You must have visited many restaurants in your time… haven’t we all? But have you ever thought of how these eateries manage to deliver food all day long, often to a high standard, and how they keep their kitchen organised in spite of cooking food constantly every day?
Well, it comes as no surprise that just like the kitchens in home, restaurant kitchens also require considerable time and efforts to maintain themselves. So, if you own a small chain of your own and are looking for some tips that will help you keep your busy restaurant kitchen organised and clean, then read along to know how to do it!
- Use deli containers to store spices
A restaurant has to keep several spices stocked so as to serve food. This variety of spices needs to be properly stored to stay fresh and dry for a long time. A deli container is the best way to store it all for a long time. Using these containers, you can find whatever you want in no time. Moreover, these containers are inexpensive, easy to use, and are readily available in the market.
- Use cambros to store sugar and flour
Sugar and flour are base ingredients in many recipes, and therefore are required in quantity and time and again. So it makes sense to store them close by in a cambros. This way, you just need to remove the lid and scoop it out to mix with other ingredients. Moreover, these storage boxes are dishwasher safe, stackable and have units of measurements on them so you can track the quantity left.
- Store knives separately
Knives are perhaps one of the most essential tools in the kitchen that you use to dice, slice and chop veggies and meat. To keep them handy and safe, it is good to store them in a separate drawer or a knife dock. This will prevent the tip from bending and will also maintain their sharpness for a long time. Also, when stored separately you are less likely to hurt yourself.
- Keep items away from heat
Often the cabinets that are placed above the stove get pretty hot. And we know that this heat is not good for any food items, be it spices or other raw materials. So try to avoid storing food on those shelves even though it looks convenient and accessible.
- Have multiple cutting boards
Spicy food often requires cutting of onion, garlic, ginger and other items with a strong flavour and smell. These flavours are only good for a spicy recipe and not for any sweet dish. So to avoid the contamination between savoury and sweet items, it’s better to have separate cutting boards. This way, your gooey chocolate desert won’t taste like garlic and onion.
- Use metro racks
Most restaurant kitchens have at least one metro rack to store items that are used frequently together. You can adjust their height and utilise the available space. Anything that requires temporary storage and is going to be used soon can be placed in these racks.
- Organise your fridge
When it comes to storing food items effectively, a restaurant fridge plays an important role. Always organise your fridge like a restaurant walk-in so that there will be enough space in between the items and you can fetch them easily.
Store the frequently used products like milk, eggs, butter on the upper shelf and raw material like poultry and ground meat in the bottom shelf to avoid contamination.
Do not forget to keep the loaves in a separate bread crate before placing them in the fridge.
- Never put heavy items on the top shelf
No matter whether you are storing utensils or cooked items, it is never good to store heavy things on the top shelf. Always place the things according to their weight – heavy things in the bottom shelf and light weighted items on the top shelf.
- Keep the spoons and spatula close by
Your cooking will be easier and faster if the things that you use frequently such as wooden spoons and spatula will be within reach. You can keep these next to the stove to minimise efforts to get them. Fix a hanger or drawer to store things like slotted spoons, wooden spoons, tongs, wire whisk, peelers etc.
To keep the kitchen organised, make sure that every item, equipment or container is kept in its right place otherwise your kitchen will look messy.
We hope these kitchen tips will help you keep your kitchen organised 24/7and you can continue cooking delicious food easily and quickly.
