What You Must Know — Commercial Kitchen Equipment Knowledge

1. Introduction to Kitchen Equipment

Kitchen equipment refers to the collective term for devices and tools placed in the kitchen or used for cooking. Kitchen equipment usually includes cooking and heating equipment, processing equipment, disinfection and cleaning equipment, ambient and low-temperature storage equipment, etc.

Common supporting kitchen equipment includes ventilation equipment such as exhaust hoods, ducts, air cabinets for smoke exhaust systems, oil fume purifiers for treating waste gas and wastewater, grease traps, etc.

2. Classification of Kitchen Equipment

Division of functional areas in catering kitchens: staple food storage, side dish storage, dry goods storage, pickling room, pastry room, snack room, cold dish room, vegetable preliminary processing room, meat and seafood processing room, garbage room, cutting and preparation room, plating area, cooking area, steaming area, meal preparation area, sales area, food delivery area, dining area.

1. Hot Kitchen Area: gas wok stove, rice steamer cabinet, soup stove, clay pot stove, steam cabinet, induction cooker, microwave oven, oven;

2. Storage Equipment: divided into food storage parts such as flat shelves, rice and flour cabinets, plating tables, and utensil storage parts such as seasoning cabinets, sales workbenches, various base cabinets, hanging cabinets, corner cabinets, multifunctional decorative cabinets, etc.;

3. Washing and Disinfection Equipment: hot and cold water supply systems, drainage equipment, sinks, dishwashers, high-temperature sterilization cabinets, garbage disposal equipment generated during kitchen operations after washing, food waste disposers, and other equipment;

4. Preparation Equipment: mainly preparation countertops, tools and utensils for organizing, cutting vegetables, seasoning, and mixing;

5. Food Machinery: mainly dough mixers, blenders, slicers, egg beaters, etc.;

6. Refrigeration Equipment: beverage machines, ice makers, freezers, cold storage, refrigerators, etc.;

7. Transportation Equipment: elevators, food delivery lifts, dining lifts, etc.;

Kitchen equipment can also be divided into household and commercial types based on usage. Household kitchen equipment refers to devices used in home kitchens, while commercial kitchen equipment refers to those used in hotels, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other catering industries. Commercial kitchen equipment tends to be larger, more powerful, heavier, and of course, more expensive due to higher usage frequency.

3. Principles for Selecting Kitchenware

Hygiene Principle

Kitchen utensils must have the ability to resist contamination, especially to prevent cockroaches, mice, ants, and other pests from contaminating food, ensuring the intrinsic quality of all kitchenware. Some cabinets on the market have fully installed anti-cockroach sealing strips, a technology that effectively prevents food contamination.

Fire Prevention Principle

The kitchen is the only area in modern homes that uses open flames. The fire resistance and flame retardant properties of materials determine the safety of kitchenware and the household, especially the fire resistance of the kitchenware surface, which is an important criterion for selecting kitchenware. Therefore, reputable kitchenware manufacturers use only non-combustible and flame-retardant materials for the surface layers of their products.

Convenience Principle

Kitchen operations require a reasonable workflow. Therefore, in kitchenware design, arranging parts according to the correct workflow is very important for ease of use later. Additionally, the height of the stove and the position of hanging cabinets directly affect convenience. Hence, kitchenware should be chosen based on ergonomic principles and kitchen operation procedures.

Aesthetic Principle

Kitchenware should not only have pleasing shapes and colors but also durability. Therefore, it requires easy-to-clean and stain-resistant properties. This demands surface materials with good resistance to oil stains and smoke, allowing kitchenware to maintain a clean and new appearance for a long time.

4. Kitchenware Purchasing

One of the overall development trends in kitchen equipment is the increase in stainless steel products. Compared with traditional aluminum, iron, and enamel products, stainless steel has many advantages:

1. Aluminum products are easily oxidized and corroded, iron rusts easily, and enamel products are prone to corrosion. Stainless steel products do not oxidize and are corrosion-resistant.

2. Aluminum has low strength, is easily dented and deformed; enamel products have a hard but brittle enamel surface, also prone to chipping; stainless steel products are resistant to impact.

3. Aluminum products easily attract residues, promoting bacterial growth, and turn black after oxidation, making cleaning difficult and affecting appearance. Stainless steel, due to its solid texture and good gloss, rarely retains residues, which is beneficial for hygiene.

4. Regarding health impact, some abroad refer to aluminum cookware as "thieves of life," believing that if the body's aluminum content exceeds 50-150 milligrams, it accelerates aging.

From the above four points, it is clear that stainless steel products are essential in kitchens. Therefore, young consumers should consider long-term factors when purchasing household kitchenware. Additionally, we can consider the following aspects when buying.

5. Kitchenware Components

Selection of Stove

The stove is an indispensable accessory in kitchenware. When choosing a stove, first consider the design of the kitchen equipment. Styles include built-in and countertop types. For built-in designs, the controls are on the top surface. For countertop stoves, controls are at the front to match the overall kitchenware design.

When purchasing stoves, strict quality control is essential because stove quality directly affects the safety of family and property. The country has regulations for such products, so buy from manufacturers with production licenses and review product quality inspection reports and certificates of conformity.

When selecting stoves, specifically check if the ignition system is safe and reliable, if the combustion system burns fully, if heat adjustment is flexible, and if the carbon monoxide content in exhaust gases is less than 0.05%. Purchase from professional stores to avoid counterfeit products. It is best to entrust kitchenware manufacturers to handle stove configuration. Modern commercial kitchens use 316# stainless steel plates as the best material.