A commercial kitchen must be comprised of elements that make it workable and effective for producing high-quality food and products. Some elements include durable and clean cooking equipment, efficient storage or coolroom system, appropriate flooring and countertops, proper waste management, and many more.
Another element that is vital to a commercial kitchen is the ventilation system. This specific system addresses the issues of grease, smoke, and odours that can drastically affect the performance and functionality of a kitchen.
Why commercial kitchen ventilation system is important?
A ventilation system ensures that your commercial kitchen environment remains a healthy and productive place to work on, removing any room for health hazards and law violations due to the presence of the mentioned elements.
With a ventilation system, you can expect substantial improvement over your air quality. The system can remove the irritants and airborne particles that can cause eye and skin irritations or even respiratory problems. Moreover, this system can also control and regulate the temperature inside your commercial kitchen.
Another great thing about a ventilation system is that it can remove stubborn grease and combustible particles from the air, ensuring the safety of your whole kitchen. Any presence of foul odour is also removed by the system so that it will not reach and travel to the dining area.
How to choose the best ventilation system for your kitchen?
Several considerations must be made in designing the best ventilation system for your commercial kitchen. One of the factors that you must consider is the performance of your exhaust fans. They must have enough power to remove any collected airborne elements at the same rate to their generation.
With regards to your exhaust hoods, they should be located above your cooking equipment for them to effectively absorb airborne wastes in your kitchen. Moreover, the ventilation rates of these hoods must be adjusted according to the appliances that are near them. For instance, your heavy-duty appliances must be placed in the centre of a hood section instead of placing them at the end.
Your makeup air units must also be capable of replacing an equivalent volume of the collected wastes. As for their position, they must be far away from the source of the pollutants so that they can maximise cross ventilation.
Any exhaust gases must be discharged to the atmosphere with the help of ducts. These ducts, alongside your canopies, must be made from non-combustible material that can resist the accumulation of dirt, grease, and even condensation. Both your ductwork and filtration system must be accessible for cleaning and replacement.
Remember to follow these considerations when you design the ventilation system of your commercial kitchen. These considerations will not only give you a clean and workable commercial kitchen, but also a chance to boost the performance of your business. If you need some help with regards to your commercial kitchen ventilation system, just give us a call at Metcon Steel.
As long as your business is open, your commercial kitchen must provide the best food that you can give to your consumers. Given this fact, your commercial kitchen must have products and tools that can withstand a long period of use. You don’t want your kitchen supplies to get damaged easily, as regular replacements might hurt your total business’s regular operations and financial capabilities.
One material that is hugely recommended for commercial kitchen applications is stainless steel. Cooking utensils, tools, and storage that are made up of stainless steel normally last longer than other materials. As a matter of fact, professional cooks and other kitchen staff would prefer using stainless steel products over copper, aluminium, and others due to their accompanying benefits and properties.
Safe for Food Preparation and Storage
What is great about stainless steel kitchen products is that they don’t react to the food. Meaning, any food that is cooked, stored, and placed on stainless steel products won’t have any effect on their quality and taste. Moreover, the surfaces of cookware and storage products out of stainless steel don’t allow microorganisms from inhabiting them. This property makes stainless steel great for commercial and even residential kitchen applications.
Long-Lasting and Durable
To avoid any unnecessary expenses, commercial kitchen owners would want to buy products that can last for a long time. You can never go wrong with stainless steel products since they are made up of low-carbon steel and chromium, both of which are strong, durable, and corrosion-resistant. Additionally, stainless steel kitchen products can retain their shiny appearance as they don’t easily absorb any stain. So, expect your stainless steel products to look as if they are still new and unused.
Compatible with Colours and Materials
The use of stainless steel can enhance the appearance of your commercial kitchen. This enhancement is brought by the material’s ability to blend with a broad range of materials and colours. Even if you have a kitchen with a traditional or a contemporary interior, you can expect your stainless steel countertop and products to go with and even add flair to your existing style.
