It is true when they say that an efficient kitchen is only as good as its equipment. This is why a lot of consumers are investing huge amounts of money on top-quality kitchen equipment that will allow them to whip up wonderful culinary creations from their kitchens.
But while we are used to seeing conventional equipment that’s used in residential kitchen, there are also commercial equipment that’s designed for commercial kitchens. At first glance, it seems like the only difference between the two is the size, but that’s not actually the case. So, if you’re running a smaller kitchen, it doesn’t mean that you have to invest in conventional kitchen equipment even if it doesn’t meet your needs. Here, we’ll tackle the differences between conventional and commercial kitchen equipment, so you can make the right decisions for your business.
What is a Conventional Kitchen?
A conventional kitchen is simply your standard residential kitchen where you can prepare food to feed your family and to host small parties in. Whether you live in a huge mansion, a modest family home or a studio apartment, you will have a standard kitchen space that usually contains the basics like a fridge and freezer, oven, microwave, toaster and kettle.
These products are designed to produce food that’s fit for personal consumption or to feed a few people. However, a lot of start-up restaurants and food joints use conventional equipment for their kitchens, especially if they’re still small, and they’re not sitting a lot of diners at one time yet.
Benefits of Conventional Kitchen Equipment:
- Conventional kitchen equipment isn’t as expensive as commercial kitchen equipment, which is good if you’re a startup with a shoestring budget.
- Since you’re already familiar with the equipment, it’s easier for you to go around your kitchen. This is especially beneficial if you want to offer home-cooked food for your diners.
- Most conventional kitchen equipment doesn’t require any permits or legal requirements.
Downsides of Using Conventional Kitchen:
- You have limited space to work with, so it could be a struggle during a busy service.
- You will be limited with the menu that you can offer since you can’t fit a lot of kitchen equipment and tools inside a small conventional kitchen.
- You need to make huge adjustments as your business—and the demand— grows.
What is a Commercial Kitchen?
If a conventional kitchen is made for the home, a commercial kitchen is designed with large productions in mind. From the design of the space to the equipment that’s in it, you’ll easily know the differences between your typical kitchen and your commercial kitchen. This space is also fitted with extractor fans, ventilation systems and other fixtures that help to promote comfort, safety and hygiene that will help you and your team deliver well-executed food for diners.
And because a commercial kitchen is designed for producing large quantities of food, it’s also equipped with different commercial kitchen equipment from suppliers like HE2020. The space is also divided into different kitchen stations, so each part of your team will have designated spaces to work with to maintain your efficiency. You also have preparation area, cleaning and packaging areas for takeaways.
Benefits of Commercial Kitchen Equipment
- It’s designed to help you run a large operation and the more advanced kitchen equipment gives you more options to experiment on your dishes.
- You get adequate storage for a large-scale production.
- You can cook things faster and in bigger batches, which is perfect for serving a lot of diners at one time.
Disadvantages of a Commercial Kitchen
- You need to make a huge investment to be able to set up a fully functional commercial kitchen, which can be a challenge if you’re a start-up. You can solve this problem, however, by looking at reliable suppliers like HE2020 that can give you high-quality kitchen equipment at the price point that will fit your budget.
- Since a commercial kitchen runs faster than your typical kitchen, you can also expect equipment to be maintained more often than regular kitchen equipment since it works harder in producing bigger batches of food.
Tips for Buying Commercial Kitchen Equipment
Whether you’re furnishing a conventional or commercial kitchen, here are some tips that you can follow to make sure that you’re making your investment count:
- Think About Your Menu.
The only way to know what kitchen equipment you need is to determine what you want to cook for diners. Once you have a menu finalised, it would be a lot easier to invest in the right equipment for your kitchen.
- Think About Your Budget.
You’re making a big investment with kitchen equipment, but that doesn’t mean you’re going bankrupt for it. Having a budget will allow you to look for options that you can afford, and you don’t need to worry about quality because suppliers like HE2020 have a range of products that are within your budget.
- Think About Your Space.
Of course, you can’t furnish a small kitchen space with large equipment, which is why it’s very important to measure your space first and even plan the layout of your kitchen, so you know if one equipment fits in the area where it’s supposed to be placed. Even if you have a small space to work with, you need to be smart about how your space should look, so you can ensure functionality for you and your team.
Although both conventional and commercial kitchen equipment can produce amazing dishes, you need to make the right choice based on how you’d want to run your kitchen. If you are just cooking for family, friends or a few diners, the home cooked charm of a conventional kitchen will definitely benefit you. But if you’re looking for something that will help you speed up the process of producing large batches of food without sacrificing quality, you can invest in top quality commercial kitchen equipment that will benefit you and your team.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to your exact needs and of course, the budget that you have to work with.