Whether you schedule maintenance daily, monthly or annual, regularly cleaning and caring for your commercial kitchen equipment goes a long way in extending its life span. Also, it removes grease buildup making daily kitchen cleaning and sanitization easy. If you are unsure where to start when developing a commercial kitchen maintenance checklist, here are a few steps.
Fryers
A gas or an electric fryer is a must-have appliance in any commercial kitchen. Compared with other equipment, fryers directly and noticeably affect food quality. Therefore, if your fryers are poorly maintained, they will result in poor food quality. To keep customer complaints at bay, consider the following maintenance checklist:
- Regularly extract dirty oil
- Check the fryer for gas leaks
- Ensure cleanliness in all probes
- Inspect and ensure that the combustion fans are working properly
- Ensure that broken probes are replaced immediately
Fridges & Freezers
No food preparation takes place in the fridges and other refrigeration areas. Thus, cleaning these areas tends to be pretty straightforward. The main work here is only maintenance and ensuring that the equipment keeps the food cold. Maintenance of this equipment includes:
- Calibrate the thermostats to the appropriate temperatures
- Remove excessive ice and moisture
- Ensure that the hinges are regularly lubricated and the clean the gaskets
- Check the refrigerant level and refill to the recommended point
- Check the electrical wiring and connections and conduct repairs where necessary
Oven & Ranges
Ovens and ranges provide a way to offer patrons delectable dishes, but poorly maintained equipment may prevent this and could pose safety hazards. Ensure your cook tops and ovens remain in top working condition:
- Ensure that the burners are cleaned regularly
- Avoid standing on oven doors
- Routinely inspect the burners for cracks
- Check to ensure that oven doors close tightly
- Check for leaks in the grease lines and ensure that they are draining properly
- Remove, clean, and replace air filters as necessary.
Sinks and Dishwashers
Maintaining a clean and orderly kitchen requires properly maintaining the areas where you wash and sanitize your dishes and cookware. So, whether you wash your restaurant dishes with your hands or run them in commercial-grade dishwashers, it is important that you have these systems maintained for optimal operation. Some maintenance tips for these pieces of equipment include:
- Look for dents and chips in the dish racks.
- If using commercial dishwashers, train your employees to rinse food leftovers and debris from the plates before loading them on these cleaning these systems. This will help prevent clogging.
- Inspect tank water, clean the tank, and change the water regularly.
- Always confirm the liquid levels, including rinsing aids and detergents.
Food Preparation Area
Although keeping your commercial kitchen equipment clean and properly maintained is crucial, it doesn’t mean that the food preparation areas should be neglected. Therefore, you need to ensure that your countertops and floors are constantly cleaned by;
- Washing and vacuuming rugs
- Disinfecting countertops and tables
- Mop, dust, and vacuum floors
Wrapping Up
Your main goal in developing a restaurant kitchen maintenance checklist should be to make this space more accessible for all employees and ensure the highest quality of food produced. The above-mentioned tips should get you started on a journey to a more orderly and functional restaurant kitchen.