Basic Layout of a
Commercial Kitchen
By Lorri Mealey
A typical restaurant kitchen is composed of
different stations. A station is the area where a certain type of food is
prepared. Stations help keep a restaurant kitchen running smoothly. The number
of stations is dictated by what is on the restaurant’s menu. A restaurant may
have several stations with specialized equipment or just one or two areas that
are designated for cooking certain menu items. Budget and space are the two
biggest factors in determining how many stations are in your restaurant
kitchen. Many of these stations can be combined to save space and money. And
you certainly don’t need a cook at each station during slow shifts.
The Sauté Station
The most experienced
cooks work the sauté station, since this is where the most complicated dishes
are prepared. An experienced sauté cook is also necessary because they usually
cook several dishes at one time during the dinner rush. Typically a sauté station
is equipped with a multiple burner gas range,
sauté pans and tongs. A sauté station usually has its own prep area, with all
the cook’s ingredients, cutting board, cooler, and seasonings.
The Grill Station
The grill station
consists of the grill,
which can be a char broiler or a flattop, a cooler for grill items (chicken,
beef, kebabs, ect…) tongs, grill brush and whatever house seasoning you use.
The grill cook needs to have a good degree of experience. Like the sauté cook,
the grill cook is cooking several dishes at once. He also needs to know how to
properly cook beef to well, medium and rare temperatures.
The Fry Station
The fryer,
or fryolator as it is sometimes called, is for fried foods, such as chicken
wings, onion rings and French fries. Because a great deal of food that goes
into a fryer is a frozen, most fry stations have their own freezer. Other
equipment needed includes fry baskets, tongs, and bowls for breading. The fry
station is a good entry level cooking position, ideal for someone just starting
out in a restaurant kitchen.
Pizza Station
If pizza plays a
prominent role on your menu than a pizza station is a good idea. A combo reach-in cooler with
prep area is a good choice for a pizza station. And of course you will need an oven
for cooking. You can invest in a specialty pizza oven
or use the ovens in your gas range.
Again, if you plan on serving a lot of pizza having a large oven that can cook
several pies at once is your best bet. Besides an oven, a well stocked pizza
station should have pizza screens for cooking and serving, a pizza paddle, pizza cutter and
sheets of wax paper.
Other Kitchen Stations
Restaurants with enough
space may have a salad station and/ or a dessert station. Or these might be
incorporated into the wait station. A well stocked salad station includes a
cooler for lettuce, vegetables, salad dressing and plates. A dessert station
needs to have cooler for deserts and space for plates, desert forks and an area
to assemble desserts.
The Kitchen Line
Last, buy certainly not
lease is the kitchen line. The line is the area where the servers pick up their
food. Sometimes “the line” refers to the line of stations in a kitchen. The
line is often manned by the expeditor- the person who sends the dishes to the
dining room looking great. The line should have garnish, plates, a spindle for
order tickets and heating lamps,
to keep waiting food hot.
Original article from: http://restaurants.about.com/od/stockingarestaurant/a/Kitchen_Station.htm
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