What Is the Must-Have Commercial Kitchen Equipment for A Canadian Restaurant?

Are you thinking about opening up your own restaurant or other eateries in Canada?  There's always room for more restaurants, and it's a highly lucrative field if you can build a steady clientele.  

For many would-be restaurateurs, one of the big issues to overcome is how much equipment is necessary to run and maintain an eatery.  You can't get by with off-the-shelf home-grade equipment either.  You need top-quality commercial kitchen equipment, both to pass inspection, and to be able to provide all the food your clients will need.

So, in this article, we want to talk about getting started.  What equipment do you most need to get a restaurant off the ground, and what could be put off until later?  

Let's dig in...

The Must-Have Commercial Kitchen Equipment For A Restaurant In Canada

First of all, it's important to think about your own needs and desires.  What kind of food will you be making, and what equipment does it naturally require?  This will dictate some of your own must-haves.  After all, a rice cooker might be optional for many restaurants but would be an absolute necessity if you plan on offering Asian or Indian dishes.  Or a wood-fired oven would be a needless luxury for many restaurants, but a great idea if you want to serve pizza.

Beyond that, there are many items that are going to be a necessity for pretty much any restaurant.

I. Cooking Basics

1. The oven

A good commercial oven is perhaps the single most basic and necessary cooking appliance for virtually any restaurant.  Ovens come in a wide variety of sizes, designs, and configurations.  You'll want an oven big enough to meet the demands of your patrons, but not so big that it wastes fuel/electricity.

If you're expecting a lot of baked orders, you might even look into conveyor ovens, which are specifically designed for continuous baking with minimal disruption when adding/removing dishes.

2. The range/burners

You'll also undoubtedly need a commercial range as well.  The number of burners would depend on how much you expect to use it but consider four burners to be the bare minimum - and you'll probably want more.  

Another major consideration is whether it runs on natural gas, or electric power.  Electric ranges tend to be more efficient than gas-powered models, but the tradeoff is that you're going to be vulnerable to power outages.  Gas-powered equipment will function even with the lights off.  So if you decide to go electric with your appliances, consider investing in a good backup generator, just in case.

3. Grills and Griddles

If you're planning on cooking meat, you're probably going to want some kind of commercial grill or griddle.  These can also be excellent for cooking vegetables or other products when you want a bit of char.  For these, try to pick up an all-purpose model which can cook as many different products as possible.  Don't invest in something specialized, like a panini grill, unless you have a good reason.

4. Deep fryer

Some restaurants avoid fried foods, but this is fairly rare.  In all likelihood, you'll want a fryer for side dishes (like french fries) if nothing else.  Fryers are pretty similar, with the main differences between models being the capacity, and whether they're free-standing or integrated into a larger workspace.  

Keep in mind that fryers are inherently dangerous, even more than most kitchen equipment, so try to place them so that they will pose the least risk to other things happening in your kitchen.

5. Microwave

Even if you don't want to admit you use a microwave in your cooking, you're going to want one from time to time.  At a minimum, they can be useful for thawing foods.  Almost any commercial-grade microwave should be fine.  Don't go too big; you don't want to over-rely on it.  

II. Refrigeration

Keeping and preserving your foods at a safe temperature will be an absolute necessity for any restaurant of any size.  So you absolutely need some pro-quality restaurant refrigeration equipment.

For refrigerators, the major choice is between reach-in and walk-in.  This will largely just depend on the size of your operation.  Reach-in refrigerators are quicker and easier to use, but limited in their storage.  Larger walk-in models can store far more.

The same is also true of your freezer.  The larger it is, the more it can hold, but the more difficult it will be to find anything.  Also, keep in mind, large walk-in freezers are going to be very expensive to operate, especially given that they need to run 24/7.  Be sure to think about energy usage when deciding how large yours should be.  If it's too big, you'll be wasting money keeping it cold.

You'll also want an ice maker of some sort, although these are almost always integrated into refrigerator or freezer models.

