Restaurant Equipment List: The Ultimate Buyers Guide

Commercial kitchen equipment plays a crucial role in the proper functioning of a restaurant. It has an impact on the food quality and service you provide to your consumers. Investing in high-quality cookware provides for easier preparation and cooking time, as well as improved flavor and texture in your recipes.

Some of the advantages of buying high-end equipment include:

Cooking like a pro with confidence
A noticeable difference in taste
Efficiency
Longevity

Kitchen Equipment that Every Restaurant Needs

It surely is important to buy high-quality tools, but buying unnecessary ones will simply add to your business costs. Here is a list of some of the major kitchen equipment that every restaurant needs:

1) Cooling equipment:

Refrigerators and Freezers

Depending on the size of your bar, restaurant, or café, you will need to purchase the appropriate commercial refrigerators and freezers. To keep their flavor and freshness, vegetables and other cooking ingredients must be stored at the proper temperature.

Ice makers:

If you run a bar or a cafe that serves a variety of beverages, you’ll surely need this tool to keep track of all those smoothies, shakes, and mint punches. Ice Makers are available in a variety of storage sizes to accommodate a variety of operations, depending on the number of customers you serve.

Display freezers:

Representation is an important component of any culinary establishment. Customers will be able to see pies and cheesecakes before ordering them if your restaurant has display freezers.

2) Heating equipment:

Ranges:

Standard range top widths span from 12 to 72 inches, commonly in 12- or 18-inch increments, with 36 inches being the most popular. There are models with four to ten burners, while commercial ranges with six or ten burners are the most common.

Ovens:

Today’s ovens are built to suit the temperature needs of a variety of cooking techniques. Conveyor ovens, high-speed ovens, toaster ovens, and rack ovens are just a handful of the ovens on the market today.

Grills:

To help you cook those ideal steaks and burgers, you’ll need to invest in high-quality grills for your restaurant.

Fryers:

Deep fryers can be used to broaden and enhance a menu, as well as increase profits, by serving great and unique fried appetizers, entrees, side dishes, and desserts to your guests.

3) Food prep equipment

Food processors and slicers:

Food processors make grating cheese, kneading bread, mincing meat, cutting vegetables, and preparing curry pastes faster.

Grinders and mixers:

Mixers are highly useful when it comes to intricate mixing, kneading, whipping, and beading various doughs and batters in bakeries and pizzerias.

Blenders:

Commercial blenders are designed to evenly combine food, beverages, and sauces, whether they are hot soups or frozen smoothies.

4) Food holding and warming equipment

You can keep your food delicious and ready to serve with the correct warming and holding equipment. It will bring your food to a safe warming temperature and maintain it for hours on end. Find your best match from our list:

Cabinets for heating and proofing
Heat lamps
Heated dispensers
Steam tables

5) Worktables & shelving

Racks and shelves have the ability to completely transform the dynamics of your restaurant. When space is limited, efficient storage becomes a top priority, and it can significantly improve your space.

Wall shelves and racks
Prep tables and counters

6) Dishwashing equipment:

It is essential to keep your plates, glassware, and tableware clean and shiny. Dishwashing equipment cuts down on the time needed to wash and dry them.

Sinks
Dishwashers
Equipment for cleaning and polishing glasses

7) Smallwares

Between dishes, who has time to stop and wash the tasting spoon? Your employees, not so much. Each chef in the kitchen should have access to a suitable number of tiny utensils.

Cooking pots and pans
Knives and spoons
Dinnerware

Tips for Buying Restaurant Equipment for Your Business

Now that you have a list of the equipment you’ll need in your kitchen, here are some tips for making your purchases:

When purchasing kitchen equipment, keep in mind your future expansion goals as well as your existing restaurant plans.
Make a precise budget to ensure that you do not overspend.
Make sure to purchase high-quality equipment at a reasonable price.
Before purchasing any restaurant equipment, you should first examine all regulatory requirements, including building, health, fire, and other municipal codes.
Check to see if the tools have been approved by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF).
Once you’ve discovered your equipment and know it’ll do the job, make sure you just buy what you need.

Choosing restaurant equipment is not as tough as one might imagine. It’s just a matter of finding the right appliance after you’ve implemented all the above steps and made a list. Investing in quality equipment will cost you a lot of money upfront, but it will be well worth it in the long run!

Need a small Business loan for your restaurant business? Whether you want to upgrade your equipment, hire more staff, or open a new restaurant location, we can help. You can get access to the necessary funds in just three steps. Check out Capital for Business funding solutions or apply for a business loan today.

Author BIO: Damon Shrauner, Senior Sales Consultant and VP on B2B Sales at ChefBuyer working in the foodservice equipment sector since 1994. With his expertise in market analysis, product placement, sales, and project management, he will always tell you what to do for the best of your business.

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