Starting a new restaurant or cafe is exciting but also quite an undertaking. Everything from seating to signage to commercial kitchen equipment needs to be carefully considered to run smoothly.
Depending on your menu, the equipment may comprise 20 percent to over 50 percent of the total investment. Commercial kitchen equipment can be quite expensive, so it’s important to shop around for the best deal possible.
Here are a few tips for choosing the right restaurant catering equipment whether you’re planning on working in a small space or upselling a large company.
1- Measure your Space
One of the most important things to measure when looking at a commercial kitchen is the actual space available. This is because you’ll be using this space to prepare your food.
Make sure it’s sufficient for the task at hand. If the answer is not always, then the task at hand may not be the best use of the space.
Depending on your intended use, you might be able to squeeze into small spaces. If you’re planning on doing a lot of baking, you might be able to fit a small kitchen in the corner of an office or bedroom.
On the other hand, if you’re working in a larger space, you might have to measure the entire room to ensure that it has the necessary space for your equipment.
2- Make Sure that You Need It
Like with any other job, you’ll want to make sure that the equipment you choose is right. This means that you’ll want to ensure that it’s the right fit for your operation.
For example, if you have no interest in selling kebabs to the general public, it makes sense to stick to the standard equipment used in that industry. After all, you’re only responsible for preparing the food that the customers order.
However, if you’re the sort of person who likes to experiment with their food or plan on doing a lot of retail food service, you may want to consider adding a few extra tools to the commercial kitchen. After all, you never know when you might need them.
3- Consider the Usage Cost
One of the best ways to ensure that you get the most value for your money when buying commercial kitchen equipment is to shop around for deals.
You can often get great deals on used equipment, and you might even be able to negotiate to get free or reduced shipping.
However, this kind of deal is only good if you’re a person who likes to shop around for deals. If you’re not organized when it comes to buying equipment, then a deal is probably not going to help you. Instead, think about what it is that you do.
Get to know your Vendors and Check out their Reputations
Another important thing to do when looking to buy commercial kitchen equipment is to get to know your vendors and check out their reputations. After all, no one will give you a good review if they have bad ones to start with.
You can usually find a list of verified commercial kitchen equipment vendors. This list will often include suppliers that have been around for a while, guaranteeing that they’ll be reliable suppliers of quality equipment.
You can also look for reviews online from other businesses that have used the equipment. Again, look for suppliers that have been around for a while because you don’t want to get burned by some newer outfit that went straight into bankruptcy after promising you the world.
Quality of Kitchen Equipment
When buying commercial kitchen equipment, you need to make sure that the equipment will last and be useful for a number of years.
The most important thing about quality is to look at how long the equipment has been used and how often it has been serviced, as well as its overall warranty after purchase.
Another thing you should consider is how much use the equipment will get over time. For example, some customers use their commercial kitchen equipment for less than one year before upgrading.
Ease of Use and Maintenance
Another important consideration to keep in mind is how easy it is to use and maintain the equipment. This will mean spending more time focusing on the customer experience and less time fussing with equipment.
A good way to ensure that any commercial kitchen equipment you buy is easy to use and maintain is to ask people who already use it.
You can get almost anything online and through your local search engines, so it’s best if you’re very clear about what you want.
Should Meet Food Safety Requirements and Energy Efficient
When buying commercial kitchen equipment, you must meet food safety requirements. This is particularly important for any equipment that you intend to sell food in.
Food safety is a complex issue, and the government has put in place an inspection process for anyone selling commercial kitchen equipment.
The equipment you buy must be energy efficient. It shouldn’t use much energy and shouldn’t waste too much either. This is particularly important if you plan on running the business out of your home, as your utility bills will skyrocket otherwise.
Conclusion
The above information is provided to assist you in making an informed decision when purchasing commercial kitchen equipment.
It’s important not to make any rash decisions, and you should always do your research before investing your money. After all, there’s nothing worse than buying equipment that doesn’t work out. Moreover, if you are looking for reliable commercial kitchen equipment, get in touch with Marox. It is one of the best kitchen equipment suppliers in Dubai, and there is nothing more important than quality when it comes to a commercial kitchen.