Monday, March 30, 2009

10 Tips for Purchasing the Right Equipment

10 Tips for purchasing the right equipment

1. First and foremost, learning your cities codes is as important as learning your recipes!

2. Anything going into your commercial kitchen must have the blue NSF sticker. The National Sanitation Federation decides what equipment is ok for commercial use. The sticker is always in a visible location on every piece.

3. Don’t overbuy!! Although we love to sell a lot of equipment! Kitchens need to be compact and efficient. No sense in wasting space on equipment you won’t use when the space is better used for tables to fill!!

4. Compare warranties. If a manufacturer backs their product for longer then it’s probably made better.

5. Check with health inspectors, fire inspectors and building inspectors before you start purchasing anything. They will know what you can and can not put into “your” commercial kitchen.

6. Check with your city zoning to make sure your location is sufficient before turning anything into a commercial location.

7. Make sure you are comfortable with your purchase; you will be the one that uses the equipment after all!!

8. Make sure your space has adequate electricity!

9. Don’t decide on price!! Cheaper is not always best in the long run.

10. ASK AWAY!! That’s what the sales people are there for. A great salesperson likes to show off their knowledge or find out new things about their products. If they don’t know, they will find out for you!

Monday, March 23, 2009

What size Ice Machine do you need?

It is hard sometimes to try and figure out what size Ice Machine will best fit your establishment. Chef's Choice has found a couple of tips or tricks to help!!


Ice Usage Guide

*Restaurant
2 lbs. per person

*Cocktails
3 lbs. per seat

*Water Glass
4 oz. per 10 oz. glass

*Salad Bar
30 lbs. per cubic foot

*Quick Service
5 oz. per 7-12 oz. cup
8 oz. per 12-16 oz. cup
12 oz. per 16-24 oz. cup

Hopefully this helps with determining what size Ice Machine to get!! If not give us a call and we will see if we can help!!

1-800-206-7041

or visit our website at www.ccfse.com