Choosing The Best Kitchen Equipment

Well, there you have it. Finally, you took that leap and decided that you're about to open your own restaurant. Good for you! Now, the time has come to choose your kitchen equipment.

Whether or not you have the right kitchen equipment can determine the quality of food- and the fate of your new business. Is now really the time to gamble?

Know what type of kitchen equipment you are going to need, as determined by your restaurant's area of cuisine and expected customer volume. For example, is your restaurant a short-order service, is it more of a buffet, or both (like your average steakhouse)?

A buffet style restaurant for allows more planning and reaction time, and food is prepared in advance and in volume. In this case, you'd lean toward more cook & hold ovens, steamers, blast freezers, etc. A short-order style business would need the means to hold fresh ingredients at the ready for more expedient meal assembly and faster, less predictable demands.

With that in mind, an easy way to ensure that you have all of the right types of kitchen equipment is to literally follow the path of the food- from the time it's dropped from the truck to when it reaches the customer's mouth. This includes how, where, and with what you'd move it, store it, prepare it, and serve it. Don't forget the condiments as well.

Make a list of the kitchen equipment and supplies you would use for each step of the process: "I would (do this) with (that), and then the next step is (do this) with (that)..." Then, follow the path of the dishes (all of them) from the dining table back to the storage rack or shelf.

Too often, a Chef will tend to gravitate to the kitchen equipment with which he/she is most familiar. This could be a mistake. The key here is to supply your kitchen according to its function; simply making sure that you have the kitchen equipment you need to do the job. Opening day is a bad time to realize that you forgot to get a dishwasher (You laugh, but I've seen it happen).

Most prominent (and often even representative) of all kitchen equipment is the commercial oven. Though their names vary according to their uses, shapes, and sizes, most ovens fit into one of four categories: cook & hold ovens, pizza ovens, conveyor ovens, and convection ovens.

Just like their name implies, pizza ovens do just that- bake pizza. Ranging in price from five to twelve thousand dollars, your average pizza oven (good for restaurants of that specialty) is a freestanding unit. For those restaurants that don't focus exclusively on making pizza, but find it a favorable addition to their menu, there is also the countertop deck oven variety, which go for roughly two thousand dollars.

As mentioned before, cook & hold ovens are ideal for the buffet style restaurant. These ovens, the most common is the Alto-sham, will cook the food, and hold it at the determined holding temperature until it is served. Your typical cook & hold oven will cook for a set time, and then allow the food to drop to the holding temperature. More advanced models can cook until the food's internal temperature reaches a determined point (using the attached thermometer), and then hold the food at a lower holding temperature.

Convection ovens are becoming more popular in homes, and so are likely the most familiar to most people. The beauty of these pieces of kitchen equipment is that they actually circulate the hot air within them by fans, and the result is more even and faster cooking. Convection ovens come in all shapes and sizes- some even with conveyors.

Your typical single-deck convection oven will cost somewhere between three and five thousand dollars. They are ideal for those restaurants where baked goods aren't their star attraction, but a fresh-baked piece of pie adds a little love to a flame-kissed porterhouse steak dinner.

Fitting for any restaurant (most restaurants have at least one) is the double-deck convection oven. Running up to around ten thousand dollars, the workload they can handle is well worth every penny- they pay for themselves very quickly.

There is also the less common half-deck convection oven, which is suitable where saving space is a concern. They'll cost about two thousand dollars. Remember that smaller also means less product, so using it exclusively may be at the cost of your restaurant's yield. As an addition, however, it may be perfect for giving your kitchen a little extra when you need it.

Conveyor ovens are great for quickly preparing a lot of food. Pizza, sandwiches, whatever- in one end and out the other. Like the name says, the oven has a conveyor that is constantly moving at a steady rate, which results in consistent, even cooking. The down side to these models is cleaning them- there are several varieties, and some are a royal pain to take apart and reassemble.

When searching for your restaurant's kitchen equipment, first check local restaurant supply companies & trade associations. Not only will you find very useful information, but you will also make several points of contact, who take an interest in your success.

Also explore your online options, both to research the types of kitchen equipment which may better suit your restaurant, and to compare prices, warranties, or services as well.

When opening your restaurant, the most important decision you'll make may be choosing your kitchen equipment. From great food and smiling customers, all of your kitchen equipment will pay for itself if you choose wisely.