Owing to long working hours, the need for fresh and healthy food and accessibility to the finest restaurants has led to a change in the lifestyles of Australians. It has, therefore, exponentially increased the popularity of commercial kitchens. This popularity has also multiplied the demand for cooking equipment for restaurants in Australia to keep up with the quality and quantity of food orders. The commercial kitchen and cookware stores generate a market revenue of over 1 billion AUD every year. The manufacturers of restaurant supplies are now, therefore, focusing on advancing the kitchen equipment to satisfy the kitchen needs for better efficiency, flexibility in size, cost and food safety.
Investments in commercial kitchen supplies can be expensive. Restaurant owners must know that they can extend the life of their equipment and reduce servicing by undertaking preventive measures, like cleaning and maintenance, regularly. These steps ensure the best food quality, productivity and profit for the restaurants. Given below are a few tips about maintaining different commercial kitchen equipment.
Refrigerator Units
One of the essential parts of an operational commercial kitchen is the refrigeration unit. It helps keep the ingredients and dishes fresh and well-preserved for prolonged use. Taking proper steps to maintain the commercial refrigerator can prolong its years of uninterrupted use. The first step is to review the manufacturer guidelines on its cleaning and maintenance and follow them. Consult a professional to perform routine checks and fixes. They must ensure that the refrigerator temperature is below 4° C and the freezer below -18° C. The kitchen staff must wipe down the interiors, shelves and gaskets every day. They also must inspect the evaporator coils, compression operations, gaskets for tears, and temperature controls every month.
Range Top and Griddle
The transfer of the stale grease smell to the dishes can be unhygienic and unappetizing. Cleaning the charbroiler and griddle every day ensures high food quality. It keeps grease and remnants from building upon them. They can also prevent accidents in the kitchen by undertaking daily maintenance tasks as built-up grease is a fire hazard. It includes cleaning the charbroiler grates or the griddle top and the season cooking surface, emptying the grease cups and inspecting the thermostat, knobs and controls.
Combi Ovens
The combi oven is one of the most efficient restaurant accessories that help optimize the modern kitchen. As it relies on steam and heating to cook the food, the staff need to regularly de-lime it to prevent scales from building up. Many new combi ovens now have an automatic cleaning feature that takes care of a significant part of the maintenance at the push of a button. They have been designed to alert the users when it needs cleaning. It is a helpful feature for the kitchen staff to fall back on. While cleaning the combi ovens, they must clean the food probe, the racks and interiors, remove the drip tray, and wipe down the gasket and the doors with an approved cleaner. They must also de-lime the generators and inspect the drain lines, doors and gaskets for wear and tear every month.
Walk-in Coolers
Regular maintenance of restaurant supplies also reduces energy consumption and expenditure. One of the simplest ways to ensure it is by turning off the lights of the walk-in cooler when it is not in use. The lights consume unwarranted energy and heat the interiors, bringing up the temperature, which the cooler must compensate. Keeping the doors locked when not in use helps maintain the indoor temperature. The restaurants must also ensure that the walk-in freezers are not over-stocked. Regularly checking with the temperature settings, sweeping the floors, cleaning up the spills, clearing the aisles and wiping down the interiors is essential for its long life. Restaurant owners must have professional electricians inspect the connections monthly to ensure no issues.
