Each restaurant needs different commercial kitchen equipment so it is up to you to tailor your equipment layout to the needs of your restaurant.
Organizing and laying out a commercial kitchen is not an easy task and you may need some professional help. There are a number of professionals whose main area of specialization is laying out and designing a commercial kitchen. Some of the resources you can use include interior designers with a background experience in restaurant design or restaurant designers. Restaurant equipment dealers may also have some knowledge of how to arrange commercial kitchen equipment.
Where To Get Commercial Kitchen Equipment Cheap
Before discussing all about how you should group kitchen equipment in your restaurant, you should know the best place to get the equipment at a relatively cheap price.
One of the best places to get good deals on restaurant kitchen equipment is through equipment leasing companies. Leasing companies offer startups and even established restaurants a means to acquire equipment at relatively low prices.
Leasing kitchen equipment has many advantages apart from being the least costly option of acquiring equipment. First, it offers tax advantages. According to Section 179 of the United States IRS code, you are entitled to 50% bonus depreciation and you can deduct full purchase price on qualifying equipment.
It’s an incentive created by the U.S government to encourage small business owners purchase equipment and invest in themselves. In order for you to qualify for Section 179, you need to lease new or used equipment during tax year 2013.
When you lease equipment, you are also entitled to free upgrades. This means that at the end of your lease, you can decide to use equipment from a different manufacturer or brand, at no extra cost.
Moreover, leasing offers you a certain degree of flexibility. For instance, you can negotiate with your equipment lessor to give you a deferred lease. This type of a lease is ideal for businesses that need to be in operation for a few months before they can start generating any profits. Some equipment leasing companies can give you a 60-90 day deferred lease where you don’t have to make monthly payments for 60-90 days.
Laying Out Your Commercial Kitchen Equipment
When laying out equipment in your commercial kitchen, all pieces of cooking equipment should be under a hood, except for the microwave oven. The hood keeps the kitchen safe by pulling out excessive heat and harmful fumes. You may, therefore, need to have several hoods depending on how many pieces of equipment you have.
Center your char-boilers, griddles, and ranges. This equipment has exposed cooking surfaces and they generate a lot of heat so you have to ensure that they are centered beneath a large hood or they all have their own dedicated hood.
Ovens should be under their own hood. Many restaurants that invest in standalone ovens like commercial convection ovens or pizza deck ovens, do not cook other types of food so they will need one exhaust for the oven. If your plan to do all kinds of cooking from frying to grilling, then you should put a hood over each oven.
Don’t keep fryers together. When using commercial deep fryers, there will always be oil splashes and this may raise some concerns. To prevent the griddle top from being splattered with oil, place a small commercial work table to separate other pieces of equipment from the fryer.
Keep your simmering equipment in one place. Stock pot ranges, tilting skillets and steam kettles are used for boiling water, broths, stews and soups. If you plan to use them in your restaurant, consider keeping them all together in one place.
You should also separate your refrigeration from the cooking block. The main purpose for doing this is so as to maximize energy efficiency.
Summary
There is no definite rule for arranging your commercial kitchen equipment. It all comes down to your particular needs and the space you have available. Remember that where you place your equipment should reduce the number of steps your employee has to make. This will reduce the amount of fatigue, discomfort and injury in the kitchen. A well arranged kitchen is integral to profitable food production, safe and efficient.
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