The Essential Guide to Commercial Kitchen Equipment

Equipping your kitchen with the right equipment is the key to serving food that customers will keep returning for. Whether you’re opening a cafe, expanding a fried chicken shop, or looking to upgrade the facilities in your convenience store, the equipment you use will determine the future success of your business. Here’s our comprehensive guide to the essential equipment we think every commercial kitchen needs to have.

Fryers

From perfectly crispy fries to succulent fried chicken, a high-quality fryer is a non-negotiable for businesses offering freshly fried food. The ideal fryer offers precise temperature control, energy efficiency, and pre-programmable recipes so you can be sure you’re getting the perfect cook each time. We recommend looking for models like the Henny Penny GVE Open Fryer or the QualityFry IQ635 ventless commercial fryer, which reduce oil consumption, are incredibly easy to clean, and cut down energy consumption.

High Capacity Grills

For cafes that offer a lot of grilled dishes and burgers, a high-capacity grill is a must. Grills like the Taylor Double Sided Clam Grills sear products from the top and bottom simultaneously, locking in natural juices and eliminating the need for flipping. Extremely fast and offering a consistent cook without the need for a skilled operator, grills like this are perfect for small kitchens that need to pump out quality food quickly. Look for grills that have digital temperature and cook controls, easy-clean surfaces, and durable materials that will withstand constant use.

Combi Ovens

Combi ovens offer three main cooking modes – steam, dry convection, and combi mode – as well as special programs for rethermalisation, cook & hold, overnight cooking, confit, and more. These ovens are ideal for cafe kitchens that might be lacking in space, but still want to offer a more diverse menu. The Retigo Blue Vision Combi Oven is one we recommend, with its pre-programmed cooking cycles, touch screen controls, and self-cleaning features.

Speed Ovens

Speed ovens use impinged air convection technology combined with microwave capabilities to minimise cooking times without sacrificing quality. These ovens are perfect for fast-paced environments like fast-food shops, cafes or convenience stores, where a quick turnaround is essential. Ovens like the Pratica Fit Express can be programmed with up to 1024 recipes, have easy-to-use controls, IoT, a removable catalytic converter, and will fit in even the smallest of kitchens as they don’t require a vent.

Heated Holding Solutions

When you need to keep food at the perfect temperature until it’s ready to be served, your kitchen can’t be without a heated holding solution. These units will maintain the integrity, quality, and safety of your prepared dishes so that customers get hot, fresh food very quickly. Units like the Henny Penny Heated Holding Cabinets offer accurate temperature setting and monitoring, pass-through or solid back options, smart hold humidity control, flip doors, and quality control countdown timers.

Conveyor Ovens

Conveyor ovens are perfect for high-volume kitchens, allowing for continuous cooking without the need for constant supervision. These types of ovens are very popular in pizzerias and cafes, and options like the XLT Countertop 1620 are compact enough to fit on your kitchen counter, without the need for an exhaust canopy.

 

We can’t stress enough how crucial it is to invest in the right commercial kitchen equipment. Each piece of equipment plays a part in improving the speed of your service, while keeping quality consistent and your customers happy. Whether you’re frying, grilling, baking, or holding food at the perfect temperature, the right tools make all the difference. If you’re ready to start equipping your kitchen, reach out to the team to have a chat.