III. Ventilation Systems

A modern Canadian restaurant can't operate without proper ventilation.  The more cooking appliances you have in your kitchen, the larger and more powerful the ventilation will need to be, to keep smoke and fumes from filling up the space.  You'll want to plan out your cooking needs first, and then choose a ventilation system to match.

Another thing to remember is that the fans on ventilation systems can be quite loud and will contribute to the noise in your kitchen.  For this reason, avoid going too big on your ventilation.  Try to pick the right size/capacity for your needs.

IV. Prep Space And Storage

Your kitchen staff are going to need a lot of room for food preparation and other activities that don't involve active cooking.  So be sure to plan ahead and leave plenty of counter space for working.  There's really no such thing as 'too much' counter space, as long as there's room to move and work, so don't skimp on counters.

Storage is going to be another challenge.  You'll probably be looking to stick cabinets and drawers anywhere there's room.  Many appliances come with storage built-in, but you'll also need some free-standing shelves and drying racks.  Leave room for them, or else you'll have dishes and appliances stacked everywhere.

V. Countertop Devices and Appliances

There's any number of small wares and other small devices that you may need for your restaurant.  This is an area where your choice of cuisine will largely dictate which smaller appliances are needed, such as the rice cooker example above.  However, some commonplace items that most or all restaurants require include:

1. Food processors

Whenever food needs to be chopped or blended together, a food processor is going to be the best option.  Depending on your needs, this may be a batch-based processor or one designed for continuous feed.

2. Blenders

From mixing sauces to mixing drinks, blenders are basically a necessity for mixing liquids together.  Food processors and blenders are not interchangeable; you'll want at least one of each.  

3. Stand mixer

If you're ever going to be preparing any sort of dough on-site, a high-quality stand mixer will be your best friend.  Mixers are also the best option whenever you need to loosely combine ingredients without completely chopping or blending them.

4. Slicer

A professional-grade slicer is on the borderline between "must-have" and "nice to have" but we tend to favor the former.  Chopping vegetables and meat by hand is difficult and time-consuming, while a professional slicer does the work quickly and easily.  Only skip it if you truly don't expect to do much slicing.

VI. Cleaning Appliances

Of course, the kitchen's work isn't done as soon as cooking finishes - you'll also be doing a lot of cleanup during a shift, and afterwards.

1. Dishwashers

A good commercial dishwasher is one of the single most important appliances in your kitchen.  It should be as low-maintenance as possible, probably an automatic high-heat model.  You want dishwashing to take a minimum amount of time and effort because your staff will have other duties.

2. Sinks

A commercial kitchen needs a good multi-station sink.  Consider two basins to be the minimum, and three or four is probably a good idea.  Also, we'd recommend a stand-alone hand-washing station, kept away from the main sinks, so that workers are encouraged to use that for their personal hygiene.  

3. Cleaning supplies

Don't forget you'll need a full stock of janitorial-style cleaning supplies - mops, soap, disinfectants, etc.  Your staff needs to be able to quickly and safely clean up the kitchen after a shift.

VII.  Cookware And Dishes

You'll need plenty of smaller tools as well.  These include:

• Knives of various sizes and purposes
• Plenty of plates and bowels
• Baking pans
• Stovetop pots and pans
• Utensils
• Glassware or other glasses
• Tongs
• Whisks
• Spatulas
• Ladles

Remember to differentiate between what's going to be used in the kitchen, versus what will be going in front of customers.  Your serving dishes should always look nice, probably nicer (or at least fancier) than what's in the kitchen.  Presentation matters!

VIII.  Emergency Supplies

Finally, keep in mind that you'll need some safety equipment and emergency supplies to be in regulatory compliance.  A fire suppression system is an absolute must, along with fire blankets and handheld fire extinguishers.  You'll also need various health-related supplies such as an easily accessible first-aid kit.

Zanduco Restaurant Equipment & Supplies Can Help Your Restaurant Take Off!

We proudly carry everything a Canada restaurant might need to get up and running, from large kitchen appliances to furniture for your dining room.  The only thing we don't supply is food!

If you're looking to start a kitchen from scratch, we can discuss pricing on bulk orders.  Contact us to learn more.