EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE, EQUIPMENT CLEANING AND SANITIZING.

 Main Purpose: -
 All Kitchen/Food Production facility and equipment will be maintained, cleaned
and sanitized on a regular basis to ensure the safety of the food prepared and
served to customers.
 The Kitchen Staff/Chefs who use such equipment will be responsible for washing
and sanitizing removable parts after each use. Equipment that handles potentially
hazardous or easily contaminated foods is cleaned at least every eight hours. 

 Kitchen Equipment Maintenance Standard Procedures: -

 Ensure that all hand washing sink areas are supplied with soap dispensers and
disposable towels or functioning air dryers at all times.
 Maintain walk-in and deep freezer facilities so that they function properly and are
clean.
 See Temperature Record for Freezer, Temperature Record for
Freezer/Refrigerators, and Temperature Record for Refrigerator.
 Take temperatures routinely of water used in the kitchen to ensure that hot
(minimum 45º Celsius) and cold (20º Celsius) running water is available at all
sinks.
 Check to make sure that there is no possibility of back siphon age in the kitchen
sinks and drains.
 Check to make sure that all food waste and rubbish are stored in rodent and
insect proof containers with tight-fitting lids.
 Make sure that temperatures of all cooling equipment are taken and recorded
routinely to ensure proper calibration of thermometers and proper equipment
operation.
 Make sure that temperatures of all heating equipment are taken and recorded
routinely to ensure proper functioning and thermometer calibration.
 Record temperatures of holding equipment at least daily to ensure proper
functioning and calibration.
 Monitor the maintenance of ventilation systems, ensuring that systems are
adequate and regularly cleaned according to the recommended schedule.
 Assure all equipment in the kitchen area is well maintained.
 The executive chef should make sure to contract with an equipment repair
company to have preventive maintenance done for all equipment, including
calibration of cooking equipment.
 The kitchen staff or the engineering team should make sure to log all preventative
and repair work maintenance.
  Review temperature logs to ensure that they are being done and to determine
problem areas.

 The Executive Chef or Sous Chef should follow up on any equipment issues or

needs.
 Maintain all facility and equipment documentation with HACCP records.
 
 Kitchen Equipment Cleaning and Sanitising:-

 All equipment used in the kitchen area should be washed, rinsed, and sanitized
after each use to ensure the safety of food served to customers.
 Make sure to disassemble removable parts from equipment.
 Use the three-sink method to wash, rinse, and sanitize all parts.
 Verify sanitizer concentration for each meal period and as necessary per policy.
 Wash, rinse, and sanitize all food contact surfaces of the equipment that is
stationary.
 Allow all parts of the equipment to air dry.
 Make sure to re-assemble the equipment once dried.

 Guidelines to Maintain Equipment’s

 Well-functioning equipment is important in order for a cafe to be successful. Your

equipment determines and guides the operations of the entire business. Lack of
maintenance can lead to equipment malfunction in the long run. This, in turn,
reduces your profit margins, decreases equipment performance and increases
wastage. You can also incur huge losses, especially if the equipment breaks down
during peak hours or right before you open.
 To avoid these problems, it is important to ensure that your café equipment is
regularly maintained at all times.

 Benefits of Commercial Kitchen Equipment Maintenance: -

 Save Money
1. For a cafe to be successful, there must be a cost-effective approach to running it.
Cafe equipment is extremely expensive, and you cannot afford to ignore
maintenance. In most cases, larger repairs are not covered under warranty, so you
will end up having to spend your own money on repairs. Regular maintenance
ensures your equipment is working well and any issues are sorted out early
enough to prevent major damages.
2. In the long run, maintaining your cafe equipment on a regular basis will save you
money and will save you from having to deal large repairs. In addition, poorly
maintained cafe equipment tends to consume more energy which raises your
 energy bills. When you maintain your cafe equipment, it lasts longer. Meaning
you don’t have to regularly spend your income on purchasing new equipment.

 Boost and Maintain Food Quality

1. The condition of your cafe equipment also determines the quality of food. Even if
you have hired the best chefs but use poorly upheld equipment, your food quality
will fail to meet the required standards. This can have a negative impact on your
business as badly prepared food leads to loss of customers.
2. To survive in this industry, you have to do everything possible to ensure the
quality of your food remains superior compared to your competitors. With well-
maintained equipment, you can be assured your food is safe for your customers.

