I'm having tons of fun designing my commercial kitchen on paper, even if it never happens. I started out thinking built-in cabinets and countertops were good, but now I'm wondering if rolling racks and bins are better. What are the items/spaces you can't live without and what do you wish was different?
Its all about the rolling stuff. Plus, built in costs more. I am designing mine as we speak and using the industrial wire racks for storage, and stainless steel tables for working on that come with a shelf underneath. Ingredients bins and such will be on these shelves and for the places I need more organization I will be using the rubbermaid 3-5 drawer bins. My must have: a double oven!
Irinox Blast freezer. It will change your life....seriously.
Design it for function, not for pretty. This isn't your home .... it's your business. While you don't have to work in an ugly warehouse environment, it has to be for function. So I agree 1000% with KoryAk.
For example, the health dept must approve your floor plan (in my state). There is a logical reason. The layout must conform to the flow of the food. If your refrigerator is ALL THE WAY OVER THERE, you are more likely to get 3 dozen eggs out and carry them to your work area instead of walking back and forth to get the 6 or so you need at a time, potentionally violation some Food-Safe guidelines. Workflow should be in some sort of "dirty to clean" so dirty and clean dishes do not cross paths (cross contamination and confusion on "are these clean or dirty??")
The design should include the fewest number of steps. I looked over one person's plan and because the of walls, she was going to have to walk in a "U" to get from her work station to the refrigerator. This will get very tiring, very fast. The design should include easy to clean and easy access to keeping it clean (which is why bottom shelves have to be 6" above the floor).
I used a kitchen designer (she waived her fee, so it didn't really cost me anything) and they know SO much about what is needed in a kitchen. I don't consider me a dumb person, but she had so many suggestions and ideas and recommendations that made the whole thing so logical and very "flowing".
Wow, wonderful advice from all. Kory--where did you find your steel table? txkat--is the blast freezer used for the same purposes as a regular one, only it's faster? (Like a microwave in reverse?) Indy--you hit the nail on the head. I've been struggling with the design because my space is pretty small-- 14x 17. Any suggestions? I assumed a standard kitchen designer would be of no help. In fact, I've designed more than one and done far better than most pros that I talked to. But this is a different animal, and since I've only done cakes in my home kitchen and dining room I don't know what a well-equipped, well-designed commercial kitchen feels like.
A blast freezer operates at 30 degrees below and has a fan and an evaporator. I can blast a cake fresh from the oven and it's cool enough frost in 10 minutes. The blast freezer also brings foods down in temperature very fast, so it spends virtually no time in the " dangerous zone" for bacterial growth.
I use it for icing with IMBC. You can basically do a whole cake with the "upside down icing techinique by frosting the smooth inside of a stainless steel cake ring...blast it drop in the cake...blast it again...then torch the outside and remove it. You have a perfectly iced cake in about 3 minutes of work time.
I also have a 10 below semi freddo freezer. I make and decorate cakes for the restaurant, blast them, and then put them in the holding freezer. Ther remain in perfect suspended animation for days.
Well, I haven't gotten to the purchasing part yet, but I found a LOT of items including the tables at the sam's club website. I had no idea, but they have ovens and racks and everything for commercial kitchens and the price includes shipping (very important when you are in Alaska) and is better than my local restaurant supply store can give me.
I wouldn't nix builtins immediately due to cost. Ikea and some home depots have assemble it yourself builtins. You'll need to get someone to attach them to the wall. If you pick the right sizes, you can even buy presized countertops. I have a narrow space (12x40) so I really have no choice to put counterspace/storage down one wall. I lucked out a few days ago in that I was in Home Depot buying blinds for my daughter, had to go peepee and when I walked by the assemble it yourself cabinet section, they had a closeout on 33inch white melamine cabinet bases. $25 each. I bought 14 feet worth of cabinet for under $200. My hubby (carpenter) had planned to build them for me, but said he couldn't even buy the material for that, so I snapped them up. I still plan on buying a couple of stainless steel counters to sit at as I decorate. That's my favorite surface for when I'm decorating. The one thing I don't like about the steel tables though is I haven't seen any yet that let you scoot a chair under them. They all tend to have a bottom shelf. So it gets a little tiring to sit an angle.
Hi Vickster--thanks for the tip! As soon as I get off the phone I'm calling Home Depot. Meanwhile, would a bar stool work at the table? I, too, really like the stainless steel. I was aware that they have a shelf, but didn't realize it came all the way out.
Here's a link showing stainless steel tables that allow access for chairs/stools: http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/457/Commercial_Stainless_Steel_Working_Tables.htm
Thanks, IndyDeb. These seem to be a good bit more expensive than what I can buy at my local restaurant supply that have the shelf. A 2x5 from them is less than $200. but it is probably worth it on your back and neck to have at least one that you can scoot your stool under for some of that detailed piping work.
I'm so happy I found this thread! Thanks to the OP!
So, to all commercial kitchen owners, I'm looking for work tables, in your experience would you think this is a good choice?
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=535&item=350567&prDeTab=2&atc=0001&BV_SessionID=_SC_1317416704.1190003087_CS_&BV_EngineID=cccfaddlmfdddjecfkfcfkjdgoodflg.0
Or "cheap" really does NOT work... do you recommend any websites? Not only for tables but for all and any commercial stuff. Thanks so much!
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