There are a lot of things to consider in purchasing items for commercial kitchens, unlike in residential kitchens. Your appliances as well as your workbenches must be sturdy and durable enough to take on a heavy load of work for a longer period of time. That is why most commercial kitchen owners commonly prefer stainless steel benches. However, these stainless steel benches are still varied in types and designs. Below are design and material considerations in installing stainless steel benches in commercial kitchens.
Design Considerations
Drawers
Drawers that allow you to keep tools such as knives, gloves, and labels at hand will make working in the kitchen much more time-efficient, which is crucial in a commercial kitchen environment.
Casters
Stainless steel benches that come equipped with caster are really convenient, allowing your staff to move the bench freely as they please. This is particularly useful for cleaning purposes. Nevertheless, note that the casters will increase the height of the workbench.
Under-shelves
Another design particularity that many commercial grade benches come with is under-shelves. When you have a small commercial kitchen, this means that you should maximise all the space you have at your disposal – otherwise, chaos will sink in. A bunch of under-shelves attached to your workbench can be life-saving for storing small ware and extra equipment.
Material Considerations
18-Gauge Stainless Steel
An 18-gauge stainless steel is considered as the most affordable choice for benches. However, it is not as durable as compared to its more expensive counterparts. It is advisable to use for preparing salads, sandwiches, sorting items, or even providing the necessary space for general work. Since it is more prone to dents and dings, it is not advisable to load heavy items on the surface of the workbench.
16-Gauge Stainless Steel
This is a good option for commercial units that seek a balance between affordability and quality in steel benches. It is still affordable but its durability ranks higher than an 18-gauge. Aside from that, it is also versatile meaning that such a workbench is compatible with most applications.
14-Gauge Stainless Steel
Furthermore, if your priority is getting a higher degree of durability and quality, then this alternative should most likely meet your needs. Many times, butchers choose this type of worktable because it can resist heavy-duty use, being suitable for rough applications, without having to worry about denting or anything of the kind.
Type 304
One of the most popular types of stainless steel is type 304. It is rust and corrosion resistant with high nickel and chromium content and low carbon level. This mineral content allows heavy-duty utilisation since it can successfully fit into any commercial environment and be the perfect fit. Sanitising such a table is effortless, as well as maintaining it in top form. This is what makes it ideal for busy commercial kitchens.
Type 430
Type 430 stainless steel is a lower grade of steel, which includes a degree of iron and chromium. This means that this type of stainless steel isn’t as resistant to corrosion as other types. Still, it would be a decent option for environments with mild susceptibility to corrosion. Plus, it is quite low-cost while being a good option for working with veggies and fruits, plating meals and combining ingredients.
Have your commercial kitchen stainless steel bench installed by Metcon Steel. Aside from that, we can work with you to design, fabricate and if needed install your customised projects and sheet metal needs.
Commercial kitchens are often bombarded with perennial problems such as intense heat and humidity. As a result, mould easily grows in the damp areas brought by increase in temperature. Due to this, commercial kitchen owners heavily invest on solutions that could alleviate – or better yet – eliminate the said problem. One of the means of reducing excess moisture to a minimum is the use of splashbacks. Splashbacks are a cheap, simple and effective way of preventing mould and damp problems on walls, and are placed behind sinks, stoves and other appliances to prevent water, fat and other liquids from soaking into the walls.
Splashbacks come in different materials and styles, but stainless steel is considered as the one commonly used. These robust splashbacks have a number of useful advantages over splashbacks made of lesser materials and can be made for you by a sheet metal fabrication company. Below are the reasons why it is considered as the best choice.
Durability
As you can imagine, splashbacks made from stainless steel are immensely tough and can withstand a great deal of punishment — perfect for the busy, rough-and-tumble cooking and cleaning that goes on in the average commercial kitchen. They will not shatter under the heaviest impacts, unlike some glass or plastic splashbacks, and are practically impossible to dent when properly fabricated and mounted.
Rust Resistance
The sheer durability of stainless steel splashbacks is magnified by stainless steel’s complete immunity to rust, and a stainless steel splashback will not suffer from unsightly, damaging corrosion even after years of use. This gives stainless steel splashbacks more longevity than splashbacks made of other materials, and a well-made stainless steel splashback should not need repairs or replacement for the entire working life of your commercial kitchen.
Visual Appeal
The aesthetic value may not be nearly as important as practicality in the kitchen of a restaurant or hotel, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for an ugly, purely functional splashback. The smooth contours and silvery tones of a stainless steel splashback can be quite attractive, and sheet metal fabricators can create splashbacks in a variety of custom shapes and designs. Decorative finishes, such as brushed-look surfaces, are also available.
Low-Maintenance
Sanitation is also important in any commercial kitchen, and keeping a stainless steel splashback clean and free of bacteria, viruses and pathogens is very easy. Since stainless steel is non-porous, it can be sterilised easily with a simple surface cleaning, and the toughness of stainless steel allows you to use harsh cleaning compounds to remove dried fats, sauces and other stubborn marks.
Recyclable
Commercial kitchens use a lot of energy, so anything that makes your kitchen a little more environmentally friendly is always welcome. Stainless steel splashbacks are fully recyclable, unlike most plastic, glass or tiled splashbacks, allow you to reduce your kitchen’s carbon footprint if and when your splashback is no longer required.
Have your commercial kitchen splashbacks installed by Metcon Steel. Aside from that, we can work with you to design, fabricate and if needed install your customised projects and sheet metal needs.
