29

Jun

How to Choose the Right Commercial Deep Fryer

You are ready to open a food business, and you are going to need a deep fryer. But do you know what size you will need in your commercial kitchen? A lot of restaurants and fast-food restaurants could not operate with a good deep fryer. Regardless if you want to serve French fries and hamburgers or mozzarella sticks as well, you will need a deep fryer.

Similar to other pieces of equipment, you should invest in a good restaurant fryer. It is crucial to ensure that you pick the right one that will meet your budget and needs. You would not want to contact a deep fryer repair service many times.

Here are tips on how to choose the right one:

Kinds of Deep Fryers

  • Benchtop or tabletop deep fryers are among the best deep fryers that you normally see in small establishments and food trucks. This one is easy and small to operate, which is perfect for you in case you do not have a lot to fry daily. The tabletop deep fryer’s main benefit is that you will be able to save space without sacrificing food quality and performance.
  • Floor deep fryers are great for big kitchens that cook several batches of fried specialties every day. There are different designs available in electric and gas models. This kind of deep fryer is recommended for medium to large businesses like hotels, fine dining restaurants, and fast-food chains.
  • Ventless deep fryer is similar to a tabletop deep fryer. The difference between this one is that they are enclosed and come with a venting system that is internal. This saves a lot of kitchen space and lets you cook food even if there is no ventilation hood. These are great for food trucks and small restaurants.
  • Specialty deep fryer is suitable for certain uses. If you are offering products like corn dogs or doughnuts, this might be what you need. There is a corn dog fryer, funnel cake fryer, and outdoor fryer.

Gas or Electric?

Choosing gas or electric for your deep fryer mainly depends on the access and relative costs of every power supply available in your location. It seems like the cost of gas is trending downward, but the costs of electricity have been mounting steadily. Local utility companies can provide you with an update, and accurate pricing.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Commercial fryers, similar to other restaurant kitchen appliances, should be cleaned regularly to make sure that their efficiency and meet sanitation standards accordingly.

Fryers can be hard to clean due to their nature. They are holding large amounts of oil, which should be changed regularly. The oil makes the tank harder to clean, and even the machine itself. Frying is a messy and greasy business.

You should look for fryers that have designs that are relatively easy to maintain and clean. Since it is easy to maintain, you will have more time with your employees and save while you are cleaning.

Size

You will be able to count on 1.5 – 2x the total weight of the fryer’s oil capacity hourly. That means, a 40 lbs. deep fryer will output about 60 to 80 lbs. of food per hour.

Smaller countertop fryers that have a capacity of 15 lbs. can produce 22 to 30 lbs. of fries every hour. If you are frying smaller items such as onion rings and French fries. You can assume 2x of the oil capacity. When you handle larger items like drumsticks, chicken breasts, and thighs, it would be better to use 1.5x when you do calculations.

You can contact commercial kitchen appliance repair Northern VA.

07

Apr

Reasons Why Your Fridge Compressor is Overheating

One of the most common causes of fridge compressor failure is overheating. If the reciprocation is too hot, it will fail right away. A service tech must always look for this problem while repairing any refrigerator system. The commercial refrigerator repairs will tell you that the hottest location of any refrigeration system is the port discharge of the valve inside. It is hard for any technician to measure the temperature here. However, measuring the temperature discharge line is about 6 inches from the compressor outlet, which gives a good indication of the discharge port’s temperature.

if you want to know the reasons why your fridge compressor is hot, you can read this article until the end so read on.

Fan or Condenser Coil Issues

One of the main reasons refrigerators overheat is the condenser fan or coils that builds up dirt, making it hard for the condenser to diffuse heat properly.

In the majority of homes, condenser coils can collect dirt, grime, dust bunnies, and fur. Condenser coils should be cleaned using a special brush with a long handle or vacuum attachment for the tight spaces. If the condenser fan or coil is malfunctioning, that can certainly cause problems.

An Internal Temperature that is Too Low

One of the most common household mistakes is that they set their refrigerator temperature too low. Setting your refrigerator temperature too lower than the recommended setting causes the compressor to overheat and fail, which costs you time and money. If you set it lower than 35 degrees F, it will make the compressor work harder, which causes it to overheat right away.

The unfortunate thing is that modern refrigerators overheat if the temperatures inside are not correctly set. In order to prevent your refrigerator from overheating, you need to check the temperature setting inside the control panel and make sure the setting is between 37 to 38 degrees F.

Poor Ventilation

In case your refrigerator compressor is overheating, there is a big chance that it is because of poor ventilation.

