07

Jul

Steps To Keep Commercial Kitchen Equipment Clean And Last Longer

Commercial kitchen equipment is one of the biggest investments. When you purchase expensive commercial appliances, you want them to last, and hope to avoid commercial appliances repair. The ideal way of making your commercial appliance last longer is to keep them clean. Cleaning commercial kitchen equipment is time-consuming and slow process. They are bigger in size and you need to be careful while cleaning them. Also different equipment has different cleaning and maintenance needs. The best way to avoid any damage is to read the manufacturer manual for cleaning instructions.

Cleaning commercial kitchen equipment

Commercial kitchens generally consist of two types of appliances –hot side appliance and cold side appliance. The hot side appliances include commercial range, oven and deep fryer, while cold side appliances include walk-in refrigerator, commercial freezer, ice machine and ice maker. Also, there are commercial appliances such as commercial dishwasher, glass washer and garbage disposal units.

In order to maintain the performance and the longevity of your commercial appliances, you need to train your staff member on how to use each of the appliances. Then you have to prepare maintenance instructions for your staff to carefully use and maintain the appliances. At last, you need to come up with daily, weekly and monthly cleaning schedules, so that your appliance remain in tip-top condition and operate with the full efficiency.

Maintaining hot-side commercial kitchen equipment

  • Check gaskets and hinges of oven to make sure the sealing is strong. Strong sealing is important for efficiency and safety of your entire commercial kitchen.
  • All flames including pilot should burn blue. The blue flames indicate the proper burning. If the flames are not blue then there might be something wrong with your appliance.
  • Clean the food spills as soon as possible, and get rid of excess build-up on the weekly basis. These build-ups decrease the efficiency of ranges, ovens and boilers.
  • Adequately manage the oil filters of commercial deep fryers. Follow proper boil out process to extend the life span of oil used in your commercial deep fryer.

Maintaining cold-side commercial kitchen equipment

  • Check the gaskets of your cooling units to make sure the sealing is strong. Strong sealing is important for keeping safe operating temperature.
  • Defrost the ice machine on the regular basis.
  • Clean the compressors, condensers and evaporator coils of your cooling unit. You can also hire commercial refrigerators service Arlington for this task.
15

Apr

Do You Need Commercial Appliance Repair or Replacement?

Commercial kitchen appliances play important role making foodservice businesses successful. Business owners spend thousands of dollars on kitchen appliances (walk-in refrigerator, commercial freezer, ice machine, commercial ovens, commercial ranges, garbage disposal units, commercial deep fryers, commercial dishwasher etc.) to serve top quality of foods to their customer. When one the kitchen appliance stops working, chaos like situation arises in the kitchen. It is not easy to decide whether to opt for commercial appliance repair or replacement. In such situation, restaurant owners or managers should seek the most cost-effective solution.

Factors to Consider When Deciding Between Repair or Replacement

Commercial kitchen appliances are very expensive, and so the appliance repair. When you opt for the appliance repair, you have to be sure that you get the return of your investment. Otherwise, it is better to replace the appliance with new one. Ask yourself following questions when deciding between appliance repair or replacement:

How Old Is the Appliance?

There is no point of repairing the appliance that will breakdown after sometime. If appliance breakdown occur often, your kitchen activities will get disturbed again and again. When appliances become old, they not only demand repair time to time, but also lose their efficiencies. It is best to opt for appliance replacement when the appliance is breaking down frequently. On the other hand, if your appliance is new, and stopped working, you should hire a good appliance repair technician for quick and long-term solution.

What Is the Warranty?

In case your kitchen appliance is under warranty, you can get it fixed for free or at reduced price. It is important to check the manufacturer’s warranty before opting for appliance repair. On the other hand, appliance repair without a warranty could be very expensive. You will be able to save a lot of money, if your appliance is under warranty. Also, a qualified commercial appliance repair technician Alexandria will repair your appliance.

How Much New Appliance Cost?

When the expenses of appliance repair are more than half of the cost of new appliance, it is better buy a new appliance. A new appliance will come with warranty and work more efficiently in the kitchen. However, you should choose the brand, model and size of new appliance carefully to avoid the inconvenience later. It is good to consult with commercial kitchen appliance expert before purchasing the appliance.

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.

10

Dec

The Do’s and Don’ts of Commercial Cooking Equipment Safety

Earning Profit in food service business can be tricky, especially when you have to look after plenty of commercial equipment to run a kitchen. Just like chef, staff and food, commercial appliances are equally important part of the commercial kitchens. It is your responsibility to hire commercial appliances service to keep your kitchen in good condition.

Commercial Cooking Equipment Safety

Plenty of appliances run at the same time in the commercial kitchens. Each appliance has its own task to do in the process. Whether it is commercial freezer, icemaker, ice machine, microwave oven, dishwasher or garbage disposal unit, every appliance has safety risk associated with it. In order to make your commercial kitchen a safe place for your staff, you should pay attention over commercial cooking appliances safety.

