Used Commercial Kitchen Equipment

Starting a restaurant business involves making the requisite investment in leasing a suitable site for the restaurant, analyzing the competitive strategy and purchasing the necessary kitchen equipment. Buying kitchen equipment is very different from purchasing kitchen equipment for the house. The difference can be attributed to the sheer volume of food that has to be prepared in a restaurant. Commercial kitchen equipment are voluminous, durable and consequently more expensive. Restaurant owners generally prefer leasing the equipment or buying used commercial kitchen equipment rather than investing in new equipment.

Essential Kitchen Equipment

Warming drawers, cooking ranges, ovens, grills, bakery and dough equipment, cookware and kitchen tools, food processors and mixers, wire shelving and food storage containers, walk-in freezers, commercial sinks and dishwashers, are the essential commercial kitchen equipment. The shared attribute of these heavy duty equipment is their durability.

Advantages of Buying Used Kitchen Equipment

Cost-Effective: Generally, prospective restaurant owners can buy a marginally used commercial kitchen equipment for a fraction of the price of new equipment. A refurbished unit, is of course, much cheaper. However, before buying a reconditioned unit, one has to ensure that the seller is trustworthy and the unit conforms to the standards of quality. For instance, a marginally used commercial combination convection oven can be purchased for 1/5th of the price of a new oven. The reason for having to pay a much lower price, for used equipment, can be attributed to the short depreciable life of kitchen equipment. On an average, new commercial kitchen equipment is depreciated over a period of 5 or 7 years.

Warranty: Generally, used (restaurant) kitchen equipment also come with a warranty, since durability or the ability to withstand improper handling is one of the most important features of commercial kitchen equipment.

Considerations While Buying Secondhand Kitchen Equipment

Past Performance: One should try and delve into the performance history of the product in order to ensure that the equipment is not being sold at a cheaper price on account of malfunction. For instance, a used convection oven may have been removed from a functional restaurant because it was a fire hazard. Walk-in freezers, that may have caused frequent power outages due to overheating, may have been disposed off by the previous owner. An aspiring restaurant owner should not end up buying damaged equipment.

Present Condition: In case the product is being purchased from a restaurant owner, it would be sensible to inspect the product and see it being used in order to ensure that the product is not being sold off because it's defective.

Safety Norms: The dealer, from whom the equipment is purchased, should be trust worthy and should carry National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) approved equipment. NSF approval is based on product design, ease with which the product can be cleaned and the toxicology report of the material that is used to manufacture the equipment. If the equipment is NSF approved, one can be sure that it conforms to the safety norms.

It may not be possible for a restaurant owner to assess all these factors before purchasing used commercial kitchen equipment. Hence, it may be advisable to purchase or lease new equipment after making the necessary arrangements for equipment financing.