Guide to Pricing and Costs of Restaurant Cooking Supplies

Determine how much cooking equipment for restaurants will cost you

By Andrea Townsley, Owner, Keystone Writing Services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Obtain smallwares from reputable cooking supply companies

From funnels to whisks, potato mashers to serving utensils, tongs to stirrers, the term 'smallwares' encompasses quite a few things. Many of these items only cost a few dollars. The vast majority cost less than $10, with a few items costing as much as $20. As with all things, higher quality goods are priced higher than inferior ones, so take that into consideration when purchasing.

I recommend: Browse through the large selection of smallwares from The WEBstaurant Store. Also check out the variety available from KATOM Restaurant Supply.

Get the best industrial cooking supplies for stovetop cooking

To cook effectively, your chefs will need the right pots and pans. There are so many different types of these and having a good mix is a good idea. For pans, expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $150 for each. As far as pots are concerned, the range starts at $15 for sauce pots and can run as high as $300 for large stock pots; extremely large ones cost even more, up to about $500. Double boilers usually cost under $100, although large ones can cost a bit more. Specialty stovetop cookware varies wildly in cost, depending on size and construction.

I recommend: Select from a variety of double boilers, pasta cookers, sauce pots, fry pans and braziers at Mission Restaurant Supply. You can find lots of cookware at Instawares as well.

Buy commercial cooking and baking equipment for the oven

No restaurant is complete without an oven, so, of course, you'll have to have a supply of baking pans, roasting pans and baking sheets to use when your chefs are cooking. Good bakeware will cost you anywhere from $20 to upward of $100. Keeping safety in mind, you should invest in some quality oven mitts or hot pads to use in your kitchen. These can range anywhere from a few dollars for a pair of hot pads up to about $70 for a set of top-of-the-line silicone oven mitts.

I recommend: Check out the baking supplies at Citisco Food Service Equipment. Choose from the offerings of oven mitts and hot pads from Central Restaurant Products.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Used cooking supplies will cost much less than new ones. If you're on a tight budget, explore local auctions or wholesale cooking supplies and equipment vendors.

Guide to Selecting Restaurant Cooking Supplies

Stock your restaurant kitchen with industrial cooking supplies

By Lorri Mealey, Owner, The Boiler Room Restaurant

1. Prep items, such as cutting boards, knives and mixing bowls
2. Baking equipment, such as baking sheets, oven mitts, pans
3. Pizza making equipment, such as pizza screens and pizza paddles
4. Smallwares, such as tongs, ladles, soup bowls, storage bins

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Stay within your budget when purchasing restaurant cooking supplies

Many commercial cooking equipment pieces are quite inexpensive, especially smallwares, like soup cups, silverware and serving utensils. However, all these items add up very quickly and you may find yourself spending well over your original budget. While new is nice, it isn't always necessary. Used cooking supplies cost a fraction of new items and are one area you can purchase with confidence.

I recommend: Checking out local restaurant supply companies in your area. Because stock is always changing, it’s best go look in person. Find a restaurant supplier near you at Business.com. Restaurant auctions are another place to find used restaurant equipment at great prices. Check out ACityDiscount for online restaurant auctions.

Keep food safe with the proper industrial cooking equipment

Meat thermometers and industrial grade cutting boards are just two restaurant cooking supplies that help keep food safe from cross contamination and bacteria. Making sure refrigeration is cool enough for food storage (41 degrees) is another step to insure your restaurant's food stays fresh.

I recommend: Chef’s Essentials carries a complete line of cooking equipment that will keep your kitchen clean and safe. Find color coded cutting boards, which help keep food from cross contamination, at Sur La Table.

Maintain menu consistency with restaurant cooking supplies

Portion control is key to maintaining menu consistency and food costs. Restaurant cooking supplies that can help in this department include a food scale, to help weigh portions of meat and seafood and cheese. Measuring spoons, scoops and cups are all invaluable in controlling food cost and ensuring a consistent product comes out of your kitchen each time.

I recommend: Find a food scale at ValueScale.com, to help you keep control of food portions. PFG carries everything from portion cups to rubber gloves to protect food during handling.

Organize your cooking supplies

Restaurants kitchens are a lot like black holes. Things go in, but never come out. This especially true when it comes to smaller restaurant cooking supplies, such as ramekins and thermometers. Help keep track of all your industrial cooking supplies by having a clear organizational system that all employees follow. This can be as simple as labeled shelves and draws.