Ideally, your fridge should not have anything to do with anything aside from that because it can interrupt heat distribution. In addition, if you have a lot of items in the refrigerator, like mementos and magnets, these can contribute to overheating as well.

The best case is you must remove items from outside your fridge. After that, pull the refrigerator further to make sure there is enough ventilation.

Refrigerator is Getting Too Much Sun

Among the most common issues with refrigerators is that they get too much sunlight. If your refrigerator is facing the sun, you might have a hard time keeping the temperature low.

If this happens, there might be two reasons why your compressor could be overworking. The first and most obvious is that the sun can heat the fridge, and after that, the air-cooled by the compressor needs to work extra hard to cool things down, which causes your compressor to overheat.

Refrigerators need one important thing: great airflow. That is why the best location for your refrigerator is one where it gets a lot of natural airflows. This is achievable by putting it anywhere in your kitchen, except the corner. If your house has more than one zone, and you have a cooler bathroom than your living room, it would be great to place it appropriately. It would be great if your refrigerator gets natural air.

You can contact commercial refrigerator services Northern VA if you need to have your refrigerator repaired because of an overheating compressor. Keep in mind that you need it to work perfectly all the time.

21

Dec

Common Commercial Freezer Repair Issues

When the commercial freezer breaks, it is not just as simple as paying for an ice dispenser repair. If you have a business, there is a possibility that you will lose a lot of money when you do not get it fixed. Even if there are specifically no problems, you should be aware of the common issues you might encounter. Even if a lot of refrigerators need to be repaired when you experience an issue, you will be more comfortable if you know what it could be.

You can read on to learn more about these common issues.

Power Issues

Is your commercial freezer not turning on? Is the bottle fridge not getting cold? In the restaurant business, these issues getting fixed in a timely manner are important. While you may not require a repair company to run a business or residential service on the unit, you need to be sure that you did not turn it off. You must check to see if the power cord was plugged all the way towards the outlet, as it might have been knocked out from it. if that is not an issue, then you need to check if the wiring outlet and wires are active. The issue might be the power supply and not only the unit. Using a voltage detector that makes sure the outlet has a current-voltage.

Temperature Issues

Obviously, you want the freezer unit to keep things cool when it is unaware that there is an issue. If the fridge is set at the right temperature and it does not keep things cold, which means the thermostat could have an issue. Aside from that, the fridge might have problems such as faulty compressors or dirty fans.

Frost Buildup in the Unit

The commercial freezer needs to have a set defrost cycle, which is helpful in removing frost buildup and even excess condensation. If you do not adjust this cycle properly, the frost can build up quickly. You will be able to find the defrost cycle that occurs in the unit. It is set using a timer that looks like temperature control. You should adjust the cycle of defrosting so the unit will defrost often and this can help fix the problem. If this is not enough to do the trick, you can contact the freezer technician to see if you need to rewire or repair the control.

Compressor Issue

Your unit requires a working compressor so the refrigerator/freezer stays cool. When it is malfunctioning, the unit will not become cold. Sometimes, it is a matter of having to get the compressor cleaned. The dirt, grease, and other substances will build up inside the compressor and causes it to malfunction. You must clean the compressor every 90 days. Therefore, if it has been longer than 90 days, you want to prioritize this.

Ice Building up in the Drain Pan

A freezer unit has a drain pan that may require emptying and if you notice there is ice inside the pan, this normally means there is a clog in the drain. The water will not drain out and it becomes icy before that happens. If you ignore this, it can completely clog the drain line, which causes the unit to heat up or the water to go back into the unit.

If you need to pay for commercial freezer repairs Northern VA, you can do it anytime and these people will come to help you and your business.

25

Jan

How to Ensure Commercial Appliances work and last Long

Commercial kitchen appliances are a major investment and any issues with the appliances will lead to losses. Serving your clients meals late, serving meals that are not fresh or low-quality meals will result to lower profits and losing your clients and in the extreme a business license cancellation. To run a successful restaurant or institution it’s imperative that your commercial appliances are in good working condition. Regular checks and maintenance by the commercial appliances repair expert is a must to keep the appliances fit at all times. Make sure that the commercial appliances service team you choose is excellent at recognizing issues and solving them.

How to Make Your Appliances Serve your for Longer

  • Cleaning regularly

Ensure that you clean the commercial appliances often. Clean the coils and gaskets to ensure optimal functioning of the appliances. Make sure that you follow the cleaning procedure of each appliance as shown in the manual. Remove and clean grease from commercial fryers. Let the commercial appliances maintenance team do the major cleaning while the employees do the daily cleaning of the appliances.Invest in quality cleaning products for each appliance.

