The kitchen is a place for food preparation, while commercial kitchens are used in specific locations such as hotels and large institutions like canteens. They are characterized by a wide variety of products, larger specifications, power, and capacity compared to home kitchen equipment, and they are generally more expensive, focusing on the overall kitchen setup. All equipment necessary for processing, cutting, cooking, and storing in a commercial kitchen should be fully equipped for convenience and to ensure the production of high-quality dishes. Therefore, mastering the principles of kitchen equipment selection and understanding the performance of various types of equipment has become an essential part of modern kitchen management. Below are the seven major guidelines for selecting commercial kitchen equipment:

Safety Guidelines

Safety is the primary guideline for selecting commercial kitchen equipment. Ensuring the quality of the equipment is crucial; the selection should consider compliance with human-machine operation safety principles during use. Equipment should not have sharp edges or burrs; edges must be bent or rolled, and weld joints should be smoothed to prevent injuries. Equipment involving water, electricity, or gas must be installed accurately to prevent leaks and should have relevant protective measures to ensure personnel safety and prevent accidents during operation. Water equipment must be properly connected to both inlet and outlet pipes; galvanized pipes and copper pipe joints should be wrapped with sealing tape and tightened. The drainage system and PVC pipe joints must be sealed to prevent leaks. Electrical equipment must have a separate distribution control box with relevant protective functions; when configuring electrical devices, accurate calculations of power consumption are necessary to prevent overloads, and appropriate power lines must be configured according to the power requirements of the equipment. All gas-using equipment must comply with relevant safety standards, and gas leaks must be checked during installation. In poorly ventilated kitchens, gas alarms should be installed.

Human-Centered Guidelines

Operations in the kitchen should follow a reasonable flow, with equipment designed according to correct process arrangements for convenience. The usual sequence is: raw material intake → storage → initial processing area → cutting area → cooking area → preparation area → dirty dish recovery channel → washing area → clean dish return to kitchen. Additionally, areas for pastries, cold dishes, canteen serving, marinating, and homemade beverages should be separated; a secondary changing room may also be necessary. According to Chinese height standards, the height of stoves, work surfaces, and washing sinks is generally around 800mm; wall cabinet heights should be greater than 1200mm but less than about 1850mm; hood heights should range from 1900mm to 2200mm. Kitchen flow lines, operational spaces, and passage spaces should not be less than 700mm. The kitchen's smoke exhaust and ventilation should be smooth to create a comfortable environment; bright lighting facilities are also necessary. Therefore, when arranging kitchen equipment, it is essential to consider ergonomic principles and operational convenience for kitchen staff. Human-centered design not only keeps the kitchen organized but also facilitates chefs' work and enhances their mood.

Hygiene Guidelines

Commercial kitchen equipment must have anti-pollution, anti-corrosion, and easy-to-clean properties; thus, most commercial kitchen equipment is made from stainless steel. For kitchen equipment, stainless steel is undoubtedly the best choice due to its corrosion resistance and ease of cleaning. Of course, in addition to the inherent hygienic advantages of stainless steel material itself, regular cleaning and maintenance are required during use to ensure cleanliness in the kitchen. Additionally, measures must be taken to prevent cockroaches, mice, ants, and other pests from contaminating the kitchen environment. Regular cleaning helps avoid the presence of cockroaches or other mobile sources of contamination; mesh covers should be installed at drainage outlets, smoke outlets, exhaust outlets, etc., where there are connections to the outside world to prevent mice from entering.

Fire Safety Guidelines

Fire safety is paramount when configuring kitchen equipment. First of all, it is essential to choose equipment with good fire resistance properties; most commercial kitchen equipment is primarily made from stainless steel which has excellent fire resistance—non-combustible and flame-retardant—thus avoiding heat conduction that could lead to fire spread during an incident. Kitchen equipment produced by reputable manufacturers uses non-combustible and flame-retardant stainless steel materials on all surfaces. Secondly, protective facilities that could potentially catch fire must be installed; major sources of kitchen fires include electrical fires and gas fires—electricity and gas connections must adhere to safety guidelines. Furthermore, necessary fire protection facilities such as leakage protection devices, gas alarms, smoke exhaust fire dampers, sprinkler systems, and automatic fire extinguishing devices should be installed in kitchens; devices that easily conduct heat should also have thermal insulation layers.

Aesthetic Guidelines

Under the premise of meeting quality, price, and usage requirements, equipment should have an aesthetically pleasing appearance with smooth edges and corners that are polished down to avoid injuring users during operation. Most importantly, all kitchen equipment should be uniform in appearance—level horizontally and vertically—making it both visually appealing and functional. To achieve this standard, it is best to choose a complete set of kitchen equipment manufactured by the same company since each manufacturer has different processing techniques; using products from the same manufacturer ensures uniformity.

Energy-Saving Guidelines

Energy consumption is a significant source of cost waste; operating costs are another important factor in configuring commercial kitchen equipment. For equal output levels, lower energy consumption is preferable as it saves energy costs. Kitchen equipment typically uses electricity or gas as fuel; when selecting energy-consuming devices, one should focus on operating costs rather than just initial costs. The key aspect is using energy-efficient burners that burn fuel completely without wasting resources—this can save substantial costs over time. Currently available electromagnetic kitchen devices are pollution-free, easy to control, and relatively low in operating costs; they have become widely used in recent years.

Environmental Protection Guidelines

In addition to meeting the above seven guidelines for selecting commercial kitchen equipment, environmental protection guidelines must also be considered.

Environmental protection guidelines generally include the following points:

1. For devices using gas or oil fuels, energy-efficient models should be selected whenever possible as they allow for complete combustion of fuel while reducing emissions.

2. Configure devices with appropriate power based on production volume to avoid unnecessary energy consumption.

3. Kitchen wastewater must undergo purification treatment through an oil-water separator before being discharged.

4. Kitchen fumes must be purified through high-efficiency fume purifiers that meet national standards before being released.

5. Kitchen waste must be sorted and treated according to relevant requirements.