Commercial Kitchens: Tips for Increasing Productivity and Efficiency

By Steve George

December 23, 2022Home & Decor

From the professional cooking equipment and staff to the wholesale supplier and quality of ingredients—there’s a long list of items crucial to running a successful food business. However, without the proper management of time and effort, even the most sophisticated kitchen won’t be able to function at its full potential. 


Time is a valuable asset in any line of business, especially in food service. Many professional kitchens are built around utilising this inelastic resource, not only because it dramatically affects how the food looks and tastes, but also because no customer will wait more than 15-20 minutes for their order. 


Suppose you’re considering opening a restaurant or refurbishing your existing business. In that case, it’s vital to plan how you’ll optimise back-of-house operations to save time and effort while increasing efficiency, productivity and safety. Care for a few tips? Keep reading!

Mobile Storage Carts for Kitchen and Beyond 

Yes, professional pots, pans, knives, ovens, fridges and so forth are usually on top of everyone’s list of priorities when it comes to running a commercial kitchen. However, without a functional storage solution, one simply cannot make the most out of these essentials. Built-in cabinets and drawers aside, commercial trolleys and carts for kitchen use can help you streamline day-to-day BOH and some FOH tasks in several ways. 

kitchen carts
source: pexels.com

First, you can use them as mobile shelves to move around heavy equipment, tools and ingredients. Working in food service is already a physically demanding job, so adding more strain on the backs of your staff is the last thing you want. Professional kitchen carts and food trolleys feature heavy-duty wheels and frames that make handling heavy loads an easy task. 


They’re seemingly always nearby when you need them and out of the way when you don’t. Food trolleys and carts work both ways, allowing you to fine-tune your storage plan to suit the needs of your kitchen at any given moment. This is especially useful when dealing with a sudden surge of orders or cleaning at the end of the day. 


When you need more hands on the job to put together a complex dish, your cart can even double as an extra prep space. And in the tedious part after a busy service, it’ll allow you to bring back plates, glasses and utensils in just one trip—versatility at its finest in what basically is a countertop on wheels. 


Do your guests take an eternity to order? Seeing a bunch of words on the menu vs. seeing mouth-watering creations in front of you just hits different. That’s why you can also use restaurant carts to roll out some eye-filling appetizer or dessert options to their table and entice them to order. Bringing the food to their table is a proactive way of dealing with guests who simply can’t decide what to order, thus saving both your and their time. 

Innovative Food Prep Equipment 

In this day and age, there’s a tool for almost every job in food service. It would be a pity not to use technology to the best advantage of your business. So what features are included in commercial kitchens? 

food preparation equipment
source: pexels.com

Mixers 

Whether you’re starting a bakery, pizzeria or cakery, having a commercial-grade mixer in your kitchen will help you prepare various types of dough and batters with minimal physical effort and time spent. A must-have feature in any large-scale production line that’ll help you pick up the pace whilst maintaining maximum safety. If you want to further automate the tedious repetitive tasks of your day-to-day operations, you can also invest in quality dough rounders and dividers. 

Cutters 

Yes, almost any professional chef is a wiz with knives, but be that as it may, repetitive tasks can lead to fatigue and injuries. Why not leave the hard work of chopping, dicing and mincing to the machines, and put the chefs’ talents to better use? From electric choppers to slicers and mincers, all the way to grinders and graters—you can make your staff’s jobs safer and easier by investing in the right tools. 

Production Line Machines 

From raw ingredients to finished products—you can automate the entire process with innovative production line equipment.  For instance, if the fabulously soft and flaky croissants are the most sought-after product in your bakery, investing in a professional dough laminating line will allow you to expand your production to meet increased demands whilst maintaining quality consistency.

Commercial Cleaning Solutions 

The busy commercial kitchen environment is a breeding ground for clutter and chaos. For instance, if you can’t stay on top of the ever-piling dishes, you won’t be able to serve the food on time. This leads to angry guests who can potentially become lost customers. 

cleaning tools for kitchen
source: pexels.com

To avoid such scenarios, it’s wise to invest in a heavy-duty dishwasher for your kitchen. Unlike manual dishwashing, automated dishwashers clean more effectively at much higher temperatures, leaving the dishes sanitised, dried and ready to use. 


A powerful steam cleaner is another great piece of equipment that can take hours of hassle off your staff’s shoulders. These innovative machines won’t only reduce cleaning time, but they’ll also effectively remove dirt, grease, grime and pathogens, ensuring a safe environment for food preparation. 


Manually operated tools such as industrial sweeping and mopping kits are also indispensable parts of your cleaning equipment, allowing you to easily maintain the floors squeaky clean before, during and after working hours. 

Your Key Takeaway 

Investing in equipment, tools and accessories that help you utilise assets like time and productivity can only do your business good or in the words of Benjamin Franklin, “the best investment is in the tools of one’s own trade”. With that being said, you can now explore some of the professional kitchen equipment available in Australia and fit out your space for maximum efficiency and functionality.