The commercial kitchens can be described as cooking areas that was established to make food for selling purposes. However, various cooking areas in schools, prisons, and nursing homes are also referred in the same name. The basics of all these kitchens remain the same. Customisation is done according to the requirement of the institute. These kitchens usually have cooking stations and equipments that would be needed to operate the stations. Depending on the cuisine of the restaurant and preparation techniques of the head chef, these are designed. The physical space available is taken into consideration when various equipments and appliances are being chosen for the kitchen. These are usually bigger than the normal residential kitchen and adhere to rules and regulations. Cooking stations The cuisine being served in the restaurant would determine the total number of food preparation and cooking stations. The stations would include baking, grilling, sautéing, and catering areas, etc. The stations are developed to fulfil its purpose and therefore all the equipments, serving dishes and everything on offer would cater to these requirements. There are restaurants that offer cooking classes. The commercial kitchens would include instructional areas, the basic cooking areas, mirrors and teaching station. It would also have student prep areas enabling the chef to observe the efforts of their students. Selection of Equipments These kitchens are easily identified by the big equipments that are devised to handle huge amount of food. Unlike the residential appliances, these do not require frequent replacements or maintenance and can prepare large amounts of food. They are comparatively durable for the mass food production and adhere to the industrial safety practices. Layout of Kitchen These commercial kitchens have a different layout than a residential one. There are different codes whose adherence ensures the safety of the kitchen workers from injury and other accidents. These codes ensure measured space between heating areas, ovens and other areas to facilitate the movement of traffic. There are additional gas and electric outlets. Multiple floor drains ensure that water does not accumulate and cause accidents. Multiple sinks ascertain the kitchen remains clean and hygienic. Safety Requirements Safety becomes an issue in these commercial kitchens. As per the mandated rules of the country, the kitchen needs to be planned accordingly. The venting rules always asks for exhaust fans over cook tops, automatic fire suppressors systems, non-slip flooring tiles, padded flooring in areas where employees stand for a long time. The residential kitchens usually have a fire extinguisher, non-slip floors and fire retardant materials integrated within the building structure. The commercial kitchens need to follow these regulations to ensure the safety of the workers. Health Code Regulations The commercial kitchens are making food for selling purposes. This is the reason that commercial kitchens should adhere to the health code permits that is needed to prepare the food. These health rules forbid the co-mingling of hands and food preparation in the same area. The dishwashers are set to an approved temperature. The refrigeration should provide substantial cooling to prevent perishable items going bad. The health codes are set by the local government and mandate the way refuse and disposal is handled. The equipments used in the commercial facility should adhere to the local regulations. Setting up the commercial kitchen requires planning. The first step is to install flooring that is comfortable for the kitchen staff to work on continuously for several hours. The materials used should render easy cleaning. The paint chosen should be a washable quality that does not damage. All the overhead fixtures selected should light the areas comfortably. The sprinkler system is important for the safety of the workers. A minimum of three cooking stations are needed with fryers, flat top and stoves. The kitchens might need some appliances like microwaves, stand mixers and convections. It is important to remember to invest in whole room ventilation systems. If it is a pizza restaurant, wood-burning stoves are needed to be installed. The counters should be stainless steel with open shelves. This would double up as the area for the prep work. Commercial sinks should be placed away from the food preparation and cooking areas. The last thing needed in the set-up of the commercial kitchen is walk-in freezers and coolers. A large pantry should be built for the dry goods. There should be a separate closet space for linens and non-food supplies. Author Bio: Steven Brown thinks that a commercial kitchen is different from the residential kitchens. These are more large scale and are used to prep food for sale.
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