Commercial Kitchen Part Power Rankings
With college football underway, it put us in the mood for some power rankings. As the largest CFESA certified company in the state of Ohio, we thought it would be appropriate to rank the most important pieces of a commercial kitchen.
Of course, this is opinion-based, and depending on your restaurant format, some kitchen parts are much more important than others. Excluding dining room furniture, delivery vehicles and other customer-service items, we kept this list strictly in the kitchen and gave it our best shot!
#10: Coffee Maker
Regardless of what type of restaurant you own, chances are a few caffeine addicts will walk through your doors every day. For your employees, working in a kitchen is a tiresome job, and the boost they get from their morning and afternoon coffee can be essential to their performance and the performance of your restaurant.
#9: Disposals
For as hard as we try not to be wasteful, food waste is simply a reality in the restaurant industry. A properly placed and functioning garbage disposal is the best way to deal with leftover food. In addition, oil disposals are great for recycling your frying oil and cooking grease.
#8: Food Prep Equipment
This includes meat slicers, food processors, salad spinners and all the other modern gadgets that help commercial kitchens run more efficiently. If you own a deli and slice meat every day or own a bar and serve blended cocktails or smoothies, high-grade commercial meat slicers and blenders would be much higher on this list.
#7: Knives
There are many chefs out there that will argue for knives as the most important kitchen tool. With the massive variety of commercial kitchen knives, these utensils are a staple for several applications in the kitchen.
#6: Ventilation/Exhaust Systems
Without proper ventilation, your commercial kitchen will not only cause your customers to leave smelling like the food they just ate, but also cause major health and safety concerns for everyone who works in your kitchen.
#5: Tables/Shelves/Carts
Table space is an absolute must for food preparation, and proper shelving can help smaller commercial kitchens utilize space in the best way possible. Additionally, transporting carts are one of the most convenient, yet most overlooked – aspects of a well-running commercial kitchen.
#4: Dishwashers/Sinks
While health inspectors might crack down on a lack of proper ventilation, they will definitely come down hard on kitchens without proper sanitary stations. Quality commercial sinks and dishwashers, where washing, rinsing and sanitizing takes place, are essential to maintaining a clean, healthy kitchen.
#3: Electrical Equipment
Sometimes it’s the smallest parts that are the most important (and can cost you the most money when they break). Electrical equipment easily comes in at #3 because every other item in this list relies on switches, wiring, cables and all the other small pieces that hold everything together and ensure a properly functioning kitchen.
#2: Refrigerator/Freezer
With modern-day refrigeration being less than 200 years old, it’s hard to fathom how any food was effectively stored before this technology. Refrigeration allows perishable food to last much longer and is largely responsible for the growth of restaurants. As the commercial refrigeration market continues to grow, it’s hard to rank refrigeration any lower than #2. Additional perk: this is how your beer stays cold.
#1: Stove/Oven
Finally, at #1, it’s heat. You know, what humans have been using to cook for millennia. Before refrigeration, electrical equipment, and sanitation, people were cooking their food over an open fire. Fast forward to today, and there are convection ovens, microwave ovens, Combi ovens, bakery ovens, roasters, smokers, toasters and many other types of commercial stoves and ovens that allow restaurants to cook and bake effectively.
There you have it – our 2016 commercial kitchen part power rankings! Does your restaurant need OEM parts or trained service technicians to fix your equipment? Get in touch with us here. Do you agree or disagree with our power rankings? Let us know!
