The Top 8 Commercial Restaurant Equipment Items Every Kitchen Needs

Running a restaurant requires having a well-organized kitchen with the right commercial restaurant equipment and supplies. Whether you are opening a new restaurant, remolding an existing one, or just looking to improve the quality of service your guests receive, you will want to start by reviewing the design of your kitchen.

Your kitchen design should flow where you have dedicated areas for cooking, food prep, hot and cold food storage, plating, and so on. Once you have your design in place, the next step is to make a list of the essential restaurant kitchen supplies and equipment you need, such as:

1. Restaurant Refrigeration Equipment

You need a place to store food so it does not spoil. You will need a refrigerator and a freezer. You will also want an ice machine and a beverage dispenser to make serving beverages to your customers easier.

2. Commercial Cooking Equipment

You may need one or more pieces of commercial cooking equipment, depending on your menu:

• Oven
• Cooktop
• Broiler
• Deep Fryer
• Charbroiler/Grill
• Griddles
• Toaster
• Microwave
• Salamander
• Coffee Maker

3. Restaurant Storage Equipment

When you are not cooking and serving guests, you will want to have a variety of storage equipment and containers. You need shelving and storage racks in your walk-in cooler and freezer. You may want utility carts for serving guests tableside or to aid in transporting food from/to the refrigerator and freezer.

You will also want plenty of food storage containers for storing prepped foods, sauces, soups, and other such food items. Ideally, you want containers that can be reused and also written on to track their freshness.

4. Restaurant Food Prep Equipment and Supplies

Whether you prepare each menu item to order or are a fast-food chain, you still have to do food prep to avoid long delays. Some of the items you will want to invest in include:

• Food Processor
• Tomato/Vegetable Slicer
• Choppers
• Graters
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Mixers
• Blenders
• Peelers
• Brushes
• Corers

5. Restaurant Smallware Equipment

Smallware refers to a wide array of commercial restaurant equipment, such as:

• Chef Knives
• Paring Knives
• Knife Sets
• Kitchen Scissors
• Utensils
• Cutting Boards
• Mixing Bowls
• Pots
• Pans
• Bakeware

6. Safety Equipment

Your restaurant kitchen should have the appropriate safety equipment to reduce the risks of accidents. You will want fire extinguishers, cut/pierce resistant gloves, safety guards, smoke detectors, temperature gauges, and so on. You will also want to invest in various signage to provide cautions and warnings to your employees when working with various equipment.

7. Janitorial Equipment

You need to keep your restaurant clean. You will need mops, mop buckets, towels, bathroom cleaning supplies, degreaser, floor cleaner, paper products, hand soap, sanitizer, and other such items. You will also need trash cans, recycling bins, and trash can liners.

8. POS System with a Printer

To process guest transactions, you will need some type of POS system with a printer. You may even want each of your wait staff to have handheld tablet-sized devices to take orders on, as well as process credit and debit payments table-side.

Whatever POS system you choose, you will want to integrate it with the kitchen. In the kitchen, there should either be monitors that show the food orders or a printer to generate order tickets with table numbers.

By selecting the right commercial restaurant equipment and restaurant kitchen supplies, you will be able to provide the highest quality of food and customer service to your guests. To find restaurant equipment and supplies for your restaurant, please feel free to browse and buy from our online store or contact National Hospitality Supply at 800-526-8224 for further assistance.