Your kitchen is the heart of your restaurant. Any restaurant owner knows that the proper commercial kitchen equipment can improve the quality of the dishes and the efficiency in the kitchen. But they also know high-quality commercial kitchen equipment comes with a hefty price tag.
Here you’ll find tips on how and where to buy your commercial kitchen equipment. By following them, you’ll save money without sacrificing quality.
But first, let’s check the items that you shouldn’t miss in a restaurant kitchen.
What Equipment Does a Commercial Kitchen Need?
If you are starting as a restaurateur, the logical question is, “What equipment is in a restaurant kitchen?”. The type and size of your potential business, along with your menu, will determine the number of pieces of commercial kitchen equipment and their sort.
The most basic equipment (for a food truck or food stand) will include:
- coolers
- refrigerators or freezers
- commercial oven, grills, and deep fryers
- food processors, blenders, and mixers
- storage
- smallwares
- all the preparation utensils and proper cleaning supplies
From there, you can escalate to a wider range of commercial kitchen equipment. You’ll find a comprehensive list of all the appliances contained in a more complex restaurant kitchen in the section below.
How much does commercial kitchen equipment cost?
Depending on the size of your restaurant and the food you offer, kitchen equipment can cost from $25,000 to $80,000 and up to $500,000 for state-of-the-art equipment for a full-scale restaurant kitchen.
What are the 4 Categories of Kitchen Equipment?
In your restaurant kitchen, you may need some or all of the items listed below, which can be grouped into four categories:
- Equipment to receive and store food: freezer, refrigerator, cold storage walk-in units.
- Equipment to fabricate and prepare food: breading machines, cutters and slicers, can openers, knives, knife sharpeners, mixers, and peelers.
- Equipment to prepare and process food: broilers, convection ovens, display cooking equipment, frying equipment, griddle and grills, hot plates, microwave ovens, proof cabinets, cooking ranges, revolving tray ovens, steamers, steam-jacketed kettles, steam boiler, dough makers, tilting fry pans, and salamander.
- Equipment to assemble, hold and serve food: beverage equipment, dispensing equipment, coffee brewers, coffee ranges, infrared warmers, juicer, shaker, and toaster.
And don’t forget the proper supplies to clean up and sanitize your kitchen and kitchenware: dishwashing equipment, disposer’s glass washers, water heating equipment, etc.
10 Tips to Buy Commercial Kitchen Equipment
1. Buy commercial-grade equipment
It’s simply a must. Working with residential kitchen equipment is not only against health codes; the equipment you may find in a residential kitchen won’t be able to sustain the workload a restaurant needs.
2. Know when to buy new
Like in any business, it’s important to know when to buy brand-new equipment and gadgets. Keep in mind that some of them, like fryers or ice machines, are more vulnerable to corrosion and more prone to bacteria. Don’t take any risk and purchase them new.
3. Know when to buy used
Used commercial kitchen equipment can be a good idea. For example, gas stoves age better than electric ones. You can consider buying a used one to get great savings.
4. Consider leasing or the option of equipment financing
When you are seeking commercial kitchen equipment, you have other alternatives besides buying. You can lease it (the same way you would lease a car) or even turn to equipment financing.
Leasing can be a good option if the piece of equipment you need ages quickly. That way, by the time your leasing contract is over, you are not tied up to that piece of equipment that, by then, may be obsolete. Also, have in mind that some leases include some kind of insurance to cover any non-technical-related issue with the leased equipment.
5. Buy models less than perfect
Don’t judge a book by its cover! Your commercial kitchen equipment supplier will surely offer some pieces with dents, scratches, or other minor damages due to poor packaging, transportation, or because the piece of equipment was on display. The same goes for discontinued models. These conditions don’t affect the proper performance of the equipment, and you may get great savings if you choose to dance with the ugly one.
6. Look for the NSF logo
A health code violation can be devastating for your business. That’s why you should always look for the NSF logo. The National Sanitation Foundation gives this logo after conducting a series of tests that guarantee the commercial kitchen equipment is designed with food security in mind.
7. Buy only what you need
Don’t let the offers, discounts, and the latest trends in the food industry blind you from your purpose and real needs. Buy your commercial kitchen equipment based on your restaurant’s menu, the needs of your chefs, and the layout and size of your kitchen.
It makes no sense to buy something you won’t use, and it will only take some valuable room. The right equipment should always fit your specific needs and meet the goal of improving your productivity.
8. Check the warranties
You simply cannot afford to stop the food preparation process because a piece of your equipment breaks down. In the case of, let’s say, a commercial fridge or freezer, a malfunction can cost you hundreds of dollars in food. Always check if the piece of equipment comes with a warranty (and for how long) or if you have the option to buy one. Better safe than sorry.
9. Consider energy-efficient equipment
Energy-efficient equipment can be a bit more expensive, but you can save hundreds of dollars in utilities in the long run if you choose them.
10. Carefully plan your next commercial kitchen equipment purchase
Planning in advance will allow you to do proper research on the best providers, the best equipment pieces with better reviews, and, of course, the best prices. Many times a last-minute deal or a compulsive buy is a bad idea.
Where to Buy Discounted Commercial Kitchen Equipment
Now that you know how to buy your commercial kitchen equipment let’s see where you should do your shopping to get the best deals.
Besides specialized commercial kitchen equipment retailers and outlets, in your area or online, there is a wide range of options to find cheaper commercial kitchen equipment:
- Used restaurant equipment for sale by owner
The easiest way to find good deals for used commercial kitchen equipment in your area is by using your local Craiglist or the classified section in your local newspaper. Make sure you closely inspect the piece of equipment you intend to buy and ask the seller for how long the piece was operative and what is the reason for being for sale.
- Restaurants going out of business
A closing restaurant is always a good place to buy used commercial kitchen equipment at lower prices. Some restaurant owners might be willing to make a fast and direct deal to sell their remaining equipment at low prices.
- Auctions
You might not always be able to purchase directly from the owners. Find your local auctions, where you’ll find equipment other restaurant owners no longer need. Since the auction provider acts as a middle man, you’ll probably won’t find deals as good as purchasing from the owner, but you will get additional services, like delivery. Before you go to an auction, check the catalog to see if the specific piece of equipment you’re looking for will be auctioned. Otherwise, it will be a waste of time. Even worst, you may end up buying something you don’t need.
- Damaged appliances sellers
Some sellers specialize in appliances with minor defects, and also big-box retailers like Costco and Best Buy usually have special sales on items that have been on display or show dents and scratches.
- Garage sales
Of course, you won’t find commercial kitchen equipment, but you may find some small appliances, gadgets, and utensils that can still be useful in your restaurant at a fraction of the price.
- Non-profit resale stores
It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes large retailers and chain restaurants donate kitchen equipment to companies like Goodwill. You can find gadgets and appliances at a fraction of the original price. The donor of the items will have a tax break, and you will be giving your money to those in need. It’s a win-win situation!
Great Kitchen Equipment is the Path to Success!
We hope this advice helps you the next time you buy a piece of a commercial kitchen or if it’s time for you to update your whole kitchen. If you need some extra funds for that purchase that could make a difference in your business, consider applying for a small business loan.
At All Cater, we know the ins and outs of the restaurant industry. Many of our happy borrowers are restaurant owners like you. With us, you can expect a streamlined process with minimal paperwork. A fast funding process (never longer than 10 days) will guarantee that you don’t miss that sale or deal on the kitchen