Restaurant kitchens are the picture of organization and efficiency. There are many tips to gather from commercial kitchens, here are a few of our favorites to keep in mind when designing and working in your kitchen:

1. Direct Traffic – Commercial kitchens are designed with maximum efficiency, functionality, and safety in mind. Plan to maximize your kitchen’s layout to facilitate easy movement around multiple work zones by allowing a minimum aisle width of about three feet, going as wide as five feet if possible.

Tip – Many commercial kitchens are designed with a centrally located line, or long counter top, where multiple chefs can work simultaneously.

2. Chill Out – Ensure that the temperature on your refrigerator is 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and that you keep the door closed as much as possible. Maintaining the recommended temperature will help prevent food spoilage and allow hot food to go through the cool down period as quickly as possible.

3. Prep Work – Hours of prep work go into every perfectly cooked dish that comes out of a restaurant kitchen. An essential restaurant guideline is mise en place — which literally means, “putting in place.” Take a tip from the pros and spend the time in advance to prepare sauces, chop produce, and break down protein portions ahead of time.

4. Spotlight – Illuminated important areas of the kitchen with strategically planned lighting. Use wall mount lamps to bring added visibility to high traffic work areas such as the sink, stoke top, and island.

5. Commercial Quality – Appliances for domestic use often have less powerful motors and plastic parts. If you plan to use your appliance infrequently, domestic quality can be sufficient, but if you use your pasta maker every day opt for one of professional quality.

Tip – Go to a commercial supply store for help finding the appliance to perfectly meet your needs.

6. Open Cabinets – Sticky hands can make a mess of cupboards and drawers. To solve this issue commercial kitchens often utilize open cabinets for storing most used items. Consider including a few open shelves in your kitchen to allow for grab and go convenience.

Tip – Hang utensils within reach of your most used work stations for ultra-convenience.

7. Cookware – Heavy grade aluminum and cast iron are popular choices among chefs. Speed in a commercial kitchen counts so pans with oven proof handles that can quickly go from stove top to oven are a must. Copper is another popular cookware material as it distributes heat evenly and releases food particles easily. Copper for cooking is always lined with stainless steel to prevent the release of heat induced toxicity.

Tip – Copper mixing bowls are not lined. In fact, beating egg whites in a unlined copper mixing bowl gives a more stable and voluminous foam that is harder to overbeat. Just make sure to cook with lined copper cookware.

8. Tap into Convenience – Avoid the heavy lifting of lugging water filled pots to the range by installing a cold-water wall mount faucet about the stove. Additionally, it’s a great idea to install a restaurant-style, high-pressure faucet with a long, flexible hose at the kitchen sink.

At Annadel Builders, we understand the importance of a well-designed kitchen. As part of our building process, our Sonoma County home builders excel at facilitating the design of your ideal finely crafted kitchen. Contact us today to learn more about our fine home building process.