Questions, answered
The questions buyers ask most about commercial kitchen equipment, each answered in a few sentences first, with the detail after.
Opening a restaurant
Do I need a hood over commercial cooking equipment?
In most cases, yes.
Does restaurant equipment need to be certified in Canada?
Yes, in most cases.
Should I buy new or used restaurant equipment?
New usually makes sense for equipment that works hard and is costly to repair, such as refrigeration, ice machines and fryers, where a manufacturer's warranty matters.
What equipment do I need to open a restaurant?
Most restaurants need equipment in six groups: cooking (such as a range, fryer and oven), refrigeration (reach-ins, prep tables, freezer, ice machine), food prep (work tables, mixer, slicer or processor), warewashing (sinks and usually a dishwasher), storage (shelving and racks) and smallwares.
What should I decide before buying equipment for a new restaurant?
Decide the menu, the expected volume and the kitchen's utilities first.
What utilities does a commercial kitchen need?
A commercial kitchen typically needs a gas supply sized for all the gas appliances, an electrical service with enough capacity and the right voltage and phase, hot and cold water with drains, and an exhaust hood with makeup air.
Cooking equipment
Can commercial gas equipment run on propane?
Most commercial gas equipment is made in natural gas and propane versions, and many models can be converted from one to the other with the manufacturer's conversion kit.
How many BTUs does a commercial range need?
There is no single target: add up the burners and ovens your menu needs.
How often should you change fryer oil in a restaurant?
Change fryer oil when it shows it is worn out, not on a fixed calendar: dark colour, smoking at normal frying temperature, heavy foaming, a strong odour or off flavours in the food.
Is a gas or electric fryer better for a restaurant?
Gas fryers are the usual choice for high-volume kitchens that already have gas service, while electric fryers suit countertop use and buildings without gas.
Is induction cooking good for a commercial kitchen?
Induction works well in many commercial kitchens: it heats the pan directly, responds quickly, puts less heat into the room and has no open flame.
Should I get a griddle or a charbroiler?
Get a griddle if you cook eggs, pancakes, smash burgers, sandwiches or anything small that needs a flat, even surface.
What is the difference between a convection oven and a combi oven?
A convection oven cooks with dry heat circulated by a fan.
What is the difference between a deck oven and a conveyor oven?
A deck oven bakes on a hot stone or steel deck, with an operator loading and turning each pizza or tray by hand.
What is the difference between a salamander and a cheese melter?
A salamander is a high-heat overhead broiler used to brown, finish and even cook food, with a rack you can raise or lower.
What size commercial fryer do I need?
Size a fryer by oil capacity and by how much product you must cook in your busiest hour.
Refrigeration & ice
How often should a commercial ice machine be cleaned?
Ice machine manufacturers commonly call for a full cleaning and sanitizing once or twice a year, and more often where water is hard, the air carries flour or yeast, or the machine runs heavily.
Is a top-mount or bottom-mount compressor better on a commercial refrigerator?
Bottom-mount compressors usually suit hot, busy cooking lines: the condenser draws cooler air near the floor, is easy to reach for cleaning and raises the lowest shelf.
Should I get an air-cooled or water-cooled ice machine?
Choose air-cooled for most kitchens: it is the most common type, simplest to install and uses less water, but it releases heat into the room and needs clear airflow.
What is the difference between a blast chiller and a regular freezer?
A blast chiller is built to pull heat out of freshly cooked food fast, using high-velocity cold air, so food passes through the temperature danger zone, 4°C to 60°C, quickly.
What is the difference between a sandwich prep table and a pizza prep table?
Both hold chilled ingredients in pans above refrigerated storage.
What size ice machine do I need?
Size an ice machine by daily production, stated in pounds or kilograms per 24 hours, to cover your busiest day with a margin.
What size walk-in or reach-in cooler does a small restaurant need?
Size cold storage from your deliveries and menu, not from a seat count.
What temperature should a commercial refrigerator be set to?
Set a commercial refrigerator so food stays at 4°C (about 40°F) or colder, which is the cold-holding limit most Canadian health units use.
Food preparation
Should a restaurant buy a chamber or an external vacuum sealer?
Most restaurants that vacuum pack regularly are better served by a chamber sealer: it pulls a stronger vacuum, seals liquids, soups and marinades, and uses smooth bags that cost less than textured ones.
What do meat grinder sizes like #12 and #22 mean?
The number is the grinder's head or hub size, an industry convention that sets the diameter of its plates and knives.
What is the difference between a batch bowl and a continuous feed food processor?
A batch bowl processor chops, mixes and purees inside a closed bowl, which suits sauces, dressings, pesto and fillings.
What is the difference between a planetary mixer and a spiral mixer?
A planetary mixer turns its attachment while moving it around a stationary bowl and takes a hook, beater and whip, so it handles doughs, batters, icings and mashed foods.
