When my husband and I tied the knot last year, we didn't want anything lavish. Both of us did the big wedding and reception thing with our first spouses. This time around, we wanted a home wedding, complete with an intimate reception in the backyard. For the reception, we chose to hire a local caterer. From the first meeting, we knew the caterer would make sure everything was perfect. She came up with a menu that allowed for the dietary needs of our varied group of friends. She designed and ordered the cake, and even took care of setting up the tables and chairs. All we had to do was show up. If you and your beloved are planning something simple at home, it pays to work with the right caterer. Let me share how we worked with ours, and why we would do it again without hesitation.
If you are a restaurant owner, you know that caring for your kitchen equipment is the most important thing you can do to maintain productivity and prevent loss of income. Here are three things you can do to keep broilers, ovens, and other equipment running as smoothly as possible.
Clean Equipment Daily to Prevent Grime Buildup
Allowing food particles and grime to build up on your kitchen equipment is a health hazard for your customers, and potentially a fire hazard as well. If you notice that your broiler is smoking excessively or see carbonized muck clinging to your oven burners, you know it is time for a thorough cleaning.
While the manuals for your kitchen equipment will provide specific details about how to clean them, there are a few general guidelines that you can follow. For broilers, you should use a damp cloth to clean the grates, drip-shields, baffles, and sides. Use wire brushes to scrape and clean the burners, and then wipe them off with a damp cloth. Broiler grease pans should be washed with water and detergent, as well as degreaser if needed.
If your kitchen uses a deck oven, you should clean all spills immediately, as the oven will cause the spill to harden very quickly and make it difficult to remove. Never use cleaner or degreaser on the decks, as it is easy to miss spots when wiping the decks off and the cleaners could be transferred to food. Use a damp cloth and stainless steel cleaner to clean the front and sides of the oven.
Inspect All Equipment Weekly to Avoid Breakdowns
Often, equipment breakdowns are caused by a single part malfunctioning, and could have been avoided if you caught the faulty part earlier. For this reason, it is a good idea to thoroughly inspect all the equipment in your kitchen at least once a week. Bearings, hose and attachment connections, and virtually any moving parts are all common locations where wear and tear can occur.
Even if you are strictly adhering to a regular inspection schedule, it can be difficult to cover all the bases on your own. Many restaurant owners choose to set up a contract with a local repair and maintenance company that is authorized by the equipment manufacturer. This gives you the comfort of knowing that professionals are working to prevent as many breakdowns as possible, and can repair those that do occur immediately. Above all, you should never attempt to repair your kitchen equipment yourself, as this can void the warranty and prevent you from getting free repair parts.
Educate Your Employees About Maintenance and Safety
Improper use is one of the most common causes of equipment breakdowns and damage over time. You should make sure that all of your employees have been taught the proper way to use and maintain any equipment that they work with. This includes running ovens, broilers, and fryers during the workday, as well as the proper methods to clean them at the end of the day.
Additionally, all of your employees should be familiar with restaurant kitchen safety guidelines, especially fire safety. Make sure that they know to never leave cooking equipment unattended when it is running, are aware of the locations of portable fire extinguishers in your kitchen, and know to inform you or another manager if they notice that the equipment is sparking or smoking excessively.
Maintaining kitchen equipment requires only a few simple steps each day, and they can easily be incorporated into your daily work routine. Keep these tips in mind so that you can keep your kitchen running smoothly and prevent as many kitchen equipment problems as possible.
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Share2 March 2015
