Are you a restaurant proprietor? Or are you just an avid amateur chef who loves to make lasagna, lobster bisque, and lemon meringue pie for you and your family?
Whatever your personal situation may be, if you adore cooking and baking then you need excellent food equipment, be it a stainless-steel pot or a powerful blender.
It may set you back quite a bit of money at first, but you will quickly realize that it is a worthwhile investment that will pay dividends in the future. The meals will be delicious and plentiful, and your patrons or guests will have their palate satisfied.
Unfortunately, without regular maintenance, the most durable food equipment can erode. You don’t want this to happen, so be sure to take better care of the items moving forward.
Here are five tips to keep your commercial or home food equipment in great shape:
1. Follow the Manufacturer’s Guidelines & Manual
Once we take an appliance out of the box or we unwrap our latest stainless-steel pan, we rarely or never peruse the manufacturer’s manual or go through the guidelines. We just don’t.
But if you have invested a great deal in new food equipment, then you better make sure that you reverse course and meticulously read the instructions. Not only should you read them, you must make it clear to everyone in your business or home that they must follow instructions, too.
2. Warranty? Fill Out the Warranty Card Fast!
When you invest a large sum of money into state-of-the-art, you want some insurance. There is no better way of obtaining insurance than to have warranty to ensure you can have a replacement should anything go wrong.
You will either be offered warranty at checkout or you will find a warranty card in the box. Should you have a warranty card, be sure to fill it out and then return it to the brand right away.
Just remember to not waste your time. Do it almost immediately!
3. Don’t Allow Food to Linger on Equipment
No matter how durable, strong, and reliable your new food equipment is, it can’t combat the strength of food lingering for days, which then breeds mould, bacteria, and other harmful elements that can eat way at the efficacy of your appliances or dishes.
So, moving forward, as soon as you finish preparing food, you should wash off the leftover ingredients and keep the appliances clean.
You have likely seen many episodes of “Kitchen Nightmares” and all those owners and chefs who keep their kitchens, equipment, and tools in disarray. Don’t let this be you!
4. Be Sure to Perform Regular Maintenance
Maintenance is essential to keeping your food equipment in great shape. Without routine maintenance, you risk degrading the quality of your pots, pans, appliances, and tools. Since you have likely spent a large sum of money, then you probably don’t want this to occur.
So, how exactly can you maintain your food equipment? Here are some suggestions:
- Do a basic clean of your food equipment and then do a thorough clean.
- Follow manufacturer instructions on how to clean the equipment.
- Train your employees to maintain the food equipment.
- Want a professional eye? Book an appointment for an inspection (see below).
By adopting these measures, you can be confident that your food equipment will last for years.
5. Always Inspect the Food Equipment
At the office, the company will have an inspection for the photocopier. At home, the occupants will hire an inspector to ensure the foundation is even. At your restaurant or kitchen, you should book an appointment to have a professional inspection done for your food equipment.
There are many things that the untrained eye can miss, which is why it would be a better idea to have an experienced and trained handyman arrive to your premises and take a look.
If something needs to be repaired or replaced, you can get it done right away rather than waiting until the worst possible moment for the equipment to break down on you.
Food equipment is essential, whether you are operating a restaurant full-time or you regularly make home-cooked meals for you and your family. Since you are making a hefty investment, it is crucial that you apply routine maintenance to ensure these items can have a lengthy lifespan.