Convection Ovens

Burns, flames and hot spill liquids are some risks associated with the convection ovens. When it comes to operating and maintaining commercial ovens, you should take care of these dos and don’ts:

Do:

  • Use the right pans and pots to avoid food from spilling over.
  • Make use of dry oven mitts while handling hot pots.
  • Clean all spillage inside the oven.

Don’ts:

  • Don’t leave ovens on all the time.
  • Don’t leave oven doors open.
  • Don’t store plastic items in convection oven.
  • Don’t overload the oven.

Microwaves

Electrical shock, Scalds from hot food and Microwave radiation are some risks associated with microwaves. When it comes to operating and maintaining microwave ovens, you should take care of these dos and don’ts:

Do:

  • Read manufacturer’s guidelines on equipment use.
  • Clean the dirt, grime and grease from your microwave.
  • Turn off the equipment immediately if you notice food ignites or sparks.

Don’t:

  • Don’t use microwaves with damaged doors. This could result radiation emission.
  • Try to avoid cooking in sealed container.
  • Never microwave food in plastic containers.

Commercial deep fryer

According to commercial deep fryer repair technicians, fire, burn injuries and scalds from contact with fryer are some risks associated with this appliance.

Do:

  • Let oil to cool down before handling.
  • Do train your staff about how use and maintain of the commercial deep fryer.
  • Do clean nearby greasy surfaces.
  • Do turn off the heat source immediately in case of emergency.
  • Do remember to use protective equipment while working on the deep fryer.

Don’t:

  • Do not overheat the oil.
  • Do not overfill the containers.
  • Never splash water or hot oil.
17

Jul

Choosing the Best Cooking Appliance for your Business

When you are planning to build a food business, one of the first things you need to consider is buying commercial appliances. This may include a commercial stove, ice maker, refrigerator, and dishwasher among a few. These will be the major working force of your food business. That is why you should also ensure that these commercial appliances function well and can last years of usage.

But at some point, an appliance may experience some kind of damage due to frequent use. In such cases, you should have it fixed by commercial appliances repair personnel immediately. Having it repaired as soon as possible will prevent delays and lost income due to a damaged appliance.

Choosing commercial appliances wisely

Choosing a quality appliance for your food business is very important. For one, using a reliable and quality commercial appliance can greatly affect your overall business operations and income. At the same time, a well-functioning appliance can also create an impact on food preparation and quality.

It is also important to be familiar with food safety standards and apply it strictly on the business. At the same times, business owners and kitchen staff should also know to operate and maintain commercial kitchen equipment. Owners should also be aware who to call for commercial freezer repairs or commercial gas oven repair needs.

It can be true that running a food business is a challenge. Aside from serving the best quality foods to your customers, it is important that your equipment is running smoothly. For any signs of malfunctioning, call professional commercial kitchen appliance repair companies the soonest.

Popular commercial kitchen appliances

If you are planning to open a food business, it is important to buy the right kitchen equipment for your business. It can either be a restaurant, an ice cream parlor, frozen goods, and more. Here are some of the most common kitchen equipment used in the food business.

Commercial refrigerators

All types of refrigerators are meant to keep foods as fresh for as long. It helps lessen spoilage and saves you money. The size of the commercial refrigerator will depend on your serving capacity. For example, a large-scale restaurant should have a large refrigerator to store foods. At the same time, you should contact commercial refrigerator services in case of malfunctioning and defects.

Freezer/ice machine

This is where you can store meat and other food items that should be frozen to avoid spoilage. Likewise, you can also store cold beverages to serve your customers. Ice machines are also essential kitchen equipment in order to create slushies, shakes and other cold, refreshing drinks.

Oven

Ovens may either be powered by gas, electric, or even wood. Choosing the right type of oven depends on the type of food you are serving and how quick your preferred service time is. For example, some traditional pizza restaurants use brick ovens to cook food. For baked goods, some use either gas or electric oven.

How to buy commercial kitchen equipment for your business

Buying kitchen equipment is a major investment for your business. That is why you should choose ones that will offer benefits to your business in the long run. Here are some important tips to remember when buying kitchen equipment for your food business.

Buy according to your need.

If you are going to use an appliance for business purposes, choose ones that are made for commercial use. These kinds of appliances are more suitable to handle heavy-duty cooking and usage. Commercial appliances are also made to be stronger and more durable than home appliances.

Decide whether to buy brand-new or second-hand.

If buying brand-new, make sure you are aware of its warranty conditions in case of damages or malfunctioning. On a positive note, you can be more assured of an appliance’s quality if it’s brand new rather than used. On the contrary, there is used equipment that is still highly-functional. Still, it is important to be careful when buying second-hand or else you will end up calling commercial gas oven repair personnel for your malfunctioning oven.

Determine your budget.

Make sure you have a specific budget when buying commercial kitchen equipment. Better yet, you can do your own research in choosing your preferred equipment instead of shopping on-the-spot.

Make your food business successful

Choosing the right kitchen equipment can help a lot in the success of your business. More importantly, you should do the necessary steps to ensure that your equipment is in good condition at all times. For your kitchen equipment repair needs, make sure to hire only professionals specializing in commercial kitchen appliance repair in Northern VA.