If you enjoy spending time in the kitchen and all your dishes seem to be a hit with guests, you might have the idea to open your own restaurant or café. If that’s the case, don’t forget to consider the appliances and gadgets that will make food prep more effective.
Consider how products such as specialised friers and ice makers make cooking or meal prep easier. Additionally, it’s also essential to invest in a vacuum sealer to make food storage simpler and healthier.
See the importance? Here’s what you need to budget for.
Kitchen Appliances and Gadgets Every Commercial Kitchen Needs
Recent statistics have shown that the number of restaurants and cafés in operation in Australia in 2022 averages about 28,311, which proves to be an increase of 5.7% from 2021. If you’re just starting in the hospitality industry, it means you have a lot of competition.
The easiest way to stay ahead of the competition is to run a streamlined kitchen with simple processes. Part of making that possible is by opting to use appliances and preparation gadgets that make your workflow more effective. We’ve compiled a list of the top products every commercial kitchen should have.
- Slicers
If you’ve never spent any time in a commercial kitchen, it might be difficult to comprehend exactly how much effort goes into actual food prep. Cafés, sandwich shops and takeaway outlets all spend an inordinate amount of time chopping and slicing vegetables.
Investing in commercial slicers provides you with a safe and hygienic method to prepare large volumes of food quickly. In addition, everything can be sliced thinly and evenly. No one will complain of onion slices being too thick! Cafés specialising in sandwiches can even use their slicers to prepare ingredients such as cold meat, shredded chicken and sliced vegetables in advance.
- Vacuum Sealers
Investing in a vacuum sealer is a hygienic way to store food for extended periods. You can easily store sliced meat, cheese and vegetables until they’re needed. Having your ingredients instantly on hand saves valuable time and minimises the time customers wait for their orders.
Many suppliers who sell vacuum sealers also have other packing machines on offer such as a pallet wrapping machine. This can come in handy if you need to transport any pre-packaged items. With a variety of different sealers, it’s easy to find the model best suited to your kitchen.
- Under-Counter Dishwashers
One of the most used items in a commercial kitchen will undoubtedly be your dishwasher. Small to medium start-ups will benefit from opting for an under-counter dishwasher that can easily be tucked under a working surface. It’s convenient to use but out of the way.
Added to that, it’s an economical way to get dishes done without wasting too much water. It also frees up the sink area for any rinsing needed during food preparation or cleaning up.
- Salamanders
Salamanders are versatile kitchen products that you often find in bigger commercial kitchens. They’re primarily used to achieve perfect grilling, toasting and browning in half the time it would take a standard toaster. See how you speed up sandwich prep with one of these.
- Coffee Makers
If your business will be serving coffee, even in its simplest form, a decent coffee machine is an absolute must! Here you want to opt for a model that can make at least two cups at once and can also froth and steam milk. That way you’ll be able to add speciality coffees to your menu.
- Food Service Trolleys
While food service trolleys are technically not an appliance, add them to your must have list. They do make carting dishes to and from the dining area considerably easier. If you’re just running a small coffee café, you could rather opt for a utility cart that can be used in the kitchen as additional space for food prep.
- Ice Makers and Crushers
Ice-makers should be a staple in any commercial kitchen, all year long. A huge plus is that they’re available in both counter and under-counter models.
Ice crushers are the perfect way to chill fruit juices, soft drinks and iced coffee or tea drinks. If you have display counters where customers can choose fresh fruits or meat, adding crushed ice will keep the produce fresh for longer.
- Blenders
Any café or restaurant serving smoothies, fruit juices or milkshakes should have a quality blender or two. In the hot summer months, a well-made milkshake will definitely attract customers. Stick blenders can also be used in soup, coffee and marinade preparations, making it a very versatile little gadget.
Final Thought
Depending on the type of hospitality start-up you’re running, some appliances might be more useful than others. It’s important to identify the appliances that your kitchen will benefit from the most and invest in the best quality models you can afford. Make the most with the budget you have!
Streamlining the process in your kitchen will ease the tension in that busy space as well as provide your customers with quick service. What a way to get ahead of the competition and boost your ROI!