Maintenance is Easier
Stainless steel products are easier to clean because of their non-porous nature. Being non-porous means that your stainless steel products and countertops will prevent any food from holding on the surface. Washing and wiping these products with a suitable cleaning solution can easily remove dirt and stain from heavy kitchen operations. Scratches that can be found on these products can also be eradicated with the help of metal or copper cleaners and a rag. With proper maintenance, you can expect your commercial kitchen to be hygienic and sanitary all the time.
With stainless steel materials, you are ensured that your commercial kitchen will perform better since your products are now more reliable, safer, and more durable. To have your own stainless steel kitchen products and fit-out, visit us now at Metcon.
People on commercial kitchens typically work for long hours, since most of these kitchens are utilised in hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses. With long working hours, the fumes, smoke, heat, and other elements can accumulate over time. This accumulation is the reason why most commercial kitchens install and use range hood.
Principles of Range Hood
Range hood, also known as kitchen hood or exhaust hood, is a device containing a mechanical fan that is located above the stove or cooktop in the commercial kitchen. Once installed properly, it can remove airborne grease, combustion products, fumes, smoke, heat, and steam from the air through the evacuation of the air and filtration.
As mentioned, commercial kitchens are used all the time. In our homes, it would only take us a couple of hours or even minutes to cook our food. Commercial kitchens share a different story. People would use these areas to prepare, cook, and serve a lot of food for a very long time, usually from the beginning of the business operations until the end of the day.
Due to long hours of work, commercial kitchen range hoods are equipped with fire suppression devices to ensure that the fumes are properly vented. The suppression device can also put the fire out more quickly. Range hoods for commercial kitchens are also equipped with a fresh air fan so that it can draw in exterior air. This component allows the circulation of the air with the cooking fumes and then draws them out by the hood.
Types of Range Hood
Range hoods in commercial kitchens are classified into two types. The first one is grouped as Type 1 Hoods. They are designed to exhaust grease, oil, and smoke together with heat, moisture, and odours from appliances. Type 1 Hoods have removable baffle filters that can extract oil and grease before they enter your ventilation and ductwork. Using this type of range hoods can help reduce fire risk in your kitchen. Type 1 Hoods are maximised when you work with woks, fryers, and charbroilers.
The other type of range hood is Type 2 Hoods. Type 2 Hoods are installed over appliances that release only heat and/or moisture as well as cooking odours. Some kitchen equipment that can utilise Type 2 Hoods includes dishwasher or steam table. This type of range hood does not have a hood filter, which prevents flames from entering the exhaust duct.
Range Hood Maintenance
Once you have picked and installed range hoods, you must clean and maintain them regularly. Regular maintenance is required for these range hoods so that they can last longer and work more efficiently along the way. To fully maximise your range hood’s capabilities, you must also maintain clean air and a comfortable environment in your commercial kitchen.
Knowing the right range hoods for your commercial kitchen can help you maximise your business. If you want to buy and install commercial kitchen range hoods, then contact us now at Metcon Steel.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) ductwork is one essential aspect in construction that many people usually disregard. Many residential and commercial property owners usually overlook this installation unless certain issues in its installation are generally felt by their occupants. Below are things you need to know about HVAC ductwork.
HVAC Ductwork Basic Function
A ductwork system is designed to distribute airflow from your HVAC equipment to your entire home or commercial building. In simpler terms, the air from the entire building is sucked into either the air conditioner or heater wherein it is either cooled or heated and latter distributed through the air ducts of the living space.
You will know the efficiency of your HVAC ductwork by observing the intake and output of the air in the building. A non-functional and poorly-designed HVAC ductwork is guaranteed to mess up the condition of both the HVAC system and air pressure as well as its exchange.
Importance of Proper HVAC Ductwork Installation
Ensures Comfort through Good Insulation
Properly-installed ductwork helps to keep the home comfortable because it effectively regulates the temperature in the entire home. However, shoddy installation creates numerous problems. Seams between duct pieces are sealed using an aluminum tape while ductwork is separated from areas like crawl spaces and attics with insulation.
Prevents Air Leakage
If any of the HVAC ductwork issues are appropriately handled, air leakage occurs. This makes the system inefficient, and the quality of air will be poor. It could also lead to the failure of the entire air conditioning or heating equipment, which is even more costly.
