Restaurant Kitchen Equipment

A Checklist of the Essential Restaurant Kitchen Equipment

Are you planning to open a restaurant soon? If you are, then you should definitely be prepared on setting up your kitchen. The kitchen is the heart and soul of any food establishment and it’s where amazing dishes come to life. Thus, it’s important that your kitchen is adequately equipped so you can create great-tasting food for your customers.

Think of your kitchen like a well-oiled machine. There are many moving parts to a perfect dining service and if one integral piece stops working, the whole restaurant can go off-course. To prevent this from happening, you want your kitchen to be stocked up with all the tools and equipment you need.

As you’re nearing the final stages of your dream business, here is a checklist of the essential kitchen equipment that your restaurant should have.

  1. Cooking equipment

A quick look at your menu is all you need to find out which cooking equipment is needed in your kitchen. From frying pans, woks, and pots to whisks, ladles, and tasting spoons, the list goes on and on. This can vary depending on the type of food you want to serve and you’re definitely going to need more than you expect.

When stocking up on cooking equipment, it’s better to have extras than to be short-handed when you need it. There will be times that all frying pans are used and the last thing you want is to delay the food because you don’t have anywhere to cook it.

  1. Servingware

If you don’t have anything to serve your food on, then your restaurant won’t function. When buying serving ware, consider the number of tables you can fit in your restaurant and how many guests you’re expecting every night. You’ll need plenty of cups, glasses, plate ware, bowls, and cutlery when opening a restaurant so make sure to stock up according to your restaurant space.

Restaurant kitchens can sometimes turn into a chaotic environment and breakage is likely to happen. It’s not uncommon to lose a few plates every now and then, especially in high-volume operations. When your business is finally running, always check your inventory to make sure you have enough servingware for your customers. This also means that you need to make room for managing the servingware. Industrial dishwashers in Australia can help you manage your supply of used and dirty to clean and usable.

  1. Kitchen range

The kitchen range is the powerhouse of your kitchen and you’ll definitely need one that’s up to the task. Commercial units can come in a gas or electric option and it’s up to you on which kitchen range you prefer. Gas ranges make it easier to measure heat levels and change heat quickly with just the turn of a dial. Alternatively, electric ranges are easier to maintain and look way more elegant than their gas range counterparts.

No matter which kitchen range you select, it’s important to have proper ventilation equipment or else your kitchen will turn into a sauna in no time. Range hoods for example, sit on top of stoves and broilers to drive out moisture, heat and grease.

  1. Freezers and refrigerators

A restaurant isn’t complete without freezers and refrigerators. Almost all commercial kitchens require a refrigeration system to keep food fresh. Freezers are also important for inventory management because think about it; it’s much more cost-effective to buy steak in bulk and freeze them than to buy 5 pieces every single day.

Industrial-grade refrigerators are designed to meet the needs of the food industry in which you can get from Warewashing Solutions. They can cool large pots of sauce to an ideal temperature in record time, making them essential equipment for any food handling operation.

  1. Ovens

If your restaurant specialises around pastry, it may be in your best interest to invest in an oven. While commercial kitchen ranges come outfitted with an oven, it may not have the settings required to roast and toast baked goods efficiently. A convection oven has a fan and exhaust system that blows hot air around the food which is perfect for making pies, baking cookies, and dehydrating food. You can utilise a regular oven to bake foods made from batter like cakes, custards, and more.

  1. Storage racks and shelving

Most restaurant owners underestimate their need for storage. If you have plenty of appliances inside your kitchen, having storage racks and shelving can be a life-saver. It allows for a more organised storage system where you can store perishable and non-perishable goods, thus enabling a more streamlined kitchen operation.

Store the most-used kitchen equipment within arms reach and the less frequently used ones on the top and bottom shelves. Mobile storage racks are very useful and can fit up to 20 standard sheet pans for storing and transporting food.

 Keep in mind that there are other important tools that your kitchen should have such as food prep counters, slicers, steam tables, and more. This kitchen equipment checklist covers the essentials to make sure that your kitchen is adequately equipped before opening day.