Kitchen equipment advice (commercial)
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Commercial kitchen equipment maintenance
Regular maintenance and good hygience practice can help keep your kitchen equipment safe and in good working order.
- Fridges
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- Follow the manufacturer's instructions
- Do not put it next to a source of heat
- Use a fridge thermometer and keep food below 8°C
- A packed fridge will not work as well as one which allows air movement
- Keep dry foods at the top
- Keep cooked meats or foods that are ready to eat in the middle
- Keep food that requires cooking, such as raw meat at the bottom
- Do not leave the door open for too long
- Clean the door seals with detergent and disinfectant to remove mould growth
Fridge breakdown
- Throw away spoiled food
- Clean the inside of the fridge when the power has come back
- Freezers
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- Follow the manufacturer's instructions
- Follow instructions on food packaging
- Keep the temperature of the freezer between minus 18°C and minus 22°C
- Label food packaging and containers with date of cooked and use-by dates
- A well-stocked freezer is more energy efficient
- Do not allow ice to build up inside freezers
- Defrost freezer units by following manufacturer's instructions
Freezer breakdown
- Keep the doors shut and keep air vents clear
- If raw food still has ice crystals and has not been exposed to any contamination you can refreeze it provided the temperature has not reached above -3°C (if higher cook the food straight away or throw it away)
- Ready to eat food with no ice crystals should be thrown (if ice crystals are present and there has been no risk of contamination, and the temperature is lower than -3°C, then you can eat the food, following the preparation and cooking instructions)
- Clean the inside of the freezer, removing food debris, once the power comes back
If a power failure lasts for more than 8 hours throw away the food.
- Microwave cooking
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Keep your microwave oven clean:
- Cleaning with a detergent and disinfectant will remove dirt and reduce bacteria that have built up - this will ensure that your microwave works efficiently
- Check your microwave manual for recommended cleaning products and methods
- Only use utensils and containers that have been approved for microwave use - poor use may result in damaging the microwave oven, or making the food unsafe
Cook food properly:
- Heat leftovers and pre-cooked food to at least 70°C - food should be very hot and steaming
- Liquids containing meats (like casseroles and stews) must be boiled for roughly five minutes to ensure the pieces of meat are heated through
- Stir things halfway through cooking to avoid cold spots
- Cook food for the minimum time recommended, then test for thorough cooking - juices in chicken, beef, pork and fish should run clear
- Ice machines
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- Connect your machine directly to a mains water supply
- Keep it in an area free from dirt and dust, ideally off the ground and in a position which provides ventilation and easy access
- Service the machine following the manufacturer's instructions
- Remove dust, grime and limescale regularly
- Clean all ice handling equipment, such as buckets and tongs or spoons, regularly throughout the day
- Do not allow ice to be transferred by hand - train staff in proper handling procedures
- Do not store bottles, cans or glasses in the ice intended for human consumption
- Ensure scoop handles are not in contact with ice
- Vacuum-packing machines
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- Follow the manufacturer’s guidance and service it regularly
- Change the oil as necessary
- Regularly check seals and replace them if they are damaged to prevent a poor vacuum
- Do not dual-use machines. If you use a vacuum packer for raw meat you can't use it next for ready-to-eat foods
- If you buy a second hand machine, check its history. If it was used for raw foods and you want to use for ready-to-eat foods, you will need to dismantle it for cleaning and disinfection
- Packaging specifications for bags
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- Make sure they are puncture proof
- Make sure they meet your temperature specification such as for sous-vide cooking
- Check that they are heat sealable
- Ensure they are suitable for food use
- Shelf life of vacuum packed foods
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- The spores of Clostridium and Bacillus species are heat resistant and grow in the absence of oxygen
- To prevent bacteria growth follow a maximum shelf life of 10 days for vacuum-packed products stored at 3-8°C
- A chilled shelf life of 10 days or more is permitted if one or more of the following are met:
- pH of 5 or less throughout the product
- Aw of 0.97 or less throughout the product
- Heat treatment of 90°C for 10 minutes or equivalent throughout the product
- Salt of 3.5% (aq) or greater throughout the product
- Any combination of factors proven to inhibit growth or toxin production by C. botulinum
Read more about vacuum packed foods.
The Food Standards Agency offers information on vacuum packing.
- Sous vide waterbath
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Cleaning:
- Use potable water as heat transfer media
- Discard water and clean waterbath after every use
- If possible, put equipment through a hot dishwasher cycle
Cooking:
- Sous vide or “under vacuum” processes commonly feature cooking at lower temperatures over extended periods than often found in commercial settings.
- If the process is defined as critical to food safety, then a suitable time/temperature combination must be achieved
The table below shows exerts of time/temperature controls for Listeria monocytogenes.
Temperature at the slowest heating point (°C) Time (minimum) 60 43.48 65 9.30 70 2.00 75 26 seconds 80 26 seconds The table below shows E.coli 0157 time/temperature controls.
Temperature (°C) Time (minimum) 60 93 minutes 65 13.6 minutes 70 2 minutes 75 18 seconds 80 3 seconds Calculating cooking time:
Time to waterbath equilibration + Time to thermal centre of product achieving cooking temperature + Desired cooking time = Total time a product should be placed in the waterbath
This could be done once for each recipe mimicking a “worst case scenario” and then checked using a calibrated temperature probe each time the product is prepared.
When to do temperature measurements:
- At the start of the sous-vide to check water temperature
- At the start of cooking time to make sure thermal centre (the middle of the thickest part) of the product is at desired temperature
- During process to check water temperature
- Check thermal centre at end of process to confirm temperature has been maintained
All process temperatures should be measured at the thermal centre of the product. The coolest part of a product during cooking, usually the middle of the thickest part of the product.
Take into account:
- The time it takes for the water in the bath to reach the desired temperature after putting the product in the water
- How long it takes for the product to reach correct temperature at the core
- When checking the product temperature, you will need to use expanding foam tape and a needle nose thermometer to ensure bag integrity is maintained
Calibration:
- All instrumentation should be of sufficient accuracy and precision – minimum of ± 1°C, preferably ± 0.5°C
- Calibration frequency for working thermometers should be at least annually.
- Valid calibration certificates should be kept on file for all instrumentation used in the validation of heat-chill processes
- Boiling water vs. Iced water “Calibration” is not sufficient to accurately calibrate a needle nose probe thermometer.
Last updated: 8 August 2025