In the recent years restaurant owners have realized that cloud kitchens are the best option to save costs and maximize efficiency. Having the right cloud kitchen equipment is essential for the success of any delivery only restaurant.
In a typical cloud kitchen model restaurant owners rent a space for their kitchens and then equip it with their own equipment. Startup restaurant owners are usually confused about the type of equipment they will need in their kitchens.
To maximize efficiency and save costs we have prepared a list of cloud kitchen equipment that will set you up for success.
Cloud Kitchen Equipment List
Before we talk about the essential equipment for cloud kitchens it is important to know that different restaurants might have different requirements. For example if you are a pizza restaurant then you will most likely need to buy a Pizza oven. On the other hand if you offer Japanese food then you might need a rice cooker and a sushi rolling mat.
It is important to know beforehand that what your restaurant will offer so that you can make informed decisions about the equipment for your restaurant.
What is your demand? In order to choose the right equipment for your cloud kitchen demand forecasting is important. If there is a low demand for you food or you are just starting out then you will not need to invest in most latest technology. You can buy equipment that will just get the job done. On the other hand if there is already a high demand then you will have to opt for the latest equipment to maximize efficiency and also buy multiples of each.
How much is your budget? Your budget plays an important role in the type of equipment you will buy for your restaurant. You will obviously have to buy the must have equipment’s but if your budget is low you can consider buying used equipment instead of new equipment.
Cooking Range
Cooking ranges are important for almost every restaurant kitchen out there. You will always need to cook something right? Cooking ranges are the most versatile equipment in any cloud kitchen. They have many uses such as boiling, frying, baking, grilling, roasting, steaming and much more. There are a variety of different type of cooking ranges to choose from:
Gas Ranges
They give you more control over the temperature and immediate heat adjustment. Gas ranges are ideal for sautéing, searing, and boiling.
They can often be difficult to clean and can have chances of gas leakage and fire.
Electric Ranges
They are a good choice for baking and delicate dishes. They do not offer much control over temperature but can have lower costs compared to a gas range. They are easy to clean but if you are cooking things that require a higher temperature then we would recommend going for gas ranges.
Induction Ranges
If you have a good budget then you can opt for induction ranges. They have recently become popular and can heat up in just a matter of seconds. If you demand is high induction ranges will help you improve your efficiency and lower your electricity costs.
Exhaust Hood
This is an essential cloud kitchen equipment even if you are just starting out. Exhaust hood will clean the air fresh and safe. It can control air flow and keep a constant temperature inside your cloud kitchen space.
They help to remove any kind of grease, smoke and odor generated in the cooking process. Exhaust hoods also play a role in the safety of cloud kitchens. Due to the use of open fire and hot surfaces there is a chance of fire in restaurant kitchens. Exhaust hoods ensure that smoke and fumes do not stay inside your cloud kitchen space.
Exhaust hoods are also important for the health and safety of the kitchen staff. Certain materials such as smokes and carbon monoxide can be harmful for the chefs working in the kitchen. These are taken out of the kitchen with the help of an exhaust hood.
The grease and smoke inside the kitchen can also damage other equipment in the kitchen and reduce their life. With exhaust hoods you not only keep your kitchens clean but also protect your kitchen equipment from damage.
The choice of the exhaust hood depends on the type of cloud kitchen and the space available in the cloud kitchen. Some of the different types of exhaust hoods are:
- Wall-mounted hoods
- Island hoods
- Pass-through hoods
Counters
They are an important cloud kitchen equipment that cannot be avoided. While choosing counters for your cloud kitchen it is important to opt for stainless steel counters. They have a long life and are resistant to damages from bacteria and smoke. There are many benefits of having counters in your cloud kitchen.
Counters can help chefs maintain a an order in their kitchens. Tasks such as cutting, slicing and chopping can be done on the counters.
Counters have storage space below and can allow chefs and kitchen staff to keep important ingredients at hand.
Counters can be used for multiple purposes such as a workstation in the morning and a pasta preparation area in the evening.
Counters come in various forms and you can choose one according to your budget and space in the cloud kitchen. Some of the common types of cloud kitchen counters are:
- Straight-line counters
- U-shaped counters
- L-shaped counters
Ovens
Whether you are a startup restaurant or a well established one you will need an oven in your cloud kitchen to increase efficiency and cook great food.
Ovens used in our homes are different from commercial ovens. These ovens are designed in such a way that they produce greater outputs and run for hours without heating up.
Some of the new ovens allow you to do multiple things at the same time like cooking, baking, steaming and even microwave.
Commercial Refrigerators
Weather you are in a cloud kitchen or your own restaurant kitchen refrigerators are a must have equipment.
These refrigerators help keep the food fresh and safe. All your important ingredients like vegetables, meat, chicken and cheese are kept fresh in these refrigerators.
Commercial kitchens are designed in a way that makes them easy to clean. As a restaurant owner you always want to keep everything hygienic.
There are many different kinds of commercial refrigerators such as:
- Walk-in fridges
- Reach-in fridges
- Display Fridges
Sinks
Usually these are pre installed in most of the cloud kitchens. If you have a high demand then you may want to install additional sinks in your cloud kitchen. There are a variety of different sinks you can choose from. Some of the common ones are:
- Single Sink
- Double Sink
- Triple Sink
Kitchen Shelves
You will not always need each and every equipment, right? There is some cloud kitchen equipment that you will not use much but you still keep them because once in a week you use them.
To keep everything organized it is important to have kitchen shelves in your cloud kitchen. Kitchen shelves come in different sizes you can choose one that fulfills your requirements
We would strongly recommend mobile shelves. These shelves can be moved around and give you a greater flexibility in your cloud kitchen.
Kitchen Display System (KDS)
If you are a well established delivery only restaurant then streamlining your cooking processes is very important. KDS allows you to notify your chefs about the different foods that need to be prepared and the exact number of items that will be consumed in the preparation of those foods.
This improves your efficiency and removes the chances of delaying or forgetting about customer orders.
Other Cloud Kitchen Equipment
Apart from the major things there are many small equipment’s for cloud kitchens that you should always have available. Here is a list of Must have cloud kitchen equipment:
- Plates and Bowls
- Cutlery (Forks, Knives, Spoons)
- Glassware (Glasses, Cups)
- Serving Trays
- Cooking Utensils (Spatulas, Tongs, Ladles)
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Chef’s Knives
- Paring Knives
- Peeler
- Graters
- Strainers
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisks
- Cutting Boards
- Plating Tools (Tweezers, Offset Spatulas)
- Food Storage Containers
- Portion Scoops
- Pastry Brushes
- Timer
- Can Openers
- Corkscrews
- Pizza Cutters
- Thermometers (Food and Oven)
- Salad Spinners
- Mandoline Slicers
- Pastry Bags and Tips
- Salt and Pepper Shakers
- Condiment Dispensers
- Toothpick Dispensers
- Napkin Holders
- Dish Racks and Dish Drainers
While this list might seem long to some people you can go over it and identify the things that you will need according to your culinary requirements. For example if you don’t make pizzas then you don’t need pizza cutters.
Conclusion
While opening a cloud kitchen restaurant might sound like an easy task it definitely still requires a lot of upfront investment. Compared to a traditional restaurant you will not be spending much but to get the basic cloud kitchen equipment you still should have a fair amount of savings.
These are all one time investments in a cloud kitchen restaurant and they will help you bring in a lot of profits in future.