Sharing Knowledge & Facts

With respiratory health and hand hygiene going hand in hand, hand sanitizers are playing a huge role in today’s day and age. Of late, the huge demand for sanitizers had pushed it into short supply. Sensing this, subsequently there was a boost in production restoring supply and newer brands were introduced into the market.

In a way it is great news for consumers like you and me, as we get a lot more choice in terms of brands, price points, etc. On the contrary, it also means a lot of spurious or fake sanitizers circulating in the market masquerading as the real thing.

Now how do you weed out the fake from the real?

Points to consider before selecting a hand sanitizer

1.       Methanol or methyl alcohol

One way to know is the type of alcohol being used. Alcohol, as ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol, needs to be in at least 60% proportion to make an alcohol based sanitizer effective. However, some ‘makers’ use methanol, the cheaper and toxic alcohol instead.

Methanol if ingested unknowingly can prove to be poisonous and highly toxic for the body.

 2.       Lacking FDA approval

Makers of sanitizers must have a set of permissions in place from the concerned authorities before beginning production. This means approval of the formula used in the sanitizer, approval of the manufacturing facilities and mandatory quality checks.

You know you can smell a rat when your sanitizer bottle is not displaying any of the information on the ingredients, license number, manufacturing facility address, etc.

 3.       Diluting and Mixing of Ingredients

A few of these sanitizers may also be sold by back-alley operators peddling spurious products involving plastic bottles, plastered with fake labels and bulk-bought sanitizers diluted with water or coloured liquids. These products can either prove to be ineffective or have higher toxicity.

 Since we often use sanitizers at home and with children around, we need to be very careful of the type of sanitizer we buy. Keeping all the important points in mind, Tiffy and Toffee has come up with a brand new range of sanitizers with an FDA approved formula, manufactured in a WHO GMP approved and certified manufacturing facility. It is safe for children as well as adults. Keep your family’s hands protected from germs as well as moisturized for a long time.

It's important to ensure that the employees in your restaurant’s kitchen have a clean and safe environment to work in. While there are a lot of different things you can do or purchase to ascertain utmost safety in your commercial kitchen, we feel investing in a good commercial exhaust hood is one of the best decisions you, as a restaurateur, can take.

Let’s have a look at the benefits of investing in a good commercial exhaust hood.

Keeps the Air Clean: Cooking for hours in a commercial kitchen, your employees are bound to face an issue with smoke and other fumes emanating from the process. There is a possibility of carbon monoxide getting released in the kitchen while cooking. The most important benefit of an exhaust hood placed above your commercial kitchen equipment, is that it removes potentially toxic pollutants and gases from the air.

Removes Excess Heat: In a commercial kitchen, stoves and ovens running for around 9 to 12 hours a day at a stretch can build excessive heat. According to commercial kitchen equipment manufacturers, another great benefit of commercial exhaust hood is that it helps remove excess heat from the kitchen, ensuring that your chefs are not confined to a hot, muggy and crammed environment.

Cooking Comfortably: Everybody loves to have a clean and comfortable kitchen for cooking. An exhaust hood in a kitchen reduces the effects of nasty odors and excessive heating. This helps a chef to feel the joy of cooking and prepares delicious foods.

Better Lighting in your Commercial Kitchen: Nobody would like to work in a dull and dimly lit kitchen. Apart from being good for your kitchen and your employees' health, the lighting in the exhaust hood will also help in speeding up things in a demanding commercial kitchen.

Until now gas has outperformed all electric cooking range. Restaurateurs have always thought of gas cooking as a safe option and never actually looked beyond this traditional cooking method, but the thing about technology is that it never ceases to amaze you.

In today’s fast growing world, Induction is the best cooking technology that offers all benefits of saving energy, enhancing cooking speed, automation and safety. Yes! Who better than the best manufacture of induction cooking equipment would know about the drawbacks of cooking with a gas range? They are the ones who have to face the brunt of hundreds of restaurateurs.

Let's have a look at the pros of Induction Cooking:

Fast Preparation: Have you ever seen a pot boil so quickly in a traditional gas commercial cooking range? In induction cooking equipment, the metal of the pot becomes the heating agent instead of the medium. This ensures that the heat directly reaches your food and save your precious cooking time.

Clean Cooking: Grease patches on the preparation table of a five-star hotel is definitely not a pretty sight. Induction cooking equipment ensures that your kitchen remains spick-and-span even after 10 hours of cooking.

Cost-efficient: Gas prices are increasing every day and, indirectly, this has resulted in the increase of the expense of almost every commercial food joint. So why not reduce the expense by using an alternate source of power and an induction cooking range that is more effective than gas. These compact cooking ranges also fit within your commercial kitchen plan.

Investment Recovery: Induction cooking equipment helps you recover your investment within 2-3 years and gain you profits that you had set out to achieve while chalking out a commercial kitchen plan.

