Buying commercial kitchen equipment in a restaurant supply store can cost a modest fortune. Commercial-grade appliances are heavy-duty and are designed to hold up well to the rigorous demands of a heavily-used kitchen, and their price is reflective of this. Many restaurants operate on a very tight budget with a slim profit margin, and you may not have it in your budget to shop for new restaurant supplies and equipment in the near future. With this in mind, you understandably need to maximize the life of your restaurant equipment as much as possible by keeping your equipment maintained in great condition. You can do so by following these key steps.
Research the Maintenance Needs of All Equipment
Each type of restaurant equipment in your facility has unique maintenance needs. For example, your hood may need to be professionally cleaned on a monthly basis, and your refrigerator may require annual maintenance service. Before you can maintain your equipment properly and in a timely manner, you need to read through the manufacturers’ suggested maintenance requirements. If you no longer have the manuals for the equipment, you can typically locate this information online. A kitchen equipment specialist may also provide you with information in this area.
Create a Maintenance Plan
For each appliance or commercial kitchen equipment in your facility, list out the appliance, required maintenance or service and suggested frequency on a piece of paper. Depending on the size of your kitchen, this list can seem overwhelming when it is completed. However, proper maintenance can promote longevity and energy efficiency, and it can decrease the incidence of breakdowns, and each item on the list should be addressed as needed throughout the year.
Mark Your Calendar
The final step to take to ensure the proper maintenance of your commercial kitchen equipment is to add each item on your list to your calendar. It is easy to overlook appliance and equipment maintenance when inundated with the daily operations of your restaurant. However, you do not want to overlook these important tasks. By adding them to your calendar now, you will have a reminder to take maintenance steps as needed throughout the year. Another idea is to contact a maintenance and repair company that specializes in kitchen equipment, and set up service for a regular maintenance plan for each item in your kitchen. This places the burden of remembrance on the service provider rather than on you.
Equipment maintenance is critical to the cleanliness and safety of your kitchen as well as to the condition of your appliance in the months and years to come. If you are not currently maintaining your equipment according to manufacturers’ recommendations, follow these steps. More information can be found at Nella Cutlery.
