Are you planning to open a restaurant? If so, you’ll need to equip your commercial kitchen. And since this is one of the biggest expenses when starting your business, you might as well take it seriously!
It all starts with a list: the list of professional catering equipment you will need. This will give you a clear idea of the equipment you need for your restaurant and the budget it represents.
What is the purpose of this article? To provide you with a comprehensive list of items to invest in when setting up your kitchen.
Whether you're starting a fast-food or traditional restaurant, kitchen equipment is not something to be taken lightly. What supplies are essential for it to run smoothly?
Let's start with the most obvious: equipment for cooking food. Unless you're opening a salad bar (and even then), you're bound to need it.
An oven is a must-have—in other words, an essential—in your culinary arsenal. To choose the right oven, the first step is to consider your kitchen layout and your restaurant equipment. This will give you an idea of how much space you have available to install your oven. The quantity of food and the types of dishes served at each service will also help you determine the size, capacity, and features of your future purchase.
There are several categories of ovens to choose from, depending on your needs:
That's it—we've seen it all!
Isn't the stove where the magic happens in a kitchen? For the most part, anyway! You’ll have the choice between a gas or electric stove. A gas stove gives you good temperature control. It reaches the desired temperature as soon as you turn it on. Plus, it keeps working even during a power outage. On the other hand, it’s harder to clean and carries a higher risk of fire or gas leaks.
Electric stoves are efficient, easy to clean, and provide more even cooking than gas stoves. But—and there is a "but"—they can quickly drive up your electricity bill.
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Now let's talk about ventilation! A good ventilation system is crucial for regulating airflow and temperature in areas where cooking, frying, and other mouthwatering food preparations take place. It helps you maintain a healthy and pleasant work environment. Your kitchen staff will thank you!
When choosing your ventilation system, keep the following 5 criteria in mind:
These two solutions are particularly useful if you need to keep food warm throughout the entire service. To do this, use metal containers specifically designed to maintain a temperature that complies with hygiene regulations for several hours.
Whether you're a fan of homemade food or not, a professional microwave is always useful in a kitchen. It allows you to steam food, reheat pre-cooked meals, or defrost ingredients.
Electric grill or gas grill? It’s quite a dilemma when you consider that a grill can be used to cook meat, sear vegetables, or toast sandwiches. Once again, the size and layout of your kitchen will guide your purchase. If you have an open patio, opt for an outdoor grill model.
You are now equipped for cooking food, let's move on to the equipment you will need to cook it.
These kitchen appliances will help you chop, grind, grate, mince, slice, cut, and even puree certain foods. An extra set of hands—or even two—in the kitchen is something you won't want to pass up!
There are all kinds of food processors on the market, but they can be divided into 4 categories:
Smoothie bars don't have a monopoly on blenders! The model you choose obviously depends on the expected volume and how often you'll use it.
Choose one of these three models:
Do you serve cheese platters, cold cuts, or sandwiches? If so, you can’t afford to miss out on this tool, which will let you slice meat and cheese in record time. Take the time to consider the blade size, power, and how often you’ll use it (occasionally, regularly, or intensively).
Tables and countertops are just as essential as stoves in the kitchen. These work surfaces must be both durable and versatile—that is, suitable for all types of food preparation. For this, trust stainless steel, a sturdy material that prevents bacteria from taking hold.
Good kitchen knives are a significant investment, so you might as well take care of them. To do that, you'll need to get some sharpening tools.
To shorten the time between a customer's order and the delivery of their meal, the key is to prepare as much food as possible. This raises the issue of food preservation.
Don't try to cut corners here—you'll have more to lose than to gain. It's better to invest in quality than in entry-level models. Refrigerated display cases and separate walk-in coolers are the most popular choices among restaurant owners. Finally, pay special attention to the condenser's location.
You can then take a closer look at all the features of these devices: layout, energy consumption, whether they're connected or not, and so on.
Storage bins and containers will help you keep your kitchen organized and fight food waste.
One food = one bin!