  • Don’t Overload

Overloading appliances like the refrigerators as this will overwork the compressor leading to the fridge failing. Make sure that appliances handle the proper load to avoid malfunctioning. Load the dishwashers only with the correct quantity each time.

  • Follow the User Manual

Ensure that all your employees understand how each appliance works. Wrong use of the appliance will lead to the machine failing. Also, ensure that the cleaning and maintenance procedure that the manufacturer advocates for is followed to the latter. In case you bought a second-hand machine and it has no manual, the commercial appliances maintenance expert will train your team on proper functioning and how to ensure the appliances last long 

  • Create enough working space for the appliances

It’s vital that each machine has enough space to ensure free air circulation which is essential for its functioning, especially for cooking appliances.  Ensure that the kitchen floor is cleaned routinely to avoid falls and damage to the machine. Spacious and well-maintained working spaces will ensure that your business avoids losses that result from a cramped up working space.

  • Regular maintenance and services

Ensure that you religiously follow the maintenance schedule as commercial appliances maintenance experts’ advocates. Routine inspection of the appliances by the commercial appliance repair team will save you time and money.

Every appliance will need to be replaced at one point or the other, but proper maintenance will ensure durability and longevity. Keep a commercial appliance service card to ensure that the service schedule is followed without fail. Regular check up by the commercial appliances maintenance team will help mitigate unexpected breakdowns.

Services that commercial appliance maintenance team provides

  • They provide preventive measures for the appliance
  • Suggest alternatives for any breakdowns
  • Test the working of every machinery
  • Ensure that electrical connections are working
  • Recommend replacement of any worn appliance`
25

Jan

How to Take Care of Your commercial Steamer

Commercial steamers have become popular over time as people opt for more healthy meals and efficient cooking methods. Cooking food in steam especially vegetables will ensure they retain their natural color and nutrients. A commercial steamer is an essential appliance for restaurants and institutions that advocate for healthy eating, and it’s critical that the appliance is working efficiently for such institutions to live up to their mission. Make sure that you follow the commercial appliances service schedule as this will ensure that your commercial steamer is working perfectly

Tips on How to Take Care of Your Commercial Steamer

It’s vital that you keep the steamer clean to avoid food contamination.

  • Switch and Empty the Steamer

Once you have finished steaming, switch it off and Remove the water from the drip tray and let it cools completely

  • Soak the steamer

Depending on the size of the steamer soak it in warm water with soap to loosen any food stuck in the appliance. If your steamer is huge, remove the lid, steaming container and drip tray and soak them in warm water.

  • Wash the steamer

Clean the steamer with fabric and ensure that the electric plug doesn’t come in contact with the water. After cleaning dry the steamer with a dry cloth and let it stand for a while before using it again. You can use vinegar to wipe the interior as it will disinfect the steamer. It’s essential that you delime the steamer regularly as the accumulation of lime may cause the heating element to malfunction. Don’t forget to clean the door, latch and the steamer control knobs

Tips on How to keep your commercial steamer working for long

  • Change the filters regularly
  • Check for loose covers, faulty controls and cracked as often as possible to avoid the problem from degenerating
  • Ensure that steamer is cleaned daily and no food particles remain food tray
  • Use a descaling agent to remove the build-up of lime in the element every week to keep the steamer effective
  • Don’t turn the steamer on when it has no water
  • Get advice from the commercial steamer repair experts on how best to take care of the steamer and the best products for cleaning it.
  • Follow the commercial appliance service schedule without fail to ensure your commercial steamer works well
  • Clean the steamer every day to avoid food build up

Sign that your Commercial Steamer needs repair

If you notice any of the following signs immediately contact the commercial appliances repair, expert

  • The steamer fails to heat up
  • No steam even though the water level is ok
  • Dripping water from the Nozzle. Also, check whether the nozzle is making some burbling sound
  • The steamer has some clicking noises.
25

Jan

The Best Commercial Refrigerator Maintenance Practices

A commercial refrigerator plays a vital role in ensuring your business or institution doesn’t result in losses. Routine maintenance will ensure that you don’t require emergency fixes which could result in losses and inventory being preserved going bad. Its imperative that you make sure you have the best experts to carry out commercial refrigerators service. Regular commercial appliances services and maintenance of the refrigerator will reduce the electricity consumption and increase the lifespan of the fridge. It’s important that all the employees understand how the commercial refrigerators work as this will go along in ensuring durability and longevity of the fridges.

