Thinking about opening a restaurant?

From finding suitable premises to acquiring the relevant leases, licenses, and permits – there’s a lot to
consider.

Add to this the carefully planned layout of your commercial kitchen, the marketing of your business, and the industrial-grade equipment required, the start-up costs can mount up quickly.

It’s only right that you want your waiters, hosts, and kitchen staff to be equipped with the necessary tools to do their job day-in, day-out – but which are classed as ‘essential’?

Typically, it depends on the type of food you’ll be serving and the type of service you’ll offer (i.e. a dine-in restaurant, café, or takeaway).

With that said, there are a few pieces of apparatus that are commonplace in all food service establishments.

To help you determine what you need, Stainless Steel Manufacturing & Equipment Ltd (SSME) have compiled a list of 7 tools every commercial kitchen should have.

Essential commercial kitchen equipment

1. Dinnerware

From soup bowls to dessert plates, sandwich platters, and teacups and saucers, there are several items you can acquire for your restaurant.

It’s helpful to think about the number of seats in your restaurant, which dishes will be most popular, and the type of dishware these require. To accommodate for busy spells and the occasional kitchen mishap, it’s worth having extra plates, platters, and bowls too.

2. Fire extinguisher

It goes without saying that safety in your commercial kitchen is of utmost importance, for your kitchen staff and paying customers.

Cooking at high temperatures, and the build-up of fat and oil on equipment, increase the risk of a fire breaking out.

Therefore, the temperature in the kitchen needs to be controlled to prevent systems and people from overheating, and a fire extinguisher must be accessible at all times.

3. Kitchen appliances

We’re talking ovens, stoves, griddles, freezers, and refrigerators.

Most commercial kitchens will have a standard oven, but there are several different options available.

For example, combination ovens (or combi ovens for short) allow you to roast, steam, smoke, fry, bake and grill food. Whereas pizza ovens, as their name implies, are for making deep-pan, thin-crust and stuffed crust pizzas.

When it comes to ranges (stoves) and grills, you have the choice of gas or electric. Both have their perks – with gas appliances continuing to work during power outages and electric ones reducing the risk of fire and/or gas leaks.

Keeping food fresh in your commercial kitchen is key, and that’s why you should invest in a refrigerator that’s big enough to stow all refrigerated items. A walk-in freezer can also be a boon in such environments, allowing you to reach products with ease as and when you need them.

4. Kitchen cutlery and utensils

Utensils, such as knives, forks, whisks, spatulas and ladles are an absolute must in all kitchens.

These tools allow you to create delicious dishes for guests, presenting them on the plate beautifully. Plus, cutting foods with the appropriate cutlery provides a clean, savoury taste.

Designed to fit in drawers, hang on hooks along the wall or slot into blocks, storing and cleaning such items is straightforward.

5. Stainless steel storage racks

Every kitchen needs shelving and storage for dry goods, utensils and other equipment.

Luckily, there is a wide range of stationary and mobile storage racks on the market today, allowing you to pick the product that will best suit your spatial needs.

Though your choice of material will depend on your budget, use and personal preference, stainless steel and aluminium trays, trolleys and dollies are an excellent choice. Easy to clean and extremely sturdy, they can hold all manner of items and won’t rust.

6. Stainless steel sinks

Sinks are a staple in commercial environments, typically used for pot washing, food preparation and handwashing in restaurant kitchens.

Again, stainless steel is the material of choice for sinks in such spaces, mostly because of its longevity, durability and ease of cleaning.

Stainless steel sinks are available in a choice of styles – including knee-operated and sensor-operated basins which reduce the need to touch taps, as well as single and double utensil sinks, Belfast sinks and bucket sinks.

7. Stainless steel worktop tables

Great for chopping vegetables, dicing meat and plating up meals, food prep tables are crucial for restaurant businesses.

Given that staff will be using these surfaces for different types of preparation work, you want something versatile and long-lasting – something like a stainless steel table with wheels. These can be moved out of the way whilst you clean behind them, and you can use the castors to secure them to the floor.

Sometimes, stainless steel furniture incorporates shelves, which is great for keeping items off the ground, protecting them against contamination.

Order stainless steel equipment from SSME

Whether you’re looking for a stainless steel sink or a storage unit for your commercial kitchen, we’re confident we can help here at SSME.

Our extensive range of equipment is manufactured in-house using grade 304/316 stainless steel. Drawing on our vast industry experience, we can design and create stainless steel equipment that not only suits your business needs but also withstands daily use.

To find out more about the equipment we provide, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts. Either give us a call on 0121 661 6346 or email sales@ssmeltd.co.uk, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.