7 Tips to Help You Get It Right When Buying Commercial Catering Equipment
Choosing the correct commercial catering equipment for your restaurant is paramount to profitability, safety, and the overall satisfaction of your staff. There are key considerations that must be taken into account. Below, we have outlined 7 of the most important concerns that you should address when buying new equipment; the larger and more expensive the equipment, the more important they become.
- Commercial vs Domestic Grade
The first thing you need to ensure is that you buy the correct grade of equipment. There are several key differences between commercial and domestic kitchen appliances. Most notably, there is the issue of health and safety. Commercial kitchens are held to more rigorously standards than domestic kitchens; a domestic appliance might actually fail the legal requirements for use in a commercial kitchen.
As well as safety, there are other concerns, but these are also covered below, so we’ll refrain from repeating ourselves.
- Types of that particular equipment
Something that beginner restaurant owners sometimes forget is that with commercial catering equipment, there are huge variations in type. Take the “toaster”. In a domestic kitchen, they are pretty much the same – they have two to four slots, and a timer of around 5 minutes maximum. However, with commercial toasters, there are so many more options. They can toast 20+ pieces at a time – more even; they can lie on their sides, straight up, sideways, or head first.
When discussing your needs with your commercial catering equipment suppliers, make sure that you understand all available options.
- Output
Clearly, you need equipment that has the correct output levels. If you know that many of your customers will want toast, then the toaster must be able to produce the correct quantities.
You should also think about the growth of business. If you are expecting it to grow, is it better to buy a larger machine now, rather than wait until a later date? There are pros and cons here, so you will need to sit and work it out.
- Power source
Most commercial kitchens use natural gas, and so much of the equipment is gas powered. However, do not assume this to be the case, and always check with the commercial catering equipment suppliers before you sign anything.
- Space management considerations
As well as output, you also need to think about space, too. For instance, you might need a toaster that caters to 100 people in 10 minutes, but only have space for a toaster that caters to 75 people in 10 minutes.
You will need to consider things carefully here. Sometimes, a menu change might be needed; at other times, you might be able to sacrifice another, less used piece of equipment; and still at other times, you might have to buy a more expensive, but more compact model.
- Material
The material might not seem important to you, but there are several ways in which it is vital. First, it determines longevity – low quality materials mean the equipment will become faulty more quickly. Second, it determines the maintenance costs, such as cleaning and moving. Finally, it determines the way it looks in the kitchen, which can impact on the professional appearance of the kitchen.
- Profitability: Energy efficiency & Running costs
This is the most important factor for most restaurants, but you can only work it out once you have addressed the above issues. You will need to sit down and work out the cost of the equipment, from the initial purchase, to the staff costs, to running and maintenance costs. You will then need to work out the profit margins and make sure that it is suitable for the restaurant.
