This may seem a strange topic for an Industrial Kitchen equipment supplier. However, it is often a useful way to explain the build quality and functional differences between different items.
When it comes to cooking equipment, many people assume that the only significant difference between commercial and home cooking equipment is the size. Although size does play a role, household and industrial kitchen equipment have many variations, including functionality, durability, speed, cleaning, and safety.
Design
Home kitchens are often designed around aesthetics, whereas commercial kitchen equipment is usually built with function in mind. A restaurant is often large, loud, and constructed out of heavy-duty materials like stainless steel. The most significant focus for industrial cooking equipment is its functionality, the speed to produce food and the ability to keep it clean.
Serious chefs often find Instagram-worthy kitchens to be a waste since they are seldom constructed to be ideal for the working chef. Similar to how the strongest people in the world do not have the muscle definition that a body-builder would have.
Home cooking equipment, on the other hand, is focused on matching the rest of the kitchen’s elegant decor. So your designer toaster might look great, but if it’s used with the frequency of a commercial toaster, it will burn out in no time.
Size
The busyness of commercial kitchens means that workflow is a crucial element of the design of a kitchen. When the heat is on and the pressure to deliver is building, it is important that staff are able to work efficiently and safely. Providing too much space for the kitchen is expensive, and so balancing the space demands of the kitchen portion of the property is important.
Commercial kitchen equipment ranges from massive freezers to store products in bulk to appliances small enough to fit on a countertop.
Home kitchen equipment is usually designed to fit in the small spaces created for single users.
Functionality & Durability
It is safe to say that commercial kitchen equipment is designed to be functional over all else. Talk to a restaurant owner about their new walk-in, and they’ll first tell you how big it is, and how much they can store. They won’t mention the aesthetics of the design of the cold room.
Durability is another factor to consider when deciding on commercial vs home kitchen cooking equipment. Homeowners don’t use their kitchen equipment for hours on end during the day. However, commercial kitchens continuously use their equipment which is why its made of heavy-duty material such as stainless steel. Likewise, a fridge that is opened and closed 200 times a day will need to work harder to maintain its temperature than a home fridge that is opened five times a day.
In the end, the equipment needs to produce ongoing results, last a long time (since it’s expensive), and continue with work without the need for constant repairs.
Speed & Volume
Most commercial kitchens rely on their equipment to be able to prepare large quantities of food daily. If a restaurant can seat 130 people, and they turn their tables once in an evening, the kitchen would need to produce over 260 orders. And that’s not even looking at how many courses!
Your average home dishwasher would be unable to cope with this volume. Firstly it will take two hours to finish washing one cycle, and that is without considering the volume of the dishes to be washed. It is for this reason, that the average commercial dishwashing cycle is only three minutes long! However, the workflow into and out of the dishwasher is equally important, and getting the design right will ensure clean crockery and cutlery are always available.
Cleaning
Cleaning methods differ quite a bit between commercial and home cooking equipment.
You might think that your home kitchen is sparkling clean, but there are many hidden surfaces and spaces for spilt liquid and food to end up. Commercial cooking equipment needs to be kept to a higher standard of cleanliness. As such, certain parts of industrial appliances are easier to get to for the required daily cleaning regimes.
Home cooking equipment usually doesn’t require that you open it up or move it around to clean it. Restaurant kitchens allow for cleaning all around appliances so that all spillages are cleared away.
Need Commercial Cooking Equipment for Your Kitchen?
Caterware Connection offers a variety of high-quality commercial catering equipment and design. We can supply and install equipment for restaurants, retirement homes, bakeries, remote sites, and more.
Our technicians provide both annual and quarterly maintenance services for all our industrial kitchen equipment.
If you want to talk to us about adding cooking equipment to your kitchen, talk to us.