So plan multiple ones:
For efficient storage, be sure to label the containers to indicate what's inside and the expiration dates of the products.
A functional kitchen cannot do without shelves. It is important to be able to store ingredients and utensils properly so that everyone knows where to find them easily.
So start by choosing the material of which your shelves will be made:
All of these materials are both durable and resistant to repeated exposure to household cleaning products. If you need to move them around regularly, opt for mobile shelving rather than stationary shelving.
Your final task is to organize them so that your staff can easily and quickly find what they're looking for.
Your commercial kitchen is also where you'll store the dishes, cutlery, and accessories you'll use for dining room service, delivery, or takeout.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of what you will need:
Depending on your business, you'll need to invest more or less, and the amount of equipment you need depends on the number of meals you plan to serve.
Answering these few questions will certainly help you to see more clearly:
If you're starting a fast-food business and most of the dishes and cutlery end up in the trash, think about being eco-friendly (biodegradable materials, reusable or recycled containers)!
To delight your customers' taste buds, you'll rely on your kitchen staff, of course, but it's important to provide them with all the equipment they need:
You'll need to have plenty of them on hand so your kitchen staff doesn't have to wash each utensil after use.
What are the three functions of a sink? Hand washing, food preparation, and dishwashing. It’s no wonder that health and safety standards require a sink and a commercial dishwasher in a restaurant kitchen.
Here is a small overview of the existing sinks on the market:
The ice maker is also a kitchen essential. The best option here is a machine that dispenses ice continuously into a tray so that ice cubes are always available.
When it comes to safety and hygiene rules, you will need to have the following:
This way, you guarantee the safety of your staff and your customers.
The kitchen has to sparkle! To make that happen, stock up on the following products:
On paper, everything is clear! There’s just one more thing to do before you take action (i.e., make the investment): choose the brand and model of each kitchen item. To do this, you can either visit a store or rely on online user reviews. Your list is gradually taking shape, and you should now have a good idea of your budget.
With your restaurant equipment list in hand, you have two options: new or used equipment. The main advantage of used equipment is the price. A stove loses value as soon as it’s been used a few times, so you’ll have no trouble finding secondhand equipment in perfect condition. This type of kitchen equipment, however, doesn’t come with a warranty, and you can’t be sure you’ll find the exact model you’re looking for.
To do this, visit sites like :
For new equipment, turn to professional foodservice equipment suppliers:
We couldn't wrap up this article without mentioning the importance of digital technology! Beyond kitchen equipment, don't forget to consideryour restaurant's background music: an often-overlooked element that nevertheless plays a key role in the customer experience and how long guests stay.
There are many reasons to use digital solutions:
That's whereInnovorder comes in: from order taking to kitchen prep, including payment and management, we put digital technology to work for your restaurant.
The point-of-sale system is the heart of your restaurant's digital ecosystem for four reasons.
It allows :
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Particularly popular in the fast-food industry, an ordering kiosk installed in a restaurant captures up to 85% of all orders placed!
It's an ideal investment for reducing wait times, serving more customers, and increasing average check size by up to 20%.
👉 To go further: restaurant kiosks: the guide to choosing well.
Also known as ODS (Ordering Display System), the customer display alerts your customers when their meals are ready.
Once again, this is very convenient in the fast-food industry, as it allows your staff to focus on high-value-added tasks rather than calling out to distracted customers across the restaurant.
A production screen ensures a perfect fluidity between the order taking and the preparation in the kitchen.
It has 3 major advantages:
👉 Further information: Restaurant order forms: paper or digital?
You know as well as we do that in a restaurant, taking orders, preparing food, serving customers, delivering meals, and managing operations are all part of the same process!
By adopting the solutions outlined above, digital technology helps you connect all the stages of your day to ensure a seamless experience and optimal productivity.
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You had thought of everything to equip your restaurant, but do you know all that digital can do for you?
Request a comprehensive audit of your digital ecosystem and find out how to optimize your restaurant's operations with an Innovorder expert!
