Whether you own a restaurant, hotel, coffee shop, or catering company, you know you need quality commercial kitchen equipment to meet your customers’ expectations and continue running your business smoothly.
How long ago did you buy your kitchen equipment? Did you buy it used? Commercial kitchen equipment, although high-quality and long-lasting, won’t last forever. Even with proper maintenance, the equipment will start to malfunction or it’ll break down on you. Eventually, it’ll need to be replaced so you can continue to operate and grow your business.
Of course, you don’t want to wait until your equipment has completely broken down—you don’t want to be scrambling to find new equipment at the last minute, while also being forced to close down until new appliances can be bought and installed.
Not sure if it’s time to upgrade your kitchen equipment yet? Consider these sure-fire signs your commercial kitchen equipment is at the end of its life.
1. You’re Drowning in Repair Costs
Every now and then you’re going to need to repair your equipment. But if your commercial appliances are breaking down every other week, it might make more financial sense to replace them than to keep repairing them. It’ll save you a lot of hassle, too.
Even though the repair costs, individually, might not add up to the price of a new piece of equipment, they’ll add up over time. If you’re constantly paying to fix one component and then another and another, the accumulated cost could be well above the price of a brand-new appliance.
Plus, new commercial kitchen equipment will come with a warranty, which means you won’t have to worry about out-of-pocket repair costs for a long while.
2. The Equipment Isn’t Energy Efficient
Maybe you’ve had your unit for years and it’s still working perfectly. It might still be time to replace it. Why? It might not be energy efficient, which means you’re paying way more than you should in utility costs every single month.
Many commercial kitchen units these days come with an energy star rating, so you know you’ll save money down the line. The unit might just pay for itself with all the savings you’ll enjoy on your utility bills.
3. There’s Better Equipment Out There
If your commercial kitchen equipment is as old as your first-born who’s now in college, it might not be the best unit to meet your needs anymore.
There are likely opportunities to purchase more streamlined units or to purchase equipment that will speed up service or make your cooks’ lives much easier and more efficient. Consider investing in equipment that can perform more than one function. The convi oven, for example, can do the work of a convection oven and a food steamer. By going this route, you can save money because you’ll only need to power one unit rather than two. At the same time, it’ll open up space in your already crowded kitchen.
4. It’s Just Not Working Like It Should
Is your icemaker producing less ice than usual? Is your griddle heating up a lot more slowly than it used to? Do you have water leaking from your commercial warewasher? These are all signs your equipment isn’t working as well as it should. Soon, you could be in full-blown panic when units break down altogether. Get ahead by upgrading before disaster occurs.
There’s no set time limit for how long a piece of kitchen equipment will last or when you should replace it. You know your equipment better than anyone else—you’ll know when it’s time. But if you’re unsure, use these signs as your timeline for an upgrade.
