Just like any other art form, baking requires the right tools in order to get the best out of it. Finding the right tools and using them properly is very important for a commercial kitchen. There are so many things that you have to consider, you just don’t know where to start. To make that process easier for you, we, restaurant consultants at HPG have come up with a list of baking essentials for your new kitchen.
Essential Commercial Bakery Equipment:
Commercial Bakery Oven:
Invest in the best commercial oven for baking. Get an oven that offers adjustable temperatures with accurate temperature readings, even heat, and can be easily cleaned.
Cooling Racks:
A cooling rack is essential because of space. A commercial kitchen with baked goods can never have enough space. Baked products need to be cooled down. Having a cooling rack gives you ample space to cool down your product without taking up much space. Alternatively, you can also grab racks with wheels if you need more mobility.
Stainless Steel Food Prep Table:
Bakeries need stainless steel tables for three main reasons. The most important one is that the dough doesn’t stick to the surfaces which makes it ideal for kneading, rolling, and preparing the dough. Next, it is easy to clean and sterilize, which makes it easier to adhere to food and safety standards for kitchen cleanliness. Lastly, the food prep table is subjected to the most used section in a commercial kitchen, so a sturdy surface is a must.
Stand Mixer:
For commercial kitchens, stand mixers are a very important piece of equipment. As you need to mix large batches of batter and dough for cakes, pastries, and other baked items which stand mixer saves you plenty of time and effort. You can get help from a restaurant consultant to help you organize your commercial kitchen in an optimized way.
Chiller:
Another very important piece of equipment is a chiller. Chillers come with a stainless surface that can be used for food prep. This makes it easier to take hold of ingredients while food prepping. This also saves you some space.
Bakery Proof box:
A proof box is essential if you specialize in bread and pastries. It allows you to control temperature and humidity within the cabinet, which allows your dough to rise in a controlled environment, which also affords you greater control over your baking process for easier planning.
Baking Pans:
The number of pans depends on the scale of your operations. In how many batches, and how many bakes do you create within a day are important to be noted. As a baker, you will definitely need pans of different shapes and sizes depending on what you intend to sell. This is where your restaurant consultants can be of great help.
Dough Scraper:
The dough scraper is mainly used for scraping and dividing dough but it has a lot of other uses as well. It can be used to collect the loose dough, move pieces of dough, cut up the dough, and for cleaning the surface. This is one small but mighty tool you should have close to you while working in the kitchen.
Freezer:
A freezer is an essential tool when you plan on selling cakes, cookies, and other refrigerated goods on a large scale. Large-sized freezers can be used to store cakes, cookies, cookie dough, tarts, and pies.
Sinks:
Any commercial kitchen will need at least 3 sinks. One sink for washing and sterilizing dishes and other equipment that cannot be washed inside a dishwasher. A separate sink for washing your hands before handling ingredients and a separate sink for mops and cleaning cloths.
As your restaurant consultant, HPG understands various aspects of your organization. Our experts take the time to analyze the current and future needs of your organization and create a holistic plan offering the perfect blend of value and sustainability.