What size commercial mixer do I need?
Choose a mixer by the largest batch you make, checked against the manufacturer's capacity chart for that product, not by bowl size alone.
What size meat slicer blade do I need?
Most commercial slicers use blades between about 9 and 14 inches.
Sinks, dishwashing & sanitation
Does a commercial kitchen need a separate hand sink?
In practice, yes.
Does a restaurant need a grease trap?
Usually, yes.
Does a restaurant need a three-compartment sink if it has a dishwasher?
Often, yes.
How do I check that my sanitizer is at the right concentration?
Use test strips made for the sanitizer you use: dip one in the solution and compare the colour to the chart.
What is a booster heater on a commercial dishwasher?
A booster heater raises the building's hot water to the higher final-rinse temperature a high-temp dishwasher needs to sanitize.
What is the difference between a high-temp and a low-temp dishwasher?
A high-temp dishwasher sanitizes with a very hot final rinse, typically 82°C (180°F) or hotter, and usually relies on a booster heater, built in or separate.
What is the difference between an undercounter, door-type and conveyor dishwasher?
They differ by volume and footprint.
Storage, shelving & work tables
Should I buy a stainless steel or a poly top work table?
Buy stainless for general prep, hot pans and wet areas: it is non-porous, heat-tolerant and easy to sanitize.
What gauge stainless steel is best for a work table?
For most prep, 16-gauge stainless is a sound choice; choose 14-gauge for heavy work such as holding countertop mixers or slicers, butchery or working dough.
What is a dunnage rack?
A dunnage rack is a low, heavy-duty platform that keeps bulk goods such as sacks of flour, cases and kegs off the floor.
What is a sheet pan rack used for?
A sheet pan rack is a tall, usually mobile frame with slides that hold pans level, so a kitchen or bakery can stage, cool, proof or store many pans in one footprint.
What is the difference between 304 and 430 stainless steel?
Type 304 stainless contains nickel, which gives it better resistance to rust, salt and acidic foods; it is the usual choice for sinks, wet areas and food-contact tops.
What kind of shelving should I use in a walk-in cooler?
Use shelving built for cold, wet conditions: epoxy-coated wire, polymer or stainless steel.
Beverage & bar
Does a commercial espresso machine need a water line?
Most commercial espresso machines, especially two- and three-group models, are plumbed into a cold water line and a drain.
How often should draft beer lines be cleaned?
Draft quality guides from the brewing industry commonly recommend cleaning beer lines with a line-cleaning chemical about every two weeks, with a periodic acid cleaning and regular disassembly of faucets and couplers.
What equipment does a commercial bar need?
A working bar usually needs an underbar station with an ice bin and speed rails, a way to wash glasses (a compartment sink or a glass washer), a hand sink, back bar or bottle coolers, an ice machine and bar tools.
What is the difference between a bar blender and a food blender?
A bar blender is built to crush ice and blend frozen drinks in short, repeated cycles, often with preset drink programs.
What type of commercial juicer should a restaurant or bar buy?
It depends on the fruit.
Smallwares & tabletop
Should restaurant cookware be aluminum or stainless steel?
Most kitchens use both.
What are the standard steam table pan sizes?
Steam table pans, also called hotel pans, are sized as fractions of a full-size pan, which is nominally 12 by 20 inches: two-thirds, half, third, quarter, sixth and ninth.
What do the colours of cutting boards mean?
Colour-coded cutting boards keep foods apart to prevent cross-contamination.
What does NSF certified mean?
NSF certified means a product was evaluated by NSF International, an independent standards organization, and found to meet a public health standard for food equipment covering materials, cleanability and construction.
What size is a full sheet pan?
A full sheet pan measures about 18 by 26 inches.
Buying, delivery & warranty
Can I return commercial kitchen equipment?
It depends on the item.
Do I need a liftgate for a commercial equipment delivery?
You need a liftgate if the delivery address has no loading dock or forklift.
How does a warranty claim work on commercial kitchen equipment?
New equipment sold by Norpex carries the manufacturer's warranty, passed through in full, and claims go through Norpex.
How is shipping calculated for commercial kitchen equipment?
At Norpex, items that can be bought online have shipping calculated at checkout from live carrier rates for the delivery address, confirmed before payment.
What is LTL freight?
LTL means less-than-truckload: a shipment that does not fill a trailer, so it shares one with other customers' freight and moves through the carrier's terminals.
What should I check when a freight delivery arrives?
Before signing, count the pieces against the delivery receipt and inspect every side of each crate or pallet for crushed corners, punctures, torn wrap or triggered tilt indicators.
What should I measure before ordering commercial kitchen equipment?
Measure every doorway, hallway, stair and elevator on the route from the truck to the final spot, then the space itself with the clearances the installation manual requires.
Want the whole picture? Read the equipment guides, or see the FAQ on ordering, shipping, returns and warranty.