Before selecting equipment
Record these inputs first:
- venue type: café, restaurant, takeaway, bakery, bar, caterer or mixed operation;
- complete opening menu and likely additions;
- peak covers/orders per hour, not only daily average;
- service periods and production schedule;
- delivery frequency, storage days and supplier pack sizes;
- dine-in, takeaway, delivery and off-site catering share;
- staffing by shift and skill level;
- tenancy dimensions, access and existing utilities;
- landlord, council, certifier and building requirements;
- available capital plus operating-cost priorities.
The equipment list should follow these facts. If the layout or service connections are unresolved, consult ProChef’s commercial kitchen design team before purchasing major items.
Master checklist by workflow zone
Receiving and storage
- Delivery checking surface with adequate light.
- Calibrated/verified probe thermometer appropriate to the operation.
- Scales where incoming quantity must be checked.
- Dry shelving sized for stock rotation and clear cleaning access.
- Food-grade, lidded ingredient containers.
- Secure chemical storage separated from food and food-contact items.
- Cold and frozen storage sized for delivery cycle and peak production.
- Trolleys or safe materials-handling equipment for heavy deliveries.
FSANZ says businesses handling potentially hazardous food need an accurate, accessible thermometer; the thermometer must be accurate to within 1°C. See FSANZ thermometer guidance.
Refrigeration and frozen storage
- Upright fridges for bulk chilled stock.
- Underbench fridges or refrigerated drawers at high-use stations.
- Upright or underbench freezers based on stock format and access.
- Prep fridges for pizza, salad or sandwich assembly where appropriate.
- Display refrigeration if customers select chilled products.
- Blast chiller where the cook–chill process and volume require controlled rapid cooling.
- Temperature monitoring, logs and alarm responsibilities.
- Ventilation/clearance around condensers and service access.
Potentially hazardous food generally must be kept at 5°C or colder or 60°C or hotter unless the business can demonstrate a safe alternative system. Read FSANZ temperature-control guidance and our commercial refrigeration buying guide.
Food preparation
- Stainless prep benches at workable heights.
- Separate or managed areas for raw and ready-to-eat preparation.
- Colour/application-controlled chopping boards and storage.
- Knives, utensils, gastronorm pans and food-storage containers.
- Food processor, stick blender, slicer, mixer or vegetable-prep equipment based on actual recipes.
- Vacuum packer only with an appropriate food-safety process.
- Scales and timers for recipe consistency.
- Accessible hand-washing facilities specified to project requirements.
Browse food preparation equipment after quantifying batch size. A machine that is fast on paper can still bottleneck production if bowl, hopper or cleaning time does not match the workflow.
Cooking line
- Cooktop or range matched to pan count and peak demand.
- Oven type: convection, combi, deck, conveyor, rapid-cook or specialist.
- Griddle, char grill, fryer, pasta cooker, wok burner or bratt pan only where menu output justifies it.
- Holding or regeneration equipment where production and service are separated.
- Heat-resistant landing space beside hot equipment.
- Correct extraction concept, fire provisions and service connections.
- Manufacturer-required clearances and cleaning access.
Start with ProChef’s cooking equipment range, then compare capacity, recovery, pan/rack format, utilities and service support. Do not finalise the cooking line separately from ventilation and power/gas planning.
Pass, display and service
- Heated or ambient pass as the menu requires.
- Heat lamps or heated holding appropriate to holding time and food quality.
- Hot/cold displays where food is customer-facing.
- Plate storage, cutlery, trays and serviceware.
- Order rails, kitchen display screens or printer landing space.
- Packaging station for takeaway and delivery.
- Allergen and order-separation process supported by the layout.
Hot-holding equipment must be capable of supporting the business’s safe process. FSANZ advises that potentially hazardous food held hot should generally be at 60°C or hotter unless a safe alternative is demonstrated.
Warewashing and cleaning
- Underbench, pass-through or conveyor dishwasher sized by peak rack demand.
- Glasswasher where beverage volume or glass requirements justify separation.
- Pre-rinse, landing and sorting space.
- Correct racks for plates, cups, cutlery and glassware.
- Water treatment and chemical dosing as specified.
- Pot-wash sinks and equipment-cleaning area.
- Mop/cleaner’s sink where required.
- Cleaning tools, test methods and secure chemical storage.
- Drying and clean-item storage that prevents recontamination.
Calculate the dirty return peak, not only the machine’s headline rack rate. Staff need space to scrape, sort, load, unload and return clean items without crossing dirty flow.
Stainless steel, sinks and shelving
- Stainless-steel benches and sinks sized to the layout.
- Wall shelves or mobile shelving that preserves cleaning access.
- Equipment stands rated for the appliance.
