Kitchens have undergone a huge transformation, nowadays we have theme-based kitchens, but when it comes to basic classification, then there are two popular categories:
- Commercial kitchen
- Residential kitchen
Professional kitchens usually look much different than the kitchens seen in residential houses. The designs of the kitchens found in all hotels and restaurants are noted for some special characteristics. Hence, the professional interior designers need to keep in minds all these points while decking up the commercial kitchen of a client. The correct planning can make a kitchen visually and functionally profitable for that culinary business. The layout and ideal decoration of this type of kitchen depends on the space available and the budget fixed for this purpose.
Major Factors That Decide the Designing of Commercial Kitchen:
- Simple layout – One of the key factors that need to be considered while designing a commercial kitchen is the layout of the kitchen. It should look sleek, functional, durable, easy to clean and maintain. Since the commercials kitchens are used 24*7, hence, you would need to have a simple layout. Assembly line and Zone-style are the two most popular layout designs in kitchens of large restaurants and hotels.
- Proper ventilation – While designing a commercial kitchen, you need to ensure that there should be proper ventilation in the kitchen. Since the cooking continues round the clock, the ambience in the kitchen needs to be well-ventilated, allowing the cooks and the chefs to work easily. There should be enough outlets for freeing the kitchen from unhygienic smoke and steam caused due to cooking. Latest models of kitchen chimneys or excretion fans should be installed for purifying the kitchen air. Some kitchens also have large windows that allow entry of lots of fresh air.
- Useful appliances – A large-sized commercial kitchen needs lots of modern appliances for cooking and cleaning. A cooking range, microwave oven, air fryer, BBQ grill, gas oven, toaster, and other cooking appliances should be essentially present in the kitchen of a restaurant. Nowadays, several equipments for cooking preparations, like vegetable cutter, mixer and grinder are also used for faster works in these kitchens. Besides, the installation of these appliances should be done in a manner that its usage doesn’t hinder other work.
- Sufficient storage – A kitchen should have enough storage spaces for keeping all essential materials safely and neatly. There should be numbers of kitchen cabinets and drawers below the countertops and islands in the kitchen, as well as above the workstations to accommodate all utensils, small appliances, and other materials. A refrigerator of a bigger size acts as the cold storage for all raw food materials and cooked foods in kitchens of large eateries.
- Durable countertops – Usually, the continuous work in a commercial kitchen demands workspaces made of highly durable materials. Thus, most of the countertops, ada sinks, splashbacks, exhaust canopies and the prep kitchen are preferably made of stainless steel.. Since the countertops will be rigorously used, it is important that it should be made from a material which is stain-resistant and easy to clean. Stainless steel has both these properties, thus making them a good choice for commercial kitchen countertops.
- Space management – The designer should remember to leave enough space for easy movements of a large number of staffs in the kitchen of a restaurant or hotel. Ideally, there should be space of at least five square feet between every two workstations. Thus, all the furniture pieces and kitchen equipment should be chosen accordingly so that clutter is not formed in the kitchen.
- Easiness in cleaning – All the stainless steel workstations are very easy to clean and these surfaces do not get stained due to spilled oil and food materials. Thus, users can simply wipe off the debris after completing all their works in that commercial kitchen. Similarly, storage spaces and cookware should be made of easily cleanable materials, to save time and efforts of the kitchen staffs.
- Safe environment – The kitchen should be absolutely safe for all the staffs working there and the designer should make sure of maintaining this criterion while planning the kitchen layout. While designing the kitchen, the designer must ensure that there is enough free movement area in the kitchen, allowing the people to work seamlessly. An open kitchen space helps workers to escape fast in case of a fire. All other safety features should be present in the kitchen, to help that culinary business get license easily Check it out
- Lighting – It is important to have good lighting arrangement in the kitchen; it allows us to find out the ingredients in the kitchen easily and also makes working in the kitchen very easy.
Conclusion
All these features are a must for a commercial kitchen, it not only makes the kitchen a safe place to work but at the same time, it rules out the probability of any mis happening. Make sure that you contact the right interior designer who can fine-tune the commercial kitchen design as per the requirement.
