The effectiveness of your food production facility is based on how great your equipment is. The type of food slicer, meat grinder, griddle, food dehydrator or stove that you will need is based on what you plan on cooking and how much you intend to cook.
Durability
The more frequently you will be using your restaurant equipment, the more durable it will need to be. Many options, such as food slicers, come with both light and heavy-duty options. For griddles, thicker griddles are recommended if they will be used frequently because they will be able to better withstand the stresses of heating and cooling down repeatedly.
Compatibility
What you will be preparing will affect the quality of the equipment you will need to use. For instance, cheese is one of the most difficult products to cut with a food slicer. You will need a heavy duty slicer and it may be more practical to use an automatic, electric slicer rather than a manual one.
Grade
Always buy commercial-grade equipment. For instance, there are meat grinders that are designed for general consumers, but you will need a powerful meat grinder with a lot of horsepower if you will be running a butchery. You will also need different-sized blades depending on what you will be preparing. In order to improve your efficiency, it may make sense to use a meat grinder capable of cutting through frozen meat.
Taste
Since you are running a commercial kitchen, it is especially important to choose equipment that will not affect the taste of your final product. Chrome is the best finish because it is less likely to transfer flavor from one food product to another. Also, your ability to clean your equipment will play a major role in how the final product tastes. Make sure that you also have a range hood that can properly ventilate the kitchen to remove odors.
Size
Always purchase a version that is the commercial size. When the unit is smaller, you will simply not be able to get enough work done. For example, food dehydrators come in both a small size and a commercial size. Commercial ranges come with two types:
- Restaurant grade ranges
- Heavy-duty grade ranges
The heavy-duty grade ranges are typically used for restaurants that have 150 seats or more. These are most often used for large facilities, such as hospitals and cafeterias. It may be tempting to choose your equipment based on price. However, it is better to choose equipment based on how much business you are expecting to do because equipment that is less expensive will wear out more quickly, need to be replaced sooner and will cost you more money overall.
Consider the dimensions of the food you will be preparing. For instance, depending on the type of food slicer, the meat might not fit. When choosing a range, do not only consider what you are cooking now, but what you may plan to place on the menu in the future and whether you would need a larger range.
Control
If you will be hiring and training new chefs, it is a good idea to choose equipment that is easy to control. For instance, a range that offers precise control over the temperature can help the chef achieve the right result. Experienced chefs are able to choose the right temperature, but more precise controls may even be useful for them.
If you have equipment that you feel just doesn’t fit your needs, it may be a good idea to purchase custom-made commercial equipment. You may need to have your equipment modified so that it fits in your space or you may need equipment that comes with a higher capacity. The welders at McCutchen N J Inc. offer welding services that may serve your installation and repair needs.