Essential Equipment Every Commercial Restaurant Needs

Whether you’re new to the restaurant industry or you’re returning after a long hiatus, you’re probably wondering what you need to get going.

We get that.

You need to be prepared for whatever comes your way, and as the saying goes, it’s better to have it and not need it than need and not have it.

Now, with that said, we made sure that everything on this list applies to most restaurants, but if you don’t need it, you can scratch it off the list and keep reading.

Let’s get straight into the list!

Ovens.

If you have a kitchen, it needs to have an oven. As everyone knows, it’s a central piece of equipment that a kitchen would be lost without. However, the type of oven that you need can vary pretty widely depending on what type of cooking you’ll be doing.

You should keep the size, quality, functionality and primarily the type of oven in mind. As you may know, there are commercial ovens (which is a must), convection ovens, pizza ovens and conveyor ovens.

Next up, we have something just as essential.

Ranges And Ventilation.

Ranges and ventilation are vital to the smooth operation of your kitchen. Ranges are a key component of your cooking equipment, and ventilation ensures that the fumes don’t overwhelm you or your staff.

Again, you need to keep in mind what cooking you’ll be doing. But there are two types of ranges to concern yourself with, electric and gas. Gas ranges have been renowned for their temperature control, whereas electric ranges have excellent efficiency.

As far as ventilation is concerned, you should be looking at air volume flow rate, static pressure, energy efficiency, size and finally, noise.

Moving on, we have..

Mixers.

Mixers come in as many shapes and sizes as ovens do, and also, like ovens, they’re important to have. That’s especially true if you’re trying to make any sort of bread or dessert. When you shop for a mixer, things like the volume of food you’ll be making and how often you’ll use it are important factors.

Just as a quick overview, there are hand mixers that are also known as stick mixers or immersion blenders. Those mixers are excellent for making sauces or soups.

Then there are floor mixers that are the most popular in commercial kitchens. They are high-powered and can mix large amounts in a short period. So if you’re going to mix a high volume of food often, then it's a must-have.

Lastly, there are countertop mixers. These are the ones that you’ll most likely see at a bakery or a home kitchen. If you don’t have a lot of space to work with, they aren’t a bad option.

Refrigerators And Freezers.

This may seem like a simple purchase, but be sure that you consider the amount of food you’ll need to store, what temperature you need to keep it and the amount of space available. If you have the option, you should ideally go for a reach-in refrigerator or a walk-in if you find yourself with the space.

Safety Equipment.

This is the last thing that we’ll mention here because it’s one of the most important, above all other things you need to know that you and your staff are covered in the case of an emergency.

Things such as fire extinguishers, first aid kits, rubber slip-proof floor mats, oven mitts, and security cameras should all be at the top of your list.

In conclusion, there’s still a long list of items that a commercial restaurant needs to have on hand. However, in the interest of saving you time, we went with these that we deemed most essential.

We hope that you can find them with ease and get up and running as soon as possible!