I recommend: Restaurant-Service.com offers durable metal shelves that work well in and out of a commercial kitchen. Storage Solutions offers custom built commercial kitchen shelving, to help you take complete control of organizing your cooking supplies.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you are planning your restaurant kitchen, designate a space for all your industrial cooking supplies. This will help you keep track of everything from day one of opening your restaurant.

Guide to Making the Most of Restaurant Cooking Supplies

Increase efficiency in your kitchen by using industrial cooking equipment and supplies

By Andrea Townsley, Owner, Keystone Writing Services

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Increase efficiency by using preparation tools from cooking supply companies

If something isn't prepped right, the food has to be thrown away and remade or someone has to stop and correct it. Getting it right the first time, by using the right tools, can go a long way when trying to improve your kitchen's efficiency. In addition, prepping food and placing it into the proper storage units can save lots of time when your line cooks run low on something during a busy dinner rush.

I recommend: Stock up on measuring cups and spoons from Mission Restaurant Supply to ensure that your prep cooks aren't wasting ingredients or under-seasoning dishes. Choose from different size storage lexans at Zesco Products.

Make the most of cooking equipment for restaurants

If there is any possible way that you can decrease cooking time in your restaurant, it's a good thing. Innovations like ovens with convection cooking can decrease the length of time it takes to cook a product while still producing great food. When it comes to stovetop cooking, nothing beats stainless-steel pots and pans, which heat quickly and evenly.

I recommend: Consider making use of a convection oven or microwave in your kitchen. A-Best Fixture has both counter top and freestanding models. Invest in some stainless-steel cookware from Galasource.

Ensure that you're properly sanitizing your commercial cooking equipment

In most municipalities, it is required by law that a restaurant thoroughly wash and sanitize all equipment used to prepare, cook and serve food. If your restaurant does not do this, you could be looking at a major health code violation, which will most likely force your restaurant to close down until you correct the problem. Check with your local laws and buy the proper equipment. Dishwashers are an expensive investment but are very efficient. If you can't afford one of these, or if you don't have a large number of dishes to wash, you can do with a triple sink (wash-rinse-sanitize).

I recommend: Install one of the commercial dishwashers from Central Restaurant Products, which carries conveyor dishwashers, single-rack units and undercounter washers. Consider using one of the triple sinks from Instawares.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  New supplies and equipment are sometimes out of a restaurant's budget. However, there are many sources of used cooking supplies that you can use to fill your restaurant's needs. Check out used equipment at auctions or try to find discount cooking supplies online.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Anodized

Aluminum pans are sometimes anodized (or given a special coating) to protect them against corrosion. This coating comes from a chemical bath and makes a pan non-reactive, stick-resistant and an excellent heat conductor.

I recommend: OnlyCookware.com explains the pros and cons of anodized cookware.

Lined copper

Lined copper pans offer some of the benefits (but less of the expense) of all-copper pans by using copper only at the base. Copper conducts heat well and heats and cools quickly, making it ideal for sauteing.

I recommend: For a discussion of the benefits of cooking with copper and lined copper pans, visit ChefTalk.com.

Spatulas

Plastic spatulas, which have great flexibility, are used for turning foods like fried eggs. Slotted spatulas are ideal for allowing fat or oil to drain from foods, while solid spatulas are good for transferring heavy foods (like lasagna) to a plate. Small plastic icing spatulas are ideal for frosting cakes, and rubber or silicone spatulas are great for scraping the sides of mixing bowls.

I recommend: For a rundown of different types of spatulas, see "Spoons & Spatulas" at Foodservice Equipment & Supplies.

Whisk

There is a wide variety of whisks, all designed either for adding air to ingredients (like eggs) or blending together ingredients quickly. Generally, whisks are handheld tools with metal sticks on one end that are used for mixing.

I recommend: For an illustrated guide to whisks, see RecipeTips.com.

Mixers

The term 'mixers' is applied to a variety of kitchen tools, including manual mixers (beaters that are rotated by hand power; these are useful tools for quick, easy mixing), hand mixers (handheld electric mixer machines, best for lightweight jobs such as whipping eggs) and electric stand mixers (do-it-all mixing machines that handle everything from whipped cream to heavy, thick doughs).

I recommend: Consumer Reports offers a complete guide to the various types of electric mixers and what features buyers should look for.

Sharpeners

There is a wide variety of sharpeners designed to keep kitchen knives useful. These include sharpening stones (usually made of whetstone or carborundum, used for manual sharpening), sharpening steels (also used for sharpening knives by hand) and electric sharpeners (which do automatic sharpening).

I recommend: PickyGuide explains the various types of sharpeners and offers opinions about the best in each category.