7 Types Of Catering Equipment

The type and number of Catering Equipment will vary according to the volume of cooking needed, number of guests, and venue. You may, of course, start with some essential equipment and then get more as you grow your business. There are some items which you might consider renting rather than buying. You can also purchase specific pieces of Catering Equipment each time you make a contract. However, purchasing such items in bulk can be less costly with a financing plan if you have storage space. Here is a checklist of the Catering Equipment you will need in this profitable business.

1. Transport – The Backbone Of Catering Equipment

Insulated Food And Beverage Carriers: Hot food boxes or food carriers are the centerpieces of this category because they hold food at safe temperatures for transport. They also help keep food hot until mealtime.

Dinnerware Storage and Transport: You’ll need utensil holders, flatware organizers, bus tubes, and bus boxes to carry and hold your dinnerware. It’s advisable to choose lighter items with handles for ease of transport.

Trucks and Dollies: Hand trucks, utility dollies, platform trucks, and the like are among the Catering Equipment that streamlines the movement of oversized and heavy items during the catered event.

Commercial Carts: Cooking, food prep, serving, beverage, or other carts increase the mobility of items and operations in the event location.

2. Food Holding and Warming Equipment

Countertop Warmers And Display Cases: Bain Marie heaters are almost synonymous with catering, so your Catering Equipment will be incomplete without them. You can create excellent self-serve stations with buffet warmers and serve soup hot with soup kettles.

Holding Cabinets: Heated cabinets and proofers of different sizes and styles can keep especially your pastry and pizza boxes hot until you start serving them.

Steam Tables And Food Wells: With hot food serving counters, you can keep and serve food hot on the go, creating an attractive display.

3. Cooking Equipment

Commercial Ranges: Any Catering Equipment should be as compact and multi-functional as possible. Most ranges are designed with a griddle to boil, steam, sauté, bake, and grill food on the same unit.

Commercial Grills: The best way to satisfy mouths, eyes, and noses in an outdoor event is to cook with grills. Meat sizzling on BBQ grills would hypnotize guests.

Gyro Machines: Even the image of slowly rotating meat on a rod is enough to please crowds of all sizes. As the smell of gyros spread, you can be sure that you’ll have many loyal customers.

Induction Cooktops And Cookers: These compact and portable cookers are ideal for any catered event. They don’t create ambient heat, so they are suitable for indoor organizations, too.

4. Beverage Equipment

Coffee Brewers, Espresso Machines, Tea/Coffee Dispensers, And Juicers

Bar equipment for holding, displaying, and serving cold drinks

5. Ice Machines and Transport Supplies

The trick to creating happy faces in an event with delightful and refreshing drinks is ice. Commercial ice machines are indispensable pieces of Catering Equipment. You can size your ice machines based on the daily production and storage volumes you might need for different organizations. With ice and beverage dispensers, you can let guests easily reach and self-serve ice in their drinks whenever they want.

6. Commercial Refrigeration Equipment

When launching a new catering business, you need to consider everything necessary to set up a commercial kitchen. Some Catering Equipment is always on the stage, attracting hungry eyes with the food they cook or display. You may not often have to carry your refrigerators to the event location, but you can’t serve good food without them. Depending on the volumes of food you need to store cold and frozen, you can have reach-ins, walk-ins, and bar refrigeration of various sizes.

7. Smallwares And Tabletops

You’ve transported all the Catering Equipment, foods, and drinks to the event location. Now, you need to use your creativity to design an eye-opening look before the guests start flowing in. Tabletop supplies, smallwares, and decorations should be in place. It would help to have enough serving utensils to meet the demands of a high-paced event. Guests would be delighted to see the tables with neatly placed dinnerware, glassware, flatware, and paper napkin dispensers.