Imagine being fresh out of culinary school. Your eyes are bright, there is a spring in your step, and you’re all set to open up your first restaurant. You’re able to rent a building for your business, but now you’re faced with the daunting task of staffing it with equipment and helpful employees.

First things first though, you need equipment if you’re going to prepare meals for your adoring public. Your school probably told you everything you need to know, but sometimes things get left out or you lose your notes and forget.

Here is a little refresher course on the kitchen equipment you’ll need before you open your restaurant for business.

1. Freezers and Refrigerators

No matter what kind of food you sell, you will need a good commercial refrigerator to ensure that the food you use doesn’t perish quickly.

Industrial grade refrigeration units are specially designed to meet the unique needs of the food industry. There are plenty of options available, but your choice will boil down to two types, walk-ins or reach-ins.

Before you make your purchase, consider the size of your restaurant. If you have a smaller operation, you probably don’t need a huge walk-in cooler.

2. Food Preparation Counters

It’s really hard to slice, dice, and prepare meals if you don’t have the space to do that. You should always go for stainless steel counter options. Stainless steel is strong against corrosion, resists the grossness of meat juices, and can withstand through the strongest cleaning products.

If you’re using a cutting board, make sure it’s wood. Plastic ones tend to hide harmful bacteria in its grooves.

3. Slicers

Slicers are especially important in deli-style restaurants that cut meat and cheeses regularly. They come in both manual and electric models, and which one you get depends on how often you’ll actually use it.

A manual slicer is more economically friendly but can’t turn out ingredients as quickly as an electric one. Again, it all comes down to your needs.

If you need to slice the ingredients happen quickly, an electric model is your best bet. If you don’t really use it that often, go for manual slicers.

4. Ranges

Almost all restaurants will need to have the ability to cook over an open flame eventually. Ranges come in a huge variety of sizes and aesthetics, making it pretty easy to find one to suit your needs. You also need to choose between a gas or electric model.

Gas ranges make it easier to judge heat and change from high to low settings faster than electric ones. On the flip side, electric ones are smooth, elegant, and easy to clean.

5. Food Processors

There are four types of food processors that you will run into when you’re shopping around for one. They are batch bowls, continuous feed, buffalo choppers, and combination processors.

Batch bowls are helpful because they collect food as it’s being processed. Continuous feed does as its name suggests. You can continuously add food to it – and it will dispense it into a separate container as it does its job.

Buffalo choppers are heavy duty and capable of chopping all the things. Combination processors combine the properties of batch bowls and continuous feed units. If you need a powerful food processing pump, then look no further than Tapflo.

6. Ovens

A great set of ovens is essential if you’re planning on selling any baked items. Conventional ovens blow hot air around the food, which makes them perfect for roasting, dehydrating, or baking tasty desserts.

Traditional ovens are best for baking things like cakes or loaves of bread. These work awesome if you want to open up a bakery-style restaurant.

7. Sinks

Sinks are vital pieces of kitchen equipment because you’ll need running water to wash food and dishes. Local health authorities actually require commercial kitchens to own a triple-sink wash station and a commercial dishwasher.

You should never be caught without one or rather you shouldn’t want to. Sinks are helpful, and you should always have more than one.

8. Shelving

Once you’ve started buying food to prepare for your hungry customers, the question is where are you going to store your dry and cold goods? You’ll need a good set of shelves so your flour and other preparation stuff don’t stay on the ground.

Shelves and racks come in a variety of sizes and aesthetics to suit all your kitchen needs. After all, none of your products should be on the floor unless you want to feed the bugs.

9. Commercial Dishwasher

Again, most health authorities require a commercial dishwasher in your kitchen. Even without that fact in mind, it just makes it easier for you to clean up after your customers have had their fill.

Cleaning them by hand can be wasteful and time-consuming, and you also risk dishes not getting cleaned all the way.

Commercial dishwashers can clean and sanitize a high quantity of dishes per hour. You can also get some with environmentally friendly features.

10. Safety Equipment

Make sure your restaurant is equipped with safety equipment if you want to keep your kitchen up to standards.

Check your local fire department guidelines before you purchase any fire, safety, or sanitation kitchen equipment. To avoid any future confrontation, keep your kitchen up to fire code standards.

Going to Open a Resturant? Can’t Do It Without This Kitchen Equipment

If you’re planning on opening your own restaurant, you can only do it with the right kitchen equipment. Without it, your kitchen is just a room. You won’t be able to store, cook, clean, or slice your food.

Sometimes even experts need a few tips. Visit our blog to find out how to serve the perfect steak to your guests!