Simple Commercial Refrigerator Maintenance Practices that will Ensure Durability

  • Check the Commercial Appliances Regularly

Checking the appliances regularly will ensure that you don’t have any emergency breakdown. When the refrigerator has worn out, and dirty parts that will result in the appliances using more power and must do more runs and that will eventually result in the fridge breaking down. Regular check-ups of the refrigerator can easily avoid such breakdowns. Depending on how much the refrigerator is in use and the load, make sure you call the commercial appliances repair expert regularly to check the appliances. The following checks will ensure the fridge is working properly;

  • Check the fan motors are working properly.
  • Check if there are any air leaks
  • Ensure there are no loose connections
  • Confirm the ice makers filters are working properly
  • Check the cooled air condenser cable and ensure that it has no dust or mold
  • Ensure the door seals and gaskets are working well
  • Regularly check the fridge temperature to ensure that there are no temperature fluctuations

 

  • Clean the exterior and Interior of the Commercial Refrigerator

Clean the refrigerator spills immediately to avoid them from becoming ice and making it hard to clean. Ensure that the evaporator, condenser coils are clean. It’s important to check the commercial refrigerator manual to ensure that you use the correct cleaning method. Ensure the following parts are clean

  • Clean all the ice making components
  • Clean fan blades, evaporators, and condenser coils
  • Clean the exterior of the fridge with a damp cloth and soap, make sure all the sides are cleaned.
  • Call a commercial appliances repair expert to clean the drain lines, ensure they are not clogged

 

  • Regular commercial Refrigerator Maintenance

Routine maintenance will save you a lot of money and food waste. Ensure you have contacts of professional commercial appliances repair in case of any immediate repairs and maintenance. Ensure the experts you choose are well versed with your kind of appliance, check the availability of the experts and how responsive they are, to ensure they are available when needed.

Other Quick Maintenance Tips

  • Use the right cleaning materials for your refrigerator. Check the manual for the approved cleaning materials
  • Check the commercial refrigerator temperature daily to ensure its working properly
  • Always ensure the interior fridge light is working
  • Maintain a fridge maintenance schedule
  • Always unplug the commercial refrigerator before cleaning
  • Sanitize the fridge parts while cleaning to kill germs and bacteria
  • In case of any query or doubt on the working of your commercial refrigerator ensure you contact your commercial appliances repair fairfax va expert.
25

Jan

How to Ensure Your Kitchen Appliances Work Longer with No Hitches

 

Commercial kitchen appliance repair can be an expensive affair in terms of money spent to repair the appliances and time lost while the kitchen equipment is not working. Kitchen appliances are an integral part of any business or institution as they are one of the key ingredients to a successful and a profit-making venture. It’s therefore essential that employees and users of the appliances take extra care while using the appliances. Simple rules and procedures will ensure that the machine lasts longer without experiencing any damage. Commercial Kitchen appliances include;

  • Serving Equipment
  • Cooking equipment
  • Food preparation equipment
  • Food storage equipment
  • Sanitation equipment

How to Ensure your Commercial Kitchen Appliances Work  Longer

  • Train Staff on use of the Equipment

It’s crucial to ensure that the employees who will handle the appliances have the expertise and knowledge of how the equipment work. Once the employees understand how the equipment works and the cleaning procedure they can take better care of the appliances. Most equipment will have a user manual therefore if one needs a more understanding on how the appliances work, the user manual is an ideal guide.

  • Daily Cleaning and General Cleaning

The appliances require regular cleaning to avoid accumulation of grease and ensure they remain in good working condition. Make sure that the cleaning procedure for each appliance is followed. Equipment made of stainless steel should be adequately cleaned to avoid abrasion and corrosion. Make a schedule of monthly general cleaning for all the appliances to clean out that may not be possible to clean on a daily basis.

  • Schedule regular Commercial Appliance  Maintenance and Servicing

Just like any other equipment, it’s important to ensure that every so often the machines are serviced to able to detect any issue early enough. Make sure you replace any worn out and broken parts immediately. Always Switch off power when the appliances are not in use.