Matches HVAC Ductwork to Equipment
Another aspect that needs to be considered when installing ductwork is the sizing. The ductwork’s size should match the size of the air conditioner and/or heater so as to ensure the operation is very efficient. Ductwork installation experts should be capable of matching the equipment you are using to the duct system for a solid fit.
Guarantees Durability
The pros can also fine-tune the ductwork for comfort, longevity and optimal efficiency. This is known as balancing; a process where the dampers located in the ducts are adjusted to make sure that the required amount of air flows into each room.
Importance of Proper HVAC Maintenance
The quality of air in your home or commercial building is essential. Keeping pollen, dust, pet dander or other types of irritants from the air you breathe in encompasses more than simply changing your equipment’s air filter. Regular cleaning of your HVAC ductwork is a vital part of ensuring that your family is healthy and the residence is clean. Below are some hazards you can avoid with proper HVAC maintenance.
Mould
Mould is hazardous to your family’s health. It can aggravate or cause health problems like asthma and allergies. An odor that seems like dirty socks can indicate the presence of mold somewhere in your HVAC system.
Duct Clogs
Dust and other particles can clog your ducts, causing your HVAC equipment to work less effectively. This can also cause health issues.
Poor Efficiency
If you have clogged air ducts, your unit will be forced to work harder to sustain the required temperatures in your residence. This results in an inefficient unit and high utility bills.
Ensure proper handling and care for your HVAC ductwork by consulting Metcon. We can fabricate all different types of air conditioning components, insulated as per your requirements including V boxes, return air boxes, return air plates, linear slots, EVAP droppers, pipe covers, flashings, ducting components, and transitions.
Restaurant kitchen fitouts are often seen as elegant and functional. Pieces of equipment are placed strategically in places where chefs can easily access them. Aside from that, their layouts are systematised in such a way that help kitchen work flows rather than hinder them, thus, improving efficiency tenfold. However, in order to achieve such restaurant kitchen fitout, there are certain factors to consider. Below are some of them.
Production Equipment
Production equipment such as mechanical peelers, choppers, and mixers can reduce the amount of time spent doing these tasks. The key in selecting the appropriate facility design and equipment is to match these parameters to expected volume of business. For example, if you purchase a mixer that is too large for the volume of business, the work involved in cleaning the machine will not warrant the extra expense of purchasing the equipment. On the other hand, too small a mixer will reduce efficiency as you will be unable to mix the quantities needed in a single batch.
Tools and Storage
Working tables in the restaurant kitchen fitout should have stainless steel surface and equipped with cabinets for cooking tools storage – drawers or cabinets. By placing working tables in a different layout you are changing the entire configuration of restaurant kitchen.
Code Compliance
After all of the hard work you put into designing a kitchen, the last thing you want is to be shut down by the health department or suffer major fire damage because you are not up to code. Every piece of equipment has guidelines for installation and location, so make sure to read their instruction manuals. If you put in your due diligence, there should be no issues keeping your kitchen up to code.
Restaurant kitchen fitout regulations vary state to state and are absolutely crucial to consider when designing a commercial kitchen. Health codes, fire codes, employee safety protocols, and more must be met. Regulations may govern the – distance between a food preparation station and any sinks or disposal drains, the installation of vents and grease traps, the size and temperature capacity of hot water tanks, and the design and location of food storage areas. Review all restaurant kitchen licenses and permits involved in designing your restaurant kitchen, especially in your state.
Overall System
The technology in your back of house should also be modular, flexible, and easy to use. Many restaurant kitchens operate with paper tickets, or chits, posted to the kitchen. However, kitchen display screens can maximise accuracy and increase the amount of tickets your kitchen is able to serve with custom routeing preferences to preparation stations, ticket and fulfilment time reports, and integrations with online ordering systems.
Utilise the full potential of your restaurant kitchen fitout by consulting Metcon Steel. Aside from that, we can work with you to design, fabricate and if needed install your customised projects and sheet metal needs.
