The handbook · Build the place
Machines and equipment
A kitchen needs fewer machines than you think, but the right machines. Here is the list, the prices and the purchases you should think twice about.
Summary
The basic equipment for a small restaurant kitchen costs 50,000 to 250,000 kronor used and 200,000 to 600,000 kronor new. Stainless steel benches, fridges and pot washing gear are best bought used. A combi oven, a fryer and a dishwasher are often worth buying new or leasing, because service and uptime matter most there.
Numbers to plan with
- 50,000 to 250,000 SEK
- used basic equipment for a smaller kitchen
- Half the price
- is what used stainless steel usually costs compared to new
- Three phase
- power is needed for fryer, oven and dishwasher. Check the fuse first.
- 15 years
- is how long a stainless steel bench lasts. A cheap fryer lasts two.
The basic equipment in a small kitchen
The list below is enough for a grill, a lunch restaurant or a takeaway with 40 to 120 portions a day. Expand when the volume demands it, not before.
| Machine | Used | New |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge and refrigerated bench | 8,000 to 25,000 kr | 20,000 to 60,000 kr |
| Freezer | 5,000 to 15,000 kr | 12,000 to 35,000 kr |
| Stove or induction hob | 6,000 to 20,000 kr | 18,000 to 60,000 kr |
| Fryer, double | 6,000 to 15,000 kr | 15,000 to 45,000 kr |
| Contact grill or griddle | 5,000 to 18,000 kr | 15,000 to 50,000 kr |
| Combi oven | 25,000 to 60,000 kr | 70,000 to 200,000 kr |
| Hood dishwasher | 12,000 to 30,000 kr | 35,000 to 90,000 kr |
| Stainless steel benches and shelves | 6,000 to 20,000 kr | 20,000 to 60,000 kr |
| Refrigerated display or salad bar | 10,000 to 25,000 kr | 25,000 to 70,000 kr |
| Small tools and containers | 8,000 to 15,000 kr | 15,000 to 30,000 kr |
New, used or leased
Stainless steel does not rust. A bench from 2009 is as good as one from this year, if it is intact. Electronics and refrigeration units are another matter, there you pay to avoid downtime.
- Buy used: benches, shelves, sinks, gastro containers, pots, chairs and tables
- Buy new or lease: combi oven, dishwasher, refrigeration unit and the cash register
- Bankruptcy auctions give the best price, but everything is sold as it stands. Bring someone who can judge the refrigeration.
- Always ask for service records on used refrigeration machines
- Measure the door before you buy. Plenty of people have had to carry an oven in through a window.
Plan the flow before you buy
A kitchen that is planned right means two people are enough where three would otherwise be needed. Draw the path the food takes before you decide where the machines go.
The flow should run one way: delivery, cold storage, prep, cooking and service. Dirty dishes must never cross finished food.
- Put the fridge close to the prep bench, not at the other end of the kitchen
- Put the hand wash basin where the staff actually walk past
- Count on at least 90 centimeters of walkway behind the person standing at the grill
- Give the dish area its own way in and its own way out with clean ware
- Draw it on paper and go through it with the person who will cook
Common questions
What is the smallest possible set of equipment to open with?
A fridge, a freezer, one heat source, a stainless steel bench, a hand wash basin, some way to wash up and cold storage for finished food. Everything else can be added later. Many grills start with a griddle, a fryer and two fridges.
Can I buy kitchen equipment from abroad?
Yes, but check the CE marking, the voltage and that there is service in Sweden. A cheap oven with no Swedish dealer gets expensive the day a circuit board fails.
Do I need a combi oven?
Not if you grill and deep fry. If you bake, cook stews or run a lunch buffet it saves both time and staff. A used combi oven with service records is one of the best buys in the whole kitchen.
What should I look at when I buy a used fridge?
Start it and let it run for an hour. Measure the temperature, listen to the compressor and look for ice on the back panel. Ask how old it is and when it was last serviced. The refrigeration unit is what breaks, not the metal.