instance, chopsticks are required for Asian food restaurants
Going for second-hand equipment is an option if you need to save some money. But keep in mind that customers are going to be directly in touch with this equipment, so it must be fully functioning, user-friendly, and presentable, no matter where you purchase it from.
- Operational Equipment
No restaurant owner intends to manually deal with his operations. Therefore there’s a market for items that aid in restaurant operations. These items include cash registers and card processing units.
There are different types of point-of-sale systems available on the market. Pick one that will aid you in the general billing as well as in managing the inventory, and reporting and analytics.
Conclusion
Every restaurant will have specific requirements based on the cuisine type as well as the customer base it’s looking for. As a restaurant owner, you will need to keep your priorities in mind when searching for equipment to get started.
Doing your research and looking at reviews will perhaps be the best way to start looking for some more expensive items such as refrigerators and ovens.
Knowing what your restaurant requires ahead of time, and making a list of equipment will aid you greatly
And remember, it’s all about finding the right equipment for you and your restaurant.
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