Commercial kitchen equipment plays a critical role in the proper functioning of any food industry. It has an impact on the food quality and service you provide to your consumers. Your team will be able to cook meals more rapidly with the correct kitchen equipment, which will in turn positively affect your service time.
Why You Need Professional Cooking Equipment
A well-organized kitchen is continuously looking for ways to improve its catering. It is also recommended that you choose a commercial kitchen with multiple divisions to make your kitchen efficient, appealing, and easy to use. Cooking with compact equipment that can be used for multiple purposes saves both room and time.
Consider the following factors while selecting and listing professional cooking equipment that your restaurant requires:
Equipment that reduces energy costs
Low-energy equipment contributes to lower energy costs. The money saved can be utilized to repair or purchase other essential equipment.
Easy-to-clean equipment
For any commercial kitchen, cleanliness and hygiene are paramount. In the restaurant industry, equipment that can be cleaned effectively and in a short amount of time is highly valued.
Time and space-saving tools
Measuring and planning the location of the equipment ahead of time saves space and allows your employees to move around freely. This reduces workplace collisions and injuries. Any professional kitchen should have tools that allow your team to work efficiently without disrupting the work of a coworker.
Equipment that complies with sanitation regulations
Purchasing equipment without first ensuring that it complies with sanitary norms and regulations can lead to complications in the long term. Health code violations can have a negative influence on a restaurant's reputation.
Old and rotting equipment should be changed immediately because it may violate health rules, resulting in illness and food poisoning.
6 Food Safety Tips When Using Commercial Cooking Equipment
With consumers becoming increasingly worried about where their food comes from, how it is cooked, and if it is genuinely safe to eat, it is vital to practice hygiene-promoting habits and observe kitchen safety standards.
Some of the food safety tips that you can follow in your kitchen include:
Clean and sanitize regularly
Clean and sanitize your kitchen’s cutting boards, plates, countertops, and other surfaces regularly using hot soapy water or a tiny amount of commercial bleach or cleaner. If you're not sure, check with your local health department to see what they demand in terms of food preparation and sanitation.
Maintaining kitchen equipment
Cross-contamination, rodent infestations, and grease build-up can all cause health problems for your customers and employees if your commercial kitchen equipment isn't cleaned and repaired regularly. Regular maintenance also helps save costs.
Cook food at the right temperature
A meat thermometer should be used to assess the temperature of any sort of meat being prepared and cooked in a professional kitchen. To avoid contamination of cooked meats by raw meats, you should use multiple meat thermometers for different types of meat.
Use personal protective equipment while cooking
In the kitchen, using health department-approved gloves, hairnets, face masks, and aprons can help to limit the risk of infection. This protects your personnel and customers without interfering with the cooking process.
Avoid cross-contamination
Cross-contamination, in which bacteria from raw meat or poultry are transmitted to ready-to-eat meals, is a common cause of food poisoning. Raw produce, raw uncooked meat, poultry, shellfish, and eggs should all be prepared on separate cutting boards. You can use a color-coded system or identify each board with its intended use. Find what works best in your kitchen, but make sure the boards are kept separate. The use of separate utensils and meat thermometers should also be encouraged.
Label food by date
Food should be labeled by date to avoid the use of rotten food. This way food can be used before it reaches its expiration date, reducing food wastage. Remember to use the FIFO or First In, First Out method. Don't be scared to toss out expired food that you shouldn’t be using.
Don’t let sick workers prepare food
Allowing unwell employees to touch customers' food can lead to contamination, which could result in your business being shut down by the local health authorities.
Properly store refrigerated foods
To prevent bacterial growth, refrigerators must be kept at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, refrigerated items can only be kept for a specific amount of time before becoming bad. Raw and cooked meat, fresh vegetables, and milk products must be stored separately.
Perform self-inspections
Once or twice a month, walk around your establishment to discover any potential food safety issues. You can use a self-health inspection form or request one from your health inspector so you know exactly what areas are the most dangerous.
An excellent kitchen crew is knowledgeable and experienced. You must provide sufficient training to your employees so that they are aware of food safety requirements. If you have any doubts, you should contact your local health department. Knowing what to expect will go a long way toward ensuring that your customers enjoy their meal and return.
Author BIO: Damon Shrauner, Senior Sales Consultant and VP on B2B Sales at ChefBuyer, working in the foodservice equipment sector since 1994. With his expertise in market analysis, product placement, sales, and project management, he will always tell you what to do for the best of your business.
