Commercial kitchens are the busiest place in a restaurant and eateries. From the pressure to prepare the perfect food for the customers to keep the place clean and hygienic, workers and chefs in the kitchen have no rest. Hence, even a pint of mistake can cost significantly to the business.
Commercial kitchens usually have maintenance packages in place. They have routines and measures to ensure everything runs smoothly in the area. But, when the commercial kitchen runs all day long, normal and common problems are bound to occur. Even though there are solutions to fix them, they cannot be prevented entirely.
From maintenance issues to water issues to equipment breakdowns, the list of issues will be endless if counted. A minor problem with plumbing can also incur quite a significant loss to the kitchen. There will be a delay in food preparation, customers will have to wait, the business will be affected, and the adverse effects will last on the business.
For example, if multiple cans of oil spill on the floor during the busiest hour of the day. Since the food cannot be ready on time, customers will lessen. The business will miss out on skyrocketing sales with unsatisfied customers. Businesses will face losses on various ends from customers to inventory to sales. To say the least, minor inconveniences in the commercial kitchen are unwarranted and a big loss. You can also visit Kitchen cabinet dubai.
Even though the consequences are harsh, commercial kitchens must operate daily, adjusting and solving the persisting issues. Having said that, we shall now highlight some of the common and most happening problems in commercial kitchens around the world.
Lack of hygiene and cleanliness
Food waste, water spills, oil spills, discarded waste oils, vegetable waste, dusty flour on the floor, and whatnot. You can find all kinds of foodstuff lying around in the commercial kitchen. But that does not end here. Unwashed dishes and utensils can be found late at night when the staff is less. That shows how most commercial kitchens do not follow safety and hygiene standards.
The lack of proper cleanliness and hygienic conditions in the commercial kitchens is not only harmful to the staff working in them. It is also detrimental to the customers eating the food. If the regularly used large utensils and equipment like grinders and mixers are not cleaned and washed daily after use, there will be grease buildup.
Breaking down these dried and accumulated greases will be hard down the line. But the equipment will be damaged in the process. That is why the commercial kitchen should have routine professional cleaning and follow the proper maintenance guidelines.
Food hygiene
Fresh and well-prepared food is directly related to one’s health. However, it is undeniable that commercial kitchens follow proper hygiene. Restaurants that do not pass the quality and safety check by the authorities get their business shut down.
Food hygiene is not only to be followed inside the kitchen but also with clean dining tables, clean cutleries, and fresh food for every order made by the customer. Complaints about bad ingredients in food and rotten tastes plus smells indicate that food hygiene is not maintained.
Ventilation system failure
The ventilation exhaust system is an integral part of any commercial kitchen. It is to improve the efficiency and safety measures in the kitchen. But if the exhaust fan as a part of the ventilation system is to fail, it would be harmful. The air in the kitchen would be contaminated, along with smoke and air particles, making the kitchen’s temperature unbearable.
Ventilation system failure poses health risks to the safety of everything in the kitchen, from humans to food. Since the hot air is not flowing out of the kitchen, the equipment in use will also overheat, posing a high risk of explosion. The consequences of ventilation failure in the commercial kitchen will also expand to other areas damaging the air quality.
If the issue is not resolved instantly, the repair of the exhaust ventilation system will take time and money. The common reason for ventilation failure in commercial kitchen is inefficient servicing resulting in grease buildup and blocked vents—all of these jam the exhaust fan, stressing the motor and leading to potential electrical risk.
Faulty equipment
Equipment and appliances in the commercial kitchen have a very rigorous life. They operate almost every day with no break and proper cleaning. As a result, in due time, even before its intended active lifespan, various parts of the machine start malfunctioning. And when they become faulty, they work inefficiently, leading to slow productivity in the kitchen.
That is why, when even the slightest defect is seen in the equipment parts, it should be replaced with new ones, if possible. A commercial kitchen with a broken-down machine can not work in its best form. What should be followed here is proper and regular cleaning and parts replacements as needed.
Suppose there is still any outdated equipment or appliance in use. In that case, it is better to discard them and replace them with the latest version for greater functionality.
Clogged sinks and basins
Even the sinks and basins in the house get clogged if not cleaned regularly. Then think about how much the sinks and basins in the commercial kitchen have to bear. Food processing is excessively high in restaurants, so the sinks get clogged almost daily.
A blocked drainage system with a clogged sink is not a commercial kitchen’s condition. If the food waste and dirty water are adequately cleared, there will also be an unwanted foul oduor. A clean and hygienic sink is essential to avoid contamination of any kind.
While professional cleaning is one option, workers in the kitchen should take the task upon themselves for the sake of safety and health concerns. One effective way to clean the sink and basins are by using a plunger, a drain sieve, and a suitable cleaning agent.
Refrigeration issues
Every commercial kitchen has many refrigerators and cold storage rooms to keep food supplies safe and fresh. If there is no proper refrigeration line in the restaurant, the food will go bad soon enough. The lack of appropriate refrigeration is a high food safety concern. Bad food can cause food poisoning as the temperature is not suitable. That brings enormous losses to the business on inventory and safety and sales.
Common causes of refrigeration issues in commercial kitchens are non-working motors, fans, and compressors. Wear and tear are natural yet has to be under maintenance routine.
Kitchen fires
The kitchen is highly prone to fires from equipment overheating or accidental fires. As much as it is a severe issue for any commercial kitchen, it is way too common around the world. If even a tiny fire explosion is to occur in the kitchen and the exhaust fan is not working, the fire can spread outside the area to a high degree. Also visit bathroom design dubai.
Kitchen fires escalate faster due to fire protection assets, poor ventilation systems, and faulty cooking equipment. That is why proper and regular maintenance is crucial to restaurants. To avoid minimal damage to the area and the business, the commercial kitchen should always have a plan to handle the matter. If the fire is major, even the fire extinguisher may not work.
Lack of proper air conditioning
As much as refrigeration is essential to keep the food supplies safe and fresh, adequate air conditioning is also necessary for the staff and the customers. The team cannot work in a hot and humid environment where food is cooked continuously. Even the customers will get burnt heat with poor air conditioning in the restaurant.
Technicians should be called to rectify the faults or repair the breakdowns in the air conditioning system.
All in all, all the common problems that occur in commercial kitchens are directly related to the maintenance plan of the restaurant. When the maintenance is regular and proper, everything will be in its best condition running efficiently without any immediate risk.