- Splashbacks and upstands where specified.
- Mobile trolleys for production or service movements.
- Custom cut-outs, waste chutes or integrated sinks coordinated before manufacture.
Use standard modules where they fit cleanly. Choose custom fabrication when exact dimensions, interfaces or workflow produce a better whole-of-project result.
Safety, waste and staff needs
- Fire and emergency provisions specified by qualified project professionals.
- First-aid supplies and incident process.
- Non-slip and heat-resistant solutions appropriate to each task.
- Waste, recycling, oil and glass handling.
- Staff storage and change facilities as required.
- Step-free/accessible circulation and facilities addressed in the design.
- Safe storage for blades, chemicals and hot items.
- Maintenance access and isolation points.
Café equipment priorities
A café checklist usually places beverage throughput and compact workflow first:
- commercial espresso machine and grinders based on peak drinks per hour;
- filtration/water treatment specified for the equipment and local water;
- undercounter milk refrigeration and knock box;
- dishwasher/glasswasher capacity for cups, saucers and glassware;
- display refrigeration or heated display aligned with the food offer;
- compact convection/combi/rapid-cook equipment only where the menu needs it;
- prep fridge, sandwich press, blender or juicer as applicable;
- ice machine if cold-drink volume justifies it.
Explore ProChef’s café equipment and coffee machines and grinders. Protect enough counter space for queue peaks, milk handling, order assembly and cleaning.
Restaurant equipment priorities
Restaurants generally need deeper production and storage planning:
- cooking line sized by simultaneous pans and peak-ticket mix;
- ovens selected by process, pan/rack format and batch size;
- dedicated hot and cold prep capacity;
- pass and holding that protect quality during uneven service;
- refrigeration distributed to reduce staff travel;
- pot wash separated from tableware flow where volume warrants it;
- bulk dry, chilled and frozen storage based on delivery pattern;
- smallwares quantity that survives peak service and washing cycles.
The menu—not the label “restaurant”—should decide the equipment.
Takeaway equipment priorities
Takeaway kitchens often win or lose at assembly and packaging:
- cooking recovery matched to concentrated order peaks;
- extraction and heat management for fryers, grills, woks or conveyor ovens;
- refrigerated ingredients at point of assembly;
- hot/cold holding with documented time-and-temperature control;
- clear order staging for collection and delivery drivers;
- packaging inventory and bench space;
- robust cleaning plan for high-grease or high-volume production.
Visit Shop by Venue for menu-specific pathways such as pizza shops, charcoal chicken shops, Asian restaurants and dessert shops.
Opening-day, soon-after and later
Label each item:
- Opening-day essential: the venue cannot trade safely or deliver the core menu without it.
- Capacity trigger: add when a measured volume or labour threshold is reached.
- Optional/experimental: supports an unproven menu line or convenience.
This prevents capital being trapped in idle equipment. Leave coordinated services and space for credible future items where doing so is economical.
Commissioning checklist
Before opening:
- Model and serial numbers recorded.
- Equipment installed by the required qualified trades.
- Clearances, ventilation and access checked.
- Full operating cycle completed under realistic conditions.
- Refrigerator and freezer temperatures stabilised and verified.
- Dishwasher wash/rinse process and chemical dosing confirmed.
- Water treatment and filter-change schedule recorded.
- Manuals, warranties and service contacts stored centrally.
- Staff trained in operation, cleaning, shutdown and fault escalation.
- Spare racks, trays, baskets and smallwares counted.
Frequently asked questions
What equipment does every commercial kitchen need?
There is no universal appliance list. Every operation needs safe receiving, storage, preparation, temperature control, hand hygiene, cleaning and waste processes, but the equipment used to achieve them depends on the food, volume, site and jurisdiction.
Should I choose equipment before designing the layout?
Develop them together. Equipment affects workflow, utilities, extraction, clearances and access; the space limits what can be installed and serviced.
How do I size equipment for a new venue with no sales history?
Build peak scenarios from seats, service time, channel mix, menu mix, batch size and realistic demand. Make assumptions visible, test sensitivity and avoid treating the daily average as the peak.
Can domestic appliances be used in a commercial kitchen?
Suitability depends on the appliance, use, relevant requirements, warranty and the approving authorities. Domestic equipment may not be designed, warrantied or certifiable for the workload or environment. Confirm before purchase.
Turn the checklist into a coordinated plan
A checklist prevents omissions, but it cannot resolve workflow, services or project responsibilities by itself. Use it as the brief for designers, suppliers and trades.
Read the fit-out cost guide, explore ProChef’s commercial kitchen categories, or request a quote.
General information only. Final equipment, food-safety controls, approvals and installation requirements must be verified for the specific business and jurisdiction.