What does a standard industrial kitchen system look like?

An industrial kitchen is a place used to prepare food for a large number of people. This type of kitchen is commonly used in hotels, restaurants, schools, industrial parks and more. Let us find out which criteria a standard industrial kitchen system is based on!

Standard industrial kitchen system - STAVI

To save time and money and make the industrial kitchen efficient, the kitchen system is designed based on the following criteria:

1. An industrial kitchen system designed with a one-way workflow

When designing an industrial cooking kitchen system, you need a sensible arrangement from storage, cooking and preparation through to washing; food must move in one direction and never return to the starting point. This helps preserve ingredients and the products of each stage better and avoids microbial cross-contamination.

Image: One-way industrial kitchen system

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2. Ensure adequate lighting throughout the kitchen system

Knowing the direction of the light tells you how to design the kitchen to make use of natural light, and how to arrange items so they are not affected by light and heat; otherwise unsafe situations will arise.

Image: A well-lit kitchen system

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Light intensity must always be sufficient so that head chefs can work more conveniently. A chef always needs standard light intensity; the standard for a cooking area is normally 5000 lux, where lux is the unit of illuminance. You need to base the number of lights on the floor area of the kitchen to calculate the right amount.

3. Arrange equipment methodically and efficiently

Arranging kitchen equipment and utensils in a methodical, sensible way saves you a great deal of cost, from floor space costs to labour costs, as well as speeding up food service. Moreover, neatly arranged items make staff feel comfortable while cooking, so the dishes are always of consistent quality.

Image: Methodically arranged equipment

A standard industrial kitchen system needs to include 5 types of equipment in its kitchen model:

• Industrial cooking equipment for boiling, cooking and preparing food

• Industrial cooking utensils used for preparation, cutting and grinding food.

• Industrial stainless steel equipment: stainless steel tables, shelving, sink units, trolleys, dirty-dish tables, intermediate tables and more.

• Industrial refrigeration equipment for preserving food: freezers, chillers, refrigerated counters.

• Industrial heating equipment: food warming cabinets, drying cabinets and more.

4. A ventilation and exhaust system that meets standards

The odour removal and ventilation system must be properly positioned to minimise the spread of cooking odours and supply enough air to the kitchen; the ventilation system should not be placed too close to the ranges and industrial gas, as this affects cooking quality.

Image: Industrial kitchen exhaust hood system

So what is the function of each area in an industrial kitchen system?

A standard industrial kitchen system consists of areas such as:

• Receiving area: includes scales, storage racks, stainless steel tables and trolleys.

• Preparation area: includes storage racks, sinks, vegetable and fruit cutting equipment, meat slicing and mincing equipment, dough shaping and kneading equipment, marinating equipment and more.

• Storage area: includes storage cabinets, freezers, storage cupboards and more.

• Cooking area: includes stock-pot ranges, cooking ranges, steamers, grills, fryers, stir-fry ranges and more.

• Plating area: includes stainless steel racks, sinks, stainless steel tables and trolleys.

• Sterilising and dishwashing area: includes multi-tier stainless steel racks, sinks and sterilising cabinets.

1. Receiving area

The receiving area is where food is received in preparation for cooking. Here, kitchen staff check the quality and quantity of the products. This area is usually equipped with scales, stainless steel tables and stainless steel trolleys.

2. Preparation area

This is the area where food is thoroughly prepared before cooking. The basic equipment in this area includes meat slicers, bone saws, meat grinders, cutting tables, chopping blocks and more, along with other equipment that helps preparation run smoothly.

3. Storage area

This area is used to store food such as seasonings and foodstuffs after they have been received. Fresh food, once received, is stored in the refrigerators and on the storage shelves. The storage area is quite fully equipped with industrial freezers, industrial refrigerators and more. The capacity and size of the cabinets depend on the scale of the operation, and this area is usually located away from the cooked food area.

4. Cooking area

Here, food is turned into delicious, fully nutritious dishes according to the day's menu. In the cooking area, prepared food is either moved straight to the cooking stations or kept in the chillers. This is the central area of the kitchen, and its equipment usually includes industrial rice cooking cabinets, fryers, multi-tier steamers, stock-pot ranges and more.

5. Plating area

Cooked food is portioned out in this area. The portioning area must always be kept dry, clean and airy, and in particular must be kept well away from the cooking areas and raw food storage areas. To ensure safety, this area is equipped with food trays, portioning tables, food warming equipment and more.

6. Sterilising and dishwashing area

This is an indispensable area in an industrial kitchen system. It needs to be equipped with leftover collection tables, mobile leftover bins, industrial dishwashing sinks, industrial dishwashers, drying cabinets and more. This equipment helps you clean all cooking utensils in the most effective way.

With the information STAVI has shared, our customers will surely now understand what a standard industrial kitchen system looks like and what each section does. To get a standard industrial kitchen that works efficiently and methodically, “CONTACT US” for support with setting up an industrial kitchen system and answers to all your questions.