Running a commercial kitchen is both rewarding and challenging. As exciting as it may be, there’s always the pressure of providing quality food consistently. A growing business will see your team experiencing more pressure as your customer base grows. How effective productivity is will depend on the quality of your kitchen equipment.
Investing in top-notch commercial equipment features highly on the list of must-haves for many Australian kitchen owners. Common appliances invested in often include everything from a large roll-in blast freezer to mixer kettles and combi ovens.
Get the Right Equipment as Early as Possible
Anyone working in a commercial or industrial kitchen will agree that food prep, cooking, and storage take up a lot of time. This is especially true if you’re offering full meal services all day or trying to specialise in complex meals.
If you’re making more than sandwiches and coffee in your corner café or commercial kitchen, then we urge you to keep reading. Here’s a list of some of the more common appliances that will streamline many of your prep and cooking tasks.
1: Blast Chillers Allow for Cooling Without Freezing
Every commercial or industrial kitchen will benefit from using a blast chiller. Also called flash freezers, these appliances are designed to rapidly cool raw or cooked food to a safe storage temperature. The essential difference between a traditional freezer and a blast chiller is that the latter blows cool air over food to keep it at a specific temperature rather than freezing it.
Without the freezing factor, you won’t have to thaw food before serving it and also won’t have to deal with sogginess or freezer burn. Blast chillers are perfect for ensuring food safety and preventing food from developing bacteria due to insufficient storage temperatures. Safe food storage is essential to prevent foodborne illnesses and food spoilage.
These nifty appliances are remarkably versatile and can typically be used to cool drinks, wines, salads, and ice cream. There’s also less food wastage as you’re less likely to have spoiled produce. A wide range of sizes and styles makes it easy to find the best unit for your space and unique needs.
2: Cook Up a Storm With the Right Oven
Combination (combi) ovens are excellent for cooking a variety of foods. Not only do these ovens cook food consistently, but they also heat ingredients faster than standard ovens. They also don’t need to be preheated and are more energy-efficient.
A wide range of different sizes and capacities makes it easy to find the best model for your kitchen needs. Food can easily be prepared in any or all of the following ways:
- Grill
- Smoke
- Poach
- Roast
- Steam
- Shallow fry
- Bake
Investing in a quality combi oven will reduce the need for several other appliances. Having one appliance that performs so many functions not only frees up your staff but also eliminates the clutter of appliances standing all over the place.
3: Use Top-Notch Mixer Kettles to Blend and Cook in Bulk
If you’re kitchen staff spend a lot of time preparing ingredients in bulk or making sauces and soups, then you’ll need a quality mixer and cooker combo. Mixer kettles are the perfect combination of a cooker and a mixer and are excellent for preparing food types such as:
- Sauces
- Salad dressings
- Purees
- Marinades
- Soups
With mixer kettles, the primary goal is to create consistent blending where you don’t want lumpy ingredients. Since mixer kettles boast precise temperature control features, you’ll be guaranteed evenly distributed ingredients and consistency every time.
Preparing or blending thicker ingredients is made simple by changing the mixer blades. Mixer kettles are ideal for preparing and cooking large volumes of ingredients, which can be stored for use at different times. Some mixer kettle models can self-wash, which frees up another task that takes up considerable time in every busy kitchen.
4: Take the Slow Pace Out of Peeling Vegetables
Some kitchen staff spend a considerable amount of time peeling and chopping vegetables. This is especially the case if you’re using fresh veggies rather than their frozen counterparts. If this is the case, it may be a good idea to invest in the necessary vegetable peeling appliance.
Aside from saving time, vegetable peelers also ensure that your ingredients are always cut and shaped consistently. There’s no need to worry about stir-fry strips or chips being too thin or too thick. Some of the more common vegetable peelers to consider include the following:
- Onion or garlic peelers
- Potato & carrot peelers
- Leaf vegetable cutters
- Continuous dicing and strip-cutting machines
Final Thoughts
You may already have a host of smaller, countertop appliances which are ideal for smaller meals. When you start preparing food for a bustling restaurant kitchen, you will need to upgrade to quality appliances capable of preparing and cooking on a much larger scale. Investing in a few quality appliances will take the stress out of food prep. It’s the most effective way to streamline work processes and produce the best quality foods all the time!
