5 Kitchen Equipment Every Good Restaurant Needs By John Burton Posted on October 10, 2018 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Whether you are just opening a restaurant or have been in business for years, one of your main goals is having a kitchen able to be efficient and satisfy the needs of your customers. To do so, there are certain pieces of equipment that your kitchen should have. Below are 5 of them and if you purchase them you will notice that your operation will run smoothly. 1. Refrigeration equipment A restaurant requires cold storage to keep food fresh for longer. There are many freezers and coolers available depending on size and budget. The type of refrigeration unit will also depend on the size and type of your business. If your restaurant deals with food that needs freezing like seafood and meat you may require a freezer. Freezers are also useful if you have a large restaurant as they are more spacious and convenient. For a smaller restaurant, you may consider smaller coolers and reach-in refrigerators. When purchasing your refrigeration equipment, select a high-quality refrigeration unit that gives maximum kitchen efficiency in terms of energy consumption and food preservation. This way, your perishable foods stay fresh while saving on energy bills. 2. Shelving Shelving is another storage option for your food and other kitchen equipment. Some of the things you can store on the shelving units include food ingredients, non-perishable food items, and utensils. Shelving makes your kitchen organized which enables the operations in your kitchen to run smoothly. You can use shelving units with lockable wheels if you need to move it around the kitchen. This improves efficiency as you can always bring the shelves to within your reach. When setting up your shelving units, consider shelves and racks made from durable material to prevent rusting when in contact with water. They should also be caged in order to avoid breaking delicate items like glasses. 3. Oven An oven is a must-have for any kitchen. You will need to heat food for your customers or prepare meals using an oven. Your oven will determine the dining experience of your customers. You should, therefore, choose the best commercial kitchen ovens. There are two types of ovens available. You can purchase a conventional oven or a convection oven. Your business needs will determine which oven you will buy. A conventional oven is cheaper and easy to use. The convection ovens cook food faster and can cook multiple items at once. 4. Slicers There is always a lot of cutting going on in a restaurant kitchen. To reduce this workload, you will need slicers. Slicers can cut meat, vegetables, and other foods quickly and with precision. There are different slicers available on the market. These include vegetable slicers, meat slicers, and cheese slicers just to mention a few. These slicers are also categorized as manual and electric slicers. Manual slicers are cheaper and preferred for low volume cutting while electric slicers should be used when you have a large volume of food to cut. Besides consistent slicing, slicers save time and labor. 5. Ranges A commercial range is another essential commercial restaurant equipment that you will need for your kitchen. A range can be used for various cooking functions like boiling and grilling. A commercial range has several separate cooking areas that use electricity or gas to cook. This allows you to use several cooking methods with the same equipment. Gas ranges have a good visual appeal, and they change fast from high heat to low heat. Electric ranges, on the other hand, are easier to clean, allowing you to be in compliance with policies and regulations of health agencies.