If you’re going to open a restaurant or catering service, you are going to need to purchase commercial appliances. The kind of cooking appliances you have in your kitchen are very important for your business, so it is vital that you purchase the best tools for cooking and preparing delicious food for your patrons.
Considering all the options available, setting up your commercial kitchen for a restaurant can be daunting. Here is our helpful guide to some of the various types of commercial appliances you can buy.
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Commercial Ranges – Gas or Electric?
The first thing to understand about commercial ranges is that they’re made in gas or electric models. Both types have advantages and drawbacks.
Gas appliances are more powerful, and better suited for large scale commercial operations. The gas appliances heat up quickly and are usually more durable. For preparing meals, gas ovens are the better type for culinary chefs. Gas fryers and stoves are often in commercial kitchens because they offer more power. Overall, this type of commercial range has less components and is easier to maintain and require less commercial repair.
However, commercial electric ranges offer benefits too. For example, electric stoves provide better baking features – such as convection. Electric commercial appliances are usually easier and safer to cook with, as well as cost-effective. A majority of small appliances, including toasters, are exclusively electric.
Different Types of Commercial Appliances
There are many different commercial appliances for purchase, all of which are designed for your exact needs. Here are a few of the various types of commercial appliances that you can purchase.
Commercial Exhaust Hoods
Exhaust hoods are necessary part of a commercial kitchen. They are needed for safe use of the kitchen, plus keeping in line with health standards.
Exhaust hoods offer a few different purposes. They can be used to reduce fumes, steam, and hot air from a commercial kitchen while cooking. They can also be used to get rid of grease and food particles.
No commercial kitchen could function unless there is a proper ventilation system. There are several different brands of commercial exhaust hoods for purchase for your kind of kitchen and spacial requirements.
Commercial Walk-In Freezers
A walk-in freezer isn’t an appliance you would see in a residential kitchen! However, they’re very common in restaurants. These enormous freezers are mandatory for any business running at a high volume. Commercial kitchens have to have plenty of space to store frozen food and that is why a walk-in freezer is needed.
These commercial freezers are also important for kitchens that have to freeze very large objects or boxes that wouldn’t fit inside of a residential freezer. You can get many different sizes of walk-in freezers. They’re custom-made to the kind of room you have in your kitchen.
Commercial Walk-In Coolers
You can’t have a successful commercial kitchen without a lot of food. Commercial walk-in coolers are needed for keeping a lot of stock chilled. If you are running a very large scale restaurant, then a residential-sized refrigerator will not be enough. Walk-in coolers make it far easier to stash away food, as well as to easily grab out whatever you need. As with a commercial freezer, these commercial appliances will have to be specially fitted for your specific kitchen space.
Commercial Fryers
From chicken wings to french fries, a deep fryer can cook many tasty food in your kitchen. Some foods just cannot be cooked without a commercial fryer available. These are appliances that become invaluable assets for preparing appetizers and side dishes.
You can choose between electric or gas fryers. Electric fryers do take a little while longer to heat up, but they also recover quicker between frying cycles. They are also easier to cook with. Gas fryers are able to reach higher temperatures, and they also heat up faster than electric.
Beyond electric or gas, you can get stand-up fryers or countertop fryers. These can come in all kinds of different sizes and volumes, based on your needs.
Commercial Grills
The grill is generally the center of a kitchen. This is where so much of the hot food is cooked, and it is vital that your grill performs to your needs. Grills are available in all shapes and models, and it’s important to have the model that is best suited for whatever you’re cooking in your restaurant.
You can have electric or gas grills. Gas grills provide faster and higher heat. They also grill more evenly. Electric grills are typically cheaper and will have more functions. However, electric grills heat slower and can be difficult to maintain.
Commercial Steam Cooking Equipment
Steam cooking is a wonderful method that can be done for many types of foods. This style of cooking is energy-efficient and low-cost. Commercial steamers are available in countertop, floor, or microwave models. You can also get steam kettles, combi ovens, steam generators and portion steamers.
Steam cooking is very healthy, and also fast and efficient. It also provides a good way of keeping prepared food warm and not cooling.
Commercial Toasters
Commercial toasters are essential for kitchens and restaurants that offer breakfast. Toasters can vary widely, depending on what their use is. You can purchase flat press toasters (ideal for toast), commercial pop-up toasters, roller toasters, bun-grilling toasters and more. Even waffle irons fall under this category.
For commercial kitchens that serve a lot of breakfast foods, fast and efficient commercial toasters are very important.
Commercial Specialty Cooking Equipment
Some special food items cannot be cooked with regular appliances – especially if you require them prepared at a high rate. This is where specialized cooking appliances comes in.
Specialty equipment serves a custom unique purpose. If you’re focused on preparing something specific, you probably want the exact tool for the job. This equipment might include pasta cookers, sous vide immersion circulators and more.
Commercial Appliances In Review
Building a commercial kitchen can feel like a difficult task. It’s very important you understand the kind of commercial equipment available for purchase beforehand. The commercial appliances that you decide on will need to be specifically based on your kitchen space, and the types of food that you’ll be serving.
Within the different categories of commercial appliances, there are so many brands available. Choosing the correct appliance for the job can make the difference to the success of your restaurant.