If you’re considering opening a restaurant, don’t start with your typical recovery of kitchen equipment. After all, most stores have good quality items at great prices, which will help you get started quickly and economically.
But what about that old crockpot inherited from grandma? Or the dusty microwave left in the corner of your garage? With these essential tools in place, you’ll be well to success!
This blog will discuss how to start a restaurant and the kitchen equipment you need. Let’s get into details.
How to Start a Restaurant?
Open the restaurant once you’ve completed the appropriate food preparation, sanitation, and kitchen management training. These skills are essential!
First things first: You need a legally allowed kitchen to operate in your state. Put a proper roof on it and don’t forget that your staff must have their area to work in. The goal here is to build a restaurant that is as safe as possible about its public health standards.
Restaurant Equipment For Better Cooking
Here is the kitchen equipment you need for a complete restaurant kitchen.
1- Stock Coolers:
These are essential to make room for your perishable foods. You can choose from three different types of coolers—full width, half-width, and full length. All of them come in different sizes, but the most common is the half-width (6 ft.) with a capacity of 400 to 750 lbs., depending on the brand.
2- Cutting Board:
You need at least two cutting boards: a big one (30-by-16 inches) and a small one (19-by-13 inches). The large one is for prep work, while the smaller one is for plating or garnishing. Cutting boards also come in plastic, wood, or glass options.
3- Outlet Timer:
This kitchen equipment can help you set cooking times for your different dishes in your restaurant with an outlet timer. The important fact is that they run on just 15 watts of energy and can support up to five power outlets.
4- Wireless Meat Thermometer:
Protect your guests and money by making sure that every one of your dishes is cooked just right with a wireless meat thermometer. It’s a great addition to any professional kitchen.
5- Refrigerated Work Table:
When it comes to equipment for your kitchen, an easy place for staff members to work is important. A refrigerated work table will allow them to multi-task, leaving fewer dishes in the pass.
6- Ice Machine:
You can’t run a successful restaurant if you don’t have the proper amount of ice on hand. You can produce up to 44 pounds of ice per day with an ice machine.
7- Slicer:
Cutting meat for your sandwiches and burgers is important because it makes them easier to eat and digest and more visually appealing. To accomplish this, a good professional-grade meat slicer comes in handy.
8- Fruit and Vegetable Defroster:
Many people believe that refrigeration is all that a kitchen requires, but the truth is different. While it does help to keep your food safe and delicious, a good food warmer can even heat an entire refrigerator for up to 18 hours.
9- Dishwasher:
If you have a restaurant, there’s a good chance that most of your plates and glasses aren’t clean after being used for customers. Therefore, you should consider installing triple-bowl dishwashers to help keep up with your cleaning needs.
10- Food Processor:
Combining multiple ingredients into one is a great way to save time in the kitchen. For instance, using the food processor to mix cream cheese and butter is an easy but efficient way to make various dips and spreads.
Buy Used – but know what you’re getting
Cheap equipment that’s been used is cheap for a reason! By using your common sense and making sure the item has no wear and tear, you can be sure to purchase quality items.
You may also want to thoroughly clean each piece before buying to avoid any mold or mildew from growing in the item. Once ready, get rid of the oldies by donating them, selling them, or giving them away to neighbors and friends.
Pitfalls to avoid when purchasing used equipment
Buying used restaurant equipment doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get a bad bargain because of the possibility of hidden defects and wear and tear.
But in most cases, purchasing used equipment comes with hidden risks. Let’s check out a few potential problems which can harm the value of used equipment:
Cracks or chips:
A major issue in this category is chips and cracks in stainless steel or aluminum appliances. Soaking metal parts and appliances in chemical cleaners can help restore their original luster.
However, if you’re lucky and the chip has been on the unit for less than a year, you may be able to sand it down and polish it back to a smooth surface.
Rust:
If you’re buying a used restaurant oven or any piece of equipment attached to a water line, look it over carefully and make sure there aren’t any signs of rust. Any sign of rust will damage the appearance of the item and suggest quality issues.
Conclusion
In the end, deciding to run your restaurant is a personal choice. You need to decide if you have the financial and managerial expertise to make it work. But if you are determined, a good place to start is by picking out good restaurant equipment for your kitchen.
Moreover, you can buy new or used restaurant equipment as it solely depends on your requirements and budget. However, if budget is not an issue, you can buy new restaurant equipment easily.
To sum it up, we can say that the buying process of all kinds of kitchen equipment should not be taken lightly as it seems much more complicated than it is.
For quality kitchen restaurant and bar equipment, contact Marox as it is one of the best suppliers in Dubai for kitchen equipment supplies.
Also read: What is the Difference Between Product Inspection and Quality Control