Tips on How to Prolong the Life of your Kitchen Appliances

  • Only let trained employees operate the equipment to avoid spoiling the appliances. Avoid improper use and application
  • While cleaning the equipment use mild detergents especially for stainless steel. Don’t scrub stainless steel equipment against the grain.
  • Check the Plug loads to ensure there are no overloads, frays or damages.
  • Ensure other parts of the kitchen are clean to minimize chances of intrusion by roaches. The roaches usually hide in the equipment and may cause damage.
  • Keep Kitchen appliances service schedules to be able to service the equipment without failure
  • Ensure all the appliance are in the right environment and temperature to avoid overheating. Make sure there is proper ventilation in the rooms where the appliance are in use
  • Ensure that the work area is always dry at all time to prevent accidents and consequently breakage
04

Jan

Tips to purchase a commercial freezer for your start-up

Whenever you are planning to start a business in the food or beverage industry, there are a lot of aspects to be considered beforehand. One of the vital elements is to choose the best commercial appliances in the market. Investing on a high duty commercial refrigerator service or freezer is vital in this business, to store the raw materials as well as to keep the food fresh and keep up to the standards of health and sensitization laws.

How does a commercial freezer differ from the domestic units?

Commercial freezers differ from the domestic refrigerators, regarding cooling capacity and storage space.  The commercial refrigerators are specifically designed for storing significant quantities of food efficiently for a more extended period, compared to a domestic refrigerator unit. Besides, the heavy duty freezers are also more durable than the domestic units, which make it an indispensable part of the business owners.

Things to consider while purchasing a commercial refrigerator:

Depending on your storage and cooling requirements, you may decide whether you need a walk-in cooler, chest freezer, glass door or countertops.  The fundamental factors which you should consider for your appliance are durability, functionality, eco-compatibility, innovation and user-friendly functions. To minimize your maintenance costs, you should also consider the energy efficient appliances with minimum maintenance costs.

Do not go overboard with your budget:

Even though purchasing a valuable asset for your business can be overwhelming, it is always better to plan your minimum or maximum budget. Most of the energy efficient, expensive freezers require minimum maintenance and curtail your electricity bill significantly. So, it is good to make a onetime investment on a reputed brand if your budget permits you. Consulting the professionals in the food business is also a good idea, to make a right choice because they have plenty experience in this field.

Planning to rent a commercial freezer?

In case you are not confident enough to invest in the expensive assets, you may also consider the option of renting a commercial freezer. But, make sure you monitor the products before signing the contract. Consider the model, size and the pricing of the appliances before you finalize them. In most of the cases, the suppliers are reasonable especially when you sign the deal for a short period. You may also purchase a second-hand appliance and get them checked by the commercial appliance service providers Arlington if they are not covered under warranty.

21

May

What you need to know about commercial kitchen safety

Food service industry involves a lot of safety and health hazards. Setting a commercial kitchen involves attention to a lot of details. One of the most important aspects of the commercial kitchens is commercial kitchen appliances. Restaurant or cafe owners invest a lot of money on buying or renting the kitchen appliances. These appliances are required to be maintained and set up properly to prevent any accident in the commercial kitchens. Hiring contractors for commercial kitchen appliance repairs, maintenance and installation is highly recommended for safety purposes. The professionals will not only take care of the safety of your commercial kitchen, but their services will also help you in maintaining the efficiency of your kitchen.

Commercial kitchen Dos

As an owner or manager of the commercial kitchen it is you responsibility to look after your kitchen appliances to keep things run efficiently and smoothly. You can follow below mentioned tips make sure that your commercial kitchen and commercial kitchen equipment are safe.

Do maintain a list of inventory equipment. In this list make a column regarding the servicing and cleaning schedule. By referring this list, you can recognize that which equipment requires maintenance or repair.

Do keep separate budget for professional appliance cleaning, repair or maintenance. Many times restaurant owners or managers avoid hiring the commercial appliance services due to cost cutting. It is not good practice. You will lose more money on appliance repair or worst replacement, if you save on appliance maintenance.

Do keep eye on your staff. It is important that your staff members should use the appliances properly and safely. You should schedule separate training for every staff member. Whenever a new employee joins, train them about the use of appliance, safety measures, appliance maintenance etc. Then check if every employee is following the set instructions or not.

Commercial kitchen Don’ts

Don’t neglect maintenance of cooling equipment. Many restaurant and cafe owners take special care about the cooking equipment, but forget about the cooling equipment like freezer, ice machine, walk-in refrigerator etc. It is important to hire commercial freezers services Falls Church as well.

Don’t install freezers, refrigerators and other cooling equipment near cooking equipment. The heat coming out of the heating equipment decreases the efficiency of the cooling equipment.

Don’t ignore the ventilation. In order to avoid any heat or suffocation related accident in your commercial kitchen, pay attention over ventilation of your kitchen.