The commercial kitchen is the central part of your restaurant/eatery/cafeteria that requires systematic planning. Just like the heart in the human body or like a nucleus in an atom where all the major activity is going on, a commercial kitchen requires attention to detail, care, and careful planning. Since it is the hub where all the delicious recipes on the menu come alive, one needs to put their mind to investing in the right equipment to make everyone’s life easier while planning the procurement of equipment and the layout of commercial kitchen set-up.
It is no rocket science to understand that a commercial kitchen needs industrial-grade equipment that is energy-efficient and helps the kitchen staff manage the time in food preparation to cope up with the stress of a restaurant/eatery on a busy day. Most importantly while a commercial kitchen is planned, one must make sure the layout of the kitchen is such that it allows the food to move seamlessly from the food preparation area to the front line.
A commercial kitchen can be an expensive investment for any new food and service business due to the high moolah required. That is why for a food service start-up it is always recommended to lease or purchase used/refurbished kitchen equipment.
Now that we have understood how important it is to plan and organize a commercial kitchen, now it’s time to introduce a list of kitchen equipment that every commercial kitchen absolutely ‘must-have’:
1) Cooking Ranges, Grills, Griddles, and a Stovetop
2) Refrigeration: Reach-in Cooler, Walk-in Cooler, and Freezer
3) Food preparation: Mixers, Grinders, Blenders, Spice Grinders, and Cheese graters
4) Sauté pans and saucepans
5) Soup pots
6) Baking ovens, baking sheets, and baking pans
7) Tongs, Spatulas, and Ladles
8) Chef’s Knives and chopping/cutting boards
9) Measuring cups and spoons
10) Whisks and mixing bowls
11) Squeeze Bottles
12) Plastic inserts for coolers
13) Steam tables
14) Entrée plates, Pasta bowls, appetizer plates
15) Salad plates, dessert plates
16) Commercial Shelving
17) Cleaning equipment: Cleaning rags, Cleaning buckets, Rubber floor mats
18) Personal sanitation equipment: Soap dispensers, Hand sanitizer dispensers, and handwashing section
19) Fire Extinguisher (for compliances and preventing mishaps in the kitchen)
20) Restaurant POS system with printer
The ‘must-have’ list of equipment that a commercial-kitchen need is a guide to help plan, optimize the performance, and the efficiency of the commercial kitchen.
Before beginning the procurement of kitchen equipment for a commercial kitchen, it is very important to study the menu and have a detailed discussion with the kitchen staff to understand what else might be required to make the food preparation process easier and help plan the kitchen layout better.
A few more important points to be noted during the commercial kitchen planning process are as follows:
- Proper utilization of space
A commercial kitchen needs to be designed in such a way that all the essential kitchen equipment properly utilizes the kitchen space.
- Fast-paced workflow
‘Time is of the essence in the restaurant business’. Customers always prefer eating at places where the service is quick and food is delivered in a fast, efficient, and hygienic manner. That is why a well-planned kitchen layout to manage the time and stress of the kitchen is a big must.
- Energy efficient
Well-planned commercial kitchen = Energy efficient kitchen.
It is important to buy equipment and electronics that are energy efficient and help decrease the power consumption in the kitchen.
- Adhering to standards and compliances
A commercial kitchen must meet the standards, protocols, and compliances of the health codes to avoid unnecessary action from local or government authorities.
- Cleanliness
Well-planned commercial kitchen = Easy to clean kitchen.
A well-designed and well-planned commercial kitchen layout saves time and reduces the chances of cross-contamination.
After understanding the ‘must-haves’ and important aspects of commercial kitchen planning, and being mindful of the fact that it requires a lot of heavy lifting. The next step is understanding the need to hire the right consultancy group that can take the load off your hands by doing all the dirty work and helps you establish the best commercial kitchen as per your vision.
Honestly, planning and executing the vision of a commercial kitchen is no joke and it’s definitely not a one-man job. That is why a team of commercial kitchen consultants is required to work alongside you to help you brainstorm, plan, conceptualize, and execute the vision in the most systematic way possible.
Worried about which consultancy to hire? Let’s make this worry disappear. The best consultancy that understands the nuances and adapts to the latest trends and developments in the foodservice industry is HPG Consulting without a doubt.
HPG Consulting is a name attached to many successful commercial kitchen planning and execution projects in the domestic and international market. The biggest names in the hospitality sector such as Hilton, Sheraton, Marriot, and the biggest names in the restaurant business such as Punjab Grill, Mainland China, Galito’s all run their commercial kitchen set-ups smoothly and efficiently thanks to the work done by the commercial kitchen consultants at HPG Consulting.
The Commercial Kitchen consultants at HPG Consulting follow a step by step process that includes:
1) Assessing the client’s needs
2) Conceptualizing the kitchen layout
3) Considering plumbing and heating requirements
4) Considering lighting requirements
5) Choosing the correct kitchen appliances and equipment
6) Making clients understand health standards, protocols, and safety codes.
The result of the process is:
1) Customised solutions tailored to your kitchen requirements
2) A result-oriented and success-driven approach
3) Highest standard of quality is maintained while carefully executing the plan
4) Acquainted with the latest technology and utilization of this technical know-how
5) Offering cost-effective solutions
If there are specific questions such as:
- How to save costs while procuring kitchen equipment for your restaurant?
- How to become a tech-heavy and energy-efficient commercial kitchen?
- How to plan and optimize kitchen space?
- How to become the next big restaurant competing with Michelin star restaurants?
The answer lies in getting in touch with a commercial kitchen design and planning at HPG consulting today.