How the Type of Commercial Kitchen Equipment Affects Taste and Quality of Food

Any worker is only as good as the tools at their disposal, and the same holds true for any chef and kitchen staff at any restaurant. The commercial grade equipment in your kitchen is the foundation on which the taste and quality of your food rests. Using old, worn out or damaged equipment not only poses serious food and worker safety concerns, but it also directly affects what quality food your staff can produce and the nuances of flavor in the food itself. Which equipment has the greatest impact on quality and taste? Let’s take a look.

Refrigeration

Fresh, local ingredients are the mainstay of any establishment, be it fine dining or a gastropub. Keeping your ingredients fresh for as long as possible should be your first priority, and to do that you need high quality refrigeration that maintains freshness without affecting flavor.

Check the tags and dates for how long you’ve had your refrigeration and freezer units, and if they are more than ten years old they should be replaced. Proper routine maintenance and cleaning of the interior and workings of your refrigeration is also necessary to prevent buildup and poor cooling from affecting freshness and flavor.

Griddles, Ovens, and Ranges

A high quality commercial griddle can make or break your food preparation, and getting the quality of each cook and the flavors just right can be difficult if your equipment is old, poorly maintained or in need of repair. Worse still, inadequately or poorly maintained gas griddles pose a serious health and safety risk to your kitchen staff.

The same holds true of ranges and ovens, too. In addition to the food code requirement of daily cleaning, if your oven or range is not functioning properly, it isn’t cooking properly. Uneven heating causes uneven cooking, hot spots and hidden raw portions of prepared foods. Nobody wants to eat partially cold food, and it definitely doesn’t set the customer's taste buds dancing.

Cookware

Pots and pans can begin to heat food unevenly over time with repeated use. The daily heating and cooling fatigues the metal, resulting in unpredictable food quality results. Furthermore, the more your cookware is used, the more oils and flavors are seasoned into the metal over time despite daily scouring and cleaning.

Over time, this directly affects the taste of your cuisine and often sours your customer on making return visits. Keep your commercial grade cookware as clean as you can, scour it regularly, and exchange it when your staff begins to notice inconsistencies in performance.

Fryers

The quality of your fried food is wholly dependent on the quality of your deep fryer and how well it is serviced and maintained. Exchanging your cooking oil regularly is only the first step: you also need to have it routinely drained and cleaned to keep particles of food from collecting on the surface of your deep fryer and affecting the flavor and quality of your fried delicacies.

Keep in mind the lifespan of a commercial grade deep fryer is about ten years as well, so check the labels and tags to see if you are due for a replacement. It may seem like an inconvenient expense, but if it keeps new customers coming in and old customers singing your praises, it will be well worth it.

Dishwasher

Clean dishes can make or break the quality of your plating and the flavor of the food you serve. Using a commercial grade dishwasher for your place settings saves your staff time and ensures every meal is served on pristine plates with sparkling flatware at the ready.

Mixers, Blenders and Other Kitchen Appliances

In bakeries and pastry shops, your commercial mixers are the heart of your operation. WIthout them, you cannot craft the food that delights your customers and keeps them coming back for more.

Using an underpowered or poorly maintained mixer means poorly mixed dough and ingredients, which reduces the quality of your food and may compromise your signature flavor and texture. All your commercial kitchen appliances are vulnerable to this particular flaw, and all of them should be inspected regularly.

Additionally, be sure to use only food grade lubricant on all moving parts. Whether it’s a deli slicer or a food processor, using food grade lubricants will not compromise flavor or texture. More importantly, it’s the only type of machine lubricant permitted to maintain your appliances to food code standards.

Are you in need of new or well-maintained commercial grade kitchen equipment for your restaurant? Texas Restaurant Supply has everything you need to keep your kitchen running at peak efficiency without compromising quality or flavor. Contact us today for more information.