Commercial kitchens are notoriously busy environments – with so much going on, it’s imperative to maximise space and facilitate workflow. In a commercial kitchen, the equipment takes up most of the space so it makes sense to use the space wisely.
Caterboss provides premium brand equipment to a wide range of clients from small independent cafés ordering single items to the supply and fit of full hotel-size kitchens. Owner Ciaran Kilbride’s background is in hospitality giving him an insider understanding of what works in commercial kitchens. Here he shares his top strategies on how to maximise space in your commercial kitchen, optimising functionality and efficiency.
Suggestions from Ciaran Kilbride Director of Caterboss:
- Think vertically. Switch to wall-mounted equipment where possible, such as Salamanders. Some countertop equipment can be supplied with wall mounting brackets so always ask your supplier if this is possible. Wall mount countertop equipment such as microwaves and make clever use of wall space with stainless steel shelves to take pots and pans from beneath service areas where new under-counter appliances can now be fitted.
- For cooking equipment, if you don’t require an oven in the kitchen, consider replacing your range cooker with a countertop boiling hob such as Combsiteel Gas Boiling Hob.
- It’s also worth considering using a refrigerated chef base as a mount for gas boiling hobs – their low height make them ideal as bases for countertop equipment and they give valuable refrigerated storage beneath for quick to hand fresh ingredients during service
- If you use a convection oven and boiling hob combination, consider using the convection oven as a base for the boiling hob to create valuable counter space.
- Use bottom mounted motors on refrigerated counters as opposed to refrigerated counters with side mounted motors to reduce the length of the units and create more horizontal space.
- Chest freezers can be big and bulky and can take up a lot of space. If your chest freezer only serves to store frozen foods, consider upgrading to a stainless steel led chest freezer to double up its function and create extra prep surface area.
- Hood type dishwashers can often be overkill and take up a huge amount of kitchen space. If this is the case for you, consider downsizing to an under-counter model which can now be placed under counter in the service area instead of in the kitchen, freeing up more space. The same applies to glasswashers that have been tucked away into the kitchen area – consider moving these to the service area where the space is at less of a premium.
- Where possible try installing slimline equipment to save on floor space. Some ranges have a standard size and slimline size available for space-conscious customers.
- Most pizza ovens and combi-steam ovens like Rational can easily be stacked using stacking kits – this is a no-brainer when looking to maximise floor space in the kitchen.
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