Commercial cooking equipment can dish out a variety of catastrophes if not properly maintained. One of these, is commercial kitchen fires which are commonly caused by poor and un-serviced kitchen ventilation. The proper maintenance of these equipment is thus a foundation to avoid unnecessary cuts into your bottom line.
These basic steps also help you avoid financial cuts and most importantly guarantee the well being of your workers;
Commercial kitchen by Merican Limited
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Maintaining the Vent Hood and Duct
Firstly, consider the cleaning of your vent hood and duct. This critical step must be carried out by qualified contractors. The cleaning should be done at least every six months. Staff can also regularly clean the more visible parts of the hood throughout the six months period on a weekly basis.
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Maintaining Grease Filters
As grease filters collect grease, fumes, dust particles, smoke and light food particles, it reduces the amount of all these waste that enters the duct directly. Cleaning the grease filters regularly is a good practice though this may vary depending on how busy the kitchen is. If you do a lot of grease cooking consider cleaning your grease filter more often than weekly. This reduces the amount of waste inside the duct consequently lowering the risk of a fire.
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Deep Fryer Maintenance
Another important maintenance tip, is the deep fryer inspections. This also must be done by qualified contractors. Primarily due to the fact that deep fryers are one the most hazardous commercial kitchen equipment. The daily cleaning of the deep fryer on the other hand should be done in accordance to the manufacturer’s guide. This routine process can be done by the staff and it includes cleaning of the interior. Also, check for any possible gas leaks and open wires every now and then.
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Maintenance of Refrigeration Equipment
Similarly, the maintenance of refrigeration equipment ought to be frequently done. Proper ventilation could be prevented by reduced air flow caused by dust and grease. Therefore, frequently check air filters in all kitchen fridges, restaurant fridges, bar coolers and bottle coolers. Walk-in coolers and refrigerators on the other hand require that drain pans and tubes are regularly cleaned to avoid repairs. Inspection of the compressor is also ideal.
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Repairing of Broken Parts
In addition, consider repairing the components of specific kitchen equipment. You may notice that your stainless steel sink or coffee machines are undergoing wear and tear over time due to their continuous usage. This calls for a more hands on approach in servicing broken parts. Contact a kitchen expert to handle any servicing issues that is in your commercial kitchen. This will ensure the kitchen equipment lasts longer especially stainless steel sinks, stainless steel tables, stainless steel racks and stainless steel cabinets.
- Planned Maintenance
However, a more proactive approach to repairing of broken parts and overall service could also be taken. Do not wait for the breakdown of parts in your kitchen fridges or coffee maker. You can have scheduled maintenance of your cooking ranges, fridges or ovens. These planned maintenances should be conducted by a professional contractor. Do not forget the smaller equipment like bain maries, food slicers, meat mincers, single well fryers, e.t.c.
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Floor Cleaning
Finally, and maybe most importantly, regularly clean your commercial kitchen floor. Yes, your kitchen floor is part of your kitchen equipment. It’s easily the most used of all your kitchen equipment. Failure to properly clean your kitchen floor could lead to a slip or worse, a fall leading to injury of a staff. Daily scrub your floors with a deck brush. In addition, consider using rubber mats on your kitchen floors.