 Improve Speed of Operations

1. A cafe kitchen is a busy place. It must have rapid turn times in order to keep up
with customers and orders. Poorly upheld equipment significantly slows down the
operations of your kitchen. Depreciated equipment slows down the preparation of
food.
2. The quality of your cafe subsequently also slows down and can make you lose
customers, which translates into the loss of revenue. To ensure that this doesn’t
happen, make sure your cafe equipment is looked after to improve efficiency in
operations.

 ROI on Old Kitchen Equipment:-

1. Each machine in your cafe is supposed to serve you adequately and help you
get the required revenue for your business. A time comes when you have to
get rid of your old machinery and replace it with new equipment. When
equipment is well maintained, it will not only serve you for a long period but
will fetch a good price on the market as compared to damaged machinery.
 Extended Equipment Service: -
1. When equipment is used on a daily basis, wear and tear is bound to happen.
But with regular maintenance, commercial kitchen equipment can be kept in
good condition. It helps prevent premature damage.
2. Maintenance lengthens the lifespan of your cafe equipment and slows down
the depreciation rate. Regular care of minor damages helps to prevent a major
breakdown, which will end up costing you a lot of money to fix. In addition,
regular maintenance takes care of minor damages which help to avert
damages that can cause hazards.
  Improved Health and Hygiene:-
1. Without proper hygiene and cleanliness, a cafe may get shut down. Regular
cafe equipment maintenance requires frequent sanitization. This ensures food
hygiene remains at the highest standard. Additionally, regular cafe equipment
maintenance helps your business comply and abide by health codes set by
regulatory authorities that emphasize cafe clean-up and maintenance.
 Reduced Fire Risk
1. A commercial kitchen cafe is always exposed to the risk of catching fire,
especially when routine equipment maintenance is not carried out. When
checked regularly, equipment remains in the right condition which helps to
safeguard the kitchen against fire hazards.

 Cafe Equipment Maintenance Checklist: -

 After understanding the importance of regularly maintaining your kitchen
equipment, the following are handy tips of where you should focus on when
carrying out maintenance practices.
1. Cleaning of the Vent, Hood, and Duct
The hood, vent, and duct should be cleaned regularly to get rid of grease from
various parts of the structures. For excellent results, the clean-up should be carried
out by a qualified contractor at least twice per year. In between, cafe staff can be
trained to clean the visible parts to prevent dirt from accumulating.

2. Cleaning of Grease Filters

Grease filters collect grease from vapours that travel through the duct. Even
though grease filters simplify cleaning of the duct, they need to be cleaned
regularly to prevent the risk of fires. It is recommended to clean grease filters at
least once every week especially for commercial kitchens that prepare greasy
foods.

3. Inspection of the Deep Fat Fryer

The deep fat fryer must be regularly maintained to safeguard against any fire
hazards. Regular maintenance as per the manufacturer’s instructions recommends
daily cleaning. In addition, a qualified contractor should come in to examine the
deep fryer as there are sections that can’t be accessed by unqualified staff.
 4. Automatic Extinguishing Systems Service
For safety purposes, an automatic extinguishing system should always be in good
condition. For this reason, the system should be regularly inspected by qualified
personnel at least twice a year.

 What to Know for Maintaining Cafe Equipment?

 Refer to the manual in order to understand maintenance procedures.
 Find out the details of the warrant including the period the warrant is valid
 Train your employees on how to properly use cafe equipment and carry out
simple tasks such as cleaning and basic maintenance.
 Maintain a regular cafe equipment cleaning schedule
 Avoid doing it yourself unless you know what you’re doing. You are better off
calling an expert.

Maintaining your cafe equipment is one of the best ways of keeping your cafe profitable, safe,
and attractive to clients. Try to organize a maintenance schedule to keep on top of your
equipment.

Note:-For any issue related equipment’s like fridge, oven, sandwich griller etc, we have to report
the complaint to maintenance team available on floor. Before starting the work have to check
area, floor equipment cleaning and maintain the sanitizing on regular basis.