So you want to open up a restaurant. Great! We’re going to go out on a limb and assume you’re already aware you need some commercial equipment. But what exactly are the absolute must-haves?
1. A commercial refrigerator/freezer
You’re going to have to store some perishables, obviously. Whether it’s a walk-in, or a reach in, you need a commercial refrigerator. Not the type you have at home, but a professional restaurant-grade fridge, like the ones you can see here. It’s important that you factor in just how much food you plan to store at any given time, when you decide on the size of the fridge to get.
2. A commercial oven
Depending on what you’ll be serving in your restaurant, an oven is a great investment. Generally, a convection oven is great to have, whatever kind of food you may be serving. Whether you’re baking, or roasting it cooks your food quickly, and uniformly.
3. A commercial ice machine
Ice is important. From storing your food, to serving up delicious drinks, you need to have ice on hand. But as with all restaurant equipment, it’s essential that you keep your ice maker perfectly maintained.
4 A multipurpose griddle
Griddles can be used to cook any meal, from eggs and pancakes, wraps, and burgers, to steak, seafood, and pasta. The griddle is also great for steaming, smoking, and searing food to lock in flavor, The versatility of the griddle makes it essential equipment to have.
5. A commercial deep fat fryer
Serving some fried food? A commercial deep fat fryer would be good to have since you can fry a lot in one go. If you’ve got limited space to work with, then a countertop fryer will do. There are also free-standing fryers, with filters which remove particles from the oil; induction fryers, oil-free fryers, and specialty fryers. The kind you go for would depend on what you’ll be serving.
6 An industrial dishwasher
You’re only going to have so many hands on deck to help with washing. The last thing you need is to run out of clean dishes, or worse, run out of unbroken dishes. So, do your business a favor and get one – whether it’s compact, or a conveyor-belt washer, heat-sterilizing, or chemical-sterilizing.
7. Counters
You’re going to have people chopping, cutting, mixing, and dishing. They’ll need space to do it. Enter the counter. Because you’re not going to cook on the floor. Obviously.
8. Grease traps
The last thing you need is your plumbing getting backed up, because of grease and other food particles. Attaching grease traps to kitchen equipments connected to your plumbing, will spare you a lot of trouble with blockages.
9. Professional kitchen knives
You already know there are various knives designed for different purposes. Bread knives, chopping knives, meat cleavers, all are essential. Get good ones, with comfy, ergonomic handles, that allow you cut as long and as much as you need to.
10. Squeeze bottles
You’ll need these to hold your condiments, dressings, sauces, and oils.
11. Commercial shelving
Kitchen shelves, and racks, are needed for storing your spices and other things within easy reach, and efficiently. As with all commercial-grade food service equipment, it’s best to stock up on your commercial shelves from a professional restaurant equipment supplier. Suitable shelving can go a long way in making a commercial kitchen organized and functional.
12. Carts and trolleys
Great for moving your food about easily, especially if you’ve got a lot of orders that need to be served at once.
13. Stainless steel wash basins
These will be needed every day, whether you’re washing cooking equipment, or prepping food. Consider having a few of these strategically placed, to encourage your employees to wash their hands often.
14. Commercial holding cabinets
These are great for keeping meals warm, and preventing them from drying out. This will serve you, especially if your restaurant will have a high volume of customers.
15. Furniture
Needed, unless your restaurant is doing something quirky like having customers eat while sitting on the floor. Keep in mind whether your restaurant is an outdoor or indoor one, so you can get furniture that works. You want to make sure your furniture is comfy, while fitting in with the aesthetics of the restaurant, and your brand as well.
16. Food prep equipment
This runs the gamut, from cooking utensils, blenders, juicers, slicers, mixers, timers, and thermometers, to pots, pans, bowls, storage containers, and labels.
