In the culinary world, efficiency in the kitchen is a crucial point to bear in mind. The simple fact of the matter is that a kitchen that isn’t running at full efficiency won’t be likely to meet the demands of the peak dining hours of a restaurant. This will only result in unsatisfied customers and angry managers.
The good news is that implementing measures to increase efficiency in the kitchen isn’t necessarily a complicated process. However, it will take a bit of consideration for the type of cooking that you do as well as the sort of output that is expected of your kitchen to pinpoint some of the finer details related to efficiency. However, there are also a number of points that can be implemented by most types of kitchens.
With that in mind, if you have recently found yourself feeling concerned about the efficiency of your kitchen and would like to take steps towards improving things in this area, here are a few tips that can help you to run a more efficient kitchen.
Get the Right Gear
The first thing that you need to figure out about your kitchen is whether or not your staff has everything that they need in order to be efficient. Without the right tools, equipment, and even attire, you can’t expect your team in the kitchen to be able to turn out dishes at the rate you need them to.
Start by looking at your major appliances. Is anything outdated or in need of repair? If so, this should be the first area that you put some thought and money into going forward.
Once you are sure that your appliances are working properly, it is time to look into the specific equipment that your chefs and cooks need to be efficient. Take into consideration everything from the tools and utensils they use to the aprons and coats they wear. You can’t expect your chefs to be efficient in their work if they aren’t even attired properly and professionally. You can find a selection of coats for professional chefs that will have your team outfitted properly and ready to work.
Organize Ingredients
Over the course of the year, it is easy for things to get a bit unorganized in your kitchen. However, if things have gotten so bad that your chefs are wasting time searching for ingredients at the busiest times of the day, then you have an even bigger problem on your hands.
Take some time when the kitchen is closed to reorganize things properly. Make sure that you are following all guidelines and recommendations that pertain to safe food handling and storage as well so that everything ends up in the right place. If necessary, create some new storage options in your kitchen that will allow your staff to access the ingredients they need in a quick and efficient manner.
Reassess Your Menu
It might very well be the case that the reason your kitchen isn’t efficient is due to some of your menu options. Dishes that are too complicated or that take too much time to prepare properly will only cause issues for your kitchen staff and slower output.
It is important to remember that if your chosen menu items take too long to prepare, one of two things will happen: either your chefs will rush the preparation of the food thus compromising on the quality of the dishes served or they will take too much time preparing them properly. Either will only frustrate and potentially anger your customers.
Choosing the right dishes for your menu isn’t an easy task sometimes. You need to find the right balance between how unique the dishes are and how easy they are for your chefs to make. Furthermore, you need to consider the return on your investment in ingredients and labor.
Take the time to make sure that your dishes are chosen with efficiency in mind so that your team can prepare them in a reasonable timeframe for your customers. Include those dishes that also help to keep your restaurant unique while at the same time giving your staff the chance to provide quality and timely service to your customers.
Photo by Becca Tapert and Dane Deaner on Unsplash