The Essential Restaurant Kitchen Equipment List

When starting your restaurant, there are so many different things you need to get before you can open your doors and start taking orders. You need a location, a menu, a chef - all kinds of elements that need to work together to ensure that you succeed. However, once you’ve found your dream spot, the next step will be to get the right equipment.

Although the specific items will differ based on the kind of restaurant you open (i.e., bakery, burger joint, fine dining, etc.), we’ve compiled a list of restuarant essential equipments that almost everyone will need at some point. Let’s check them out.

Refrigeration

No matter what you’re serving, most of your food will need to be refrigerated. Depending on your space restrictions, you will want to decide between a walk-in or reach-in refrigerator. Both options have advantages and disadvantages, so you need to be sure that you’re using the right one for your restaurant. Here is a quick breakdown.

Walk-In Pros

Excellent for bulk storage

Ideal for receiving boxed items

Customizable to fit in your space

Additional storage above (if possible)

Walk-In Cons

Doesn’t work for cooling hot foods

Not ideal for “working” conditions - opening the door frequently

Higher initial investment

Reach-in Pros

Perfect for working conditions (open and closing)

More cost-effective at first

Different sizes available can fit almost anywhere

Reach-in Cons

Not as much storage space

Overfilling can affect cooling capabilities

Can be noisy and vent heat into the restaurant

Overall, you may require a combination of walk-in and several reach-ins for your restaurant. You will want to take a look at the kinds of foods you’re preparing, as well as how you will use them throughout the day.

Another thing to consider is getting freezers as well. Again, you can choose a walk-in or reach-in model, which will depend on how much-frozen food you have to store at a time. Typically, reach-in freezers are perfect, unless you have a lot of bulk product getting delivered regularly.

Grills and Ovens

Assuming that you’re not just preparing and selling cold food, you will need a grill for your restaurant. When talking about grills, you can choose between a flat-top or a range. Flat-top grills are highly versatile and can be used for all kinds of foods. Range grills are perfect for cooking meats (i.e., grill marks) or boiling water and soups.

As with your refrigeration, you may need one of each to manage all of the different items on your menu. Also, an oven may be necessary, particularly if you’re making baked goods. One of the benefits of a range grill is that they usually come with an oven as well.

Fryer

Not all restaurants need a deep fryer, but if you do, then you want to get one that is sufficiently sized for the number of fried dishes you’ll be serving. Some fryers can have multiple stations, which enables you to cook different items at the same time.

Slicer

Whether you’re cutting meats, cheeses, or veggies, a high-quality slicer is a must. These machines come in a variety of sizes, and you can customize them to create any width necessary for a perfect slice every time.

Mixer

You may think that a commercial mixer is only necessary for a bakery, but the fact is that most restaurants benefit from having one of these devices in the kitchen. Mixers are highly versatile machines, making them an essential part of any restaurant.

Countertops and Prep Tables

Although you may be able to find a restaurant space with tables and counters already installed, there’s a good chance that you will have to reconfigure the kitchen to suit your particular needs. Typically speaking, you want stainless steel tables, since they are easy to clean and maintain. In addition, get several large cutting boards for preparing all kinds of dishes.

Contact Texas Restaurant Supply Today!

No matter what your equipment needs are, Texas Restaurant Supply is sure to have the right items at an affordable price. Make sure that you start your new business the right way with the best machinery. Call us (972) 579-4612 to find out more and browse our selection today!