How to run a kitchen can mean different things to different people. Some people will open up their own restaurant or café, working to feed hundreds of people in a single sitting. Others believe that running a kitchen involves working all day at home to feed a large family or entertain guests. Whatever your definition may be, you can all agree that you would like a little extra help sometimes.
There aren’t a lot of people that understand the pressures of how to run a kitchen, which is why we’ve compiled a list of things that will help you run a kitchen more efficiently. You want your food to find people in the quickest way possible, so read on to find out how.
5 Ways To Run A Kitchen More Efficiently as a Chef
Itemize Your Cupboards
A disorganized kitchen is not only messy and unappealing, but it will also place a delay on any meal that you try to cook. Timing is everything when it comes to feeding others and getting stressed is only going to cause you more problems. Being unable to find the thing you need is a good way to slow yourself down in the kitchen. Therefore, you need to create a system that works for you.
An itemized cupboard full of your ingredients is the best approach for a busy chef when looking to run a kitchen more smoothly. It doesn’t matter how you itemize things. You can arrange your ingredients by type, how often you use them, or put the smallest things at the front. Whatever you use, just make sure that the things you need are easy to find, and you will notice a clear difference in your efficiency.
Prep Early
Creating a series of meals in quick succession requires you to juggle several different tasks. The main part of cooking is heating the ingredients in a way that is specific to the meal that you are preparing, which only needs to be done right before it is served. The rest of the time you spend in the kitchen will be spent prepping everything, so it is ready to use. However, this prep work can be done at any time.
If you have a place to preserve your ingredients until they are needed, try to start your prep time as early as you are able. The more prepared you are, the better chance you have at keeping up with the high demand that comes with running a kitchen.
Never Run Out Of Tea Towels
Tea towels are traditionally used to dry up dishes after they have been washed but, let’s be honest, you probably use them for a lot more in your kitchen. They make a quick substitute for oven gloves if folded correctly, they can be placed on a surface to prevent dishes from slipping, and they are great to grab and wipe over any dirty surface. Unfortunately, all this usage means that they become dirty and obsolete after a few weeks.
Anyone that runs a kitchen should never be short of tea towels, but it does get expensive to keep buying them one at a time. That is why you should prepare by buying wholesale tea towels. Having a huge surplus of wholesale tea towels around allows you to carry on with your little cooking habits without having to worry about the cost.
Only Use Working Equipment
It is perfectly normal for a chef to get attached to their kitchen utensils. Every tool will have gotten you out of scrape at some point, and you will find it very hard to part with the equipment that has served you well so far.
Unfortunately, time has the same effect on everything including your kitchen equipment. It is important to recognize when your favourite tools are too damaged to work effectively and replace them as soon as time allows. You will only prolong the inevitable by keeping this equipment in use, and a blunt knife will only slow down your process.
Make sure that you also invest in good equipment such as reach-in fridges, a really good oven and even a dishwasher to ensure your items are properly clean ready to cook.
Clean As You Go
It doesn’t matter how much you love cooking; every chef has to deal with the mess they have left behind at some point. People who cook from home may have the luxury of having someone else on hand to clean up after them; however, the restaurant staff is always left with the monumental task of cleaning the entire kitchen at the end of a shift. This can take hours if you have been busy, and there is no way of avoiding it if you want to keep your doors open.
While there is no possible way to avoid cleaning altogether, you can make the process easier by cleaning as you go. Food spills are tougher to deal with once they have had time to sit around. Make sure you act quickly, and you can cut down your cleaning time exponentially.
Conclusion
Efficiency is a sign of a good kitchen; however, there are many hurdles in your way that can slow you down. Follow the advice above to make sure that you are working effectively and you should start to notice the difference.