Eco-friendly: In wake of recent events that have led to serious damage to our planet, induction cooking equipment manufacturers take extra effort in ensuring that their products are equipped with a good exhaust system with zero carbon emission technology.

It's Cool: Induction cooktop stops heating as soon as the induction vessel is moved from the cooktop, thus preventing your employees from getting injured in the kitchen.

That being said, gas cooking is never really a bad option and it's up to you to decide what is best for your commercial kitchen. When it comes to commercial kitchen induction cooktop has many benefits.

Common commercial kitchen equipment such as sharp knives, hot water pots, big ovens are some of the safety risks present in your kitchen. As a chef, if you take that extra care, you will not only save yourself from getting injured, but also be able to contribute towards food and kitchen safety.

Let's have a look at some of the safety tips that you should most definitely follow while working in a commercial kitchen:

Wash Hands Regularly: All commercial kitchen employees should wash their hands thoroughly with soap or sanitizer, before and after preparing, cooking and serving a dish. You obviously don't want the harmful bacteria to transfer in the food.  Your commercial kitchen plan must have enough space allocated for a hand sink.

Cook food at the right temperature: The way we cook our food is an important aspect to be considered. Cross contamination from raw to cooked foods and inadequate cooking can cause various problems. It is advised to cook food at a temperature of at least 75 °C or hotter. Cooked food should be served promptly.

Use Gloves: You simply cannot work in a bakery which does not have enough gloves in their pantry for their employees’ safety. Huge ovens are impossible to handle without good quality gloves.

Tip: The basic first-aid after a minor burn is to run it over cold tap water. You should also apply ice to prevent any permanent burn marks.

Fire and Evacuation Drill: This is something all new recruits should compulsorily go through before they start operating any restaurant kitchen equipment in a commercial kitchen. It is also advisable to distribute a copy of the drill manual to all employees of the restaurant.

Operate the Equipment Safely: Read all instructions carefully mentioned in the manual or on the packaging box. Some food processors are a bit difficult to operate, and if you have any doubts about them, then immediately contact their customer care department for assistance. Also, please don't forget to use the correct protective gear while operating any hotel kitchen equipment.

Planning to open your own restaurant? Then purchasing quality commercial kitchen equipment should be on top of your priority list. Your commercial kitchen is the place where all the magic happens and your exciting food menu comes to life so always go for the best equipment, without compromising on quality.

For any type of restaurant kitchen is the heart and it needs to be maintained hygienically. Also proper care must be taken to avoid accidents.

Let’s have a look at the 6 Essential Equipment for Your Commercial Kitchen:

Cooking Equipment: The basic and most essential thing in your commercial kitchen should be your cooking equipment. Indian/Continental gas ranges, tandoors, ovens, etc are the things that come under the cooking equipment category. 

Tip: Every cuisine has different set of commercial kitchen equipment requirements and that list will only be possible if you decide on the final menu, months before the opening of your restaurant.

Preparation Equipment: Kitchen preparation is the lifeblood of a commercial restaurant. Yes, all professional chefs will agree with this statement. The base of all dishes on the menu is always prepared in advance and kept for resting and fermentation. Always go for easy-to-use mixers, blenders, dough kneaders, grinders; and other commercial kitchen preparation equipment, they will save you precious time in the kitchen.

Refrigerators & Freezers: Good commercial refrigerators and freezers will prevent your food items from perishing quickly and also preserve their freshness. There are different types of refrigerators and freezers available in the market. Choose the one that best suits your commercial kitchen needs.

Service Equipment: Always go for sturdy food service equipment that will be able to meet challenges of a demanding commercial kitchen. Servicing equipment like bain marie counter, display counters, tea coffee dispenser must be purchased in high volume to meet the demand.

Trolleys & Racks: A well-organized kitchen means it has plenty of trolleys and racks in place, for fruits, veggies, spices, utensils and other small utility equipment. Also, it is important to arrange the items as per the requirement. Frequently used items must be reachable and less used items can be kept either on the top or bottom.

Worktables & Sink Unit: Today, commercial kitchen equipment manufacturers offer a lot of customized durable worktables, and that's what you should select for your commercial kitchen.

Sinks are essential for commercial kitchens. They provide you with running water, as well as a washing space which is so important for the hygiene of your kitchen.

Induction Based Equipment: You can also opt for Induction Based Cooking Equipment – a cooking range that offers you all benefits of saving energy, enhancing cooking speed, automation and safety. Using induction based cooking equipment helps to reduce the expense for gas. The efficiency of heating in induction is 50% higher than in gas.

Exhaust Equipment: Exhaust units are essential for removing the moisture and grease from kitchen. Proper kitchen ventilation isn’t just important for getting rid of smells but also a major safety concern in the kitchen.

Setting up a kitchen for your restaurant, canteen or a food truck is a big task. It is important that the restaurant owner, head chef and the architects/designers do a thorough research before investing in good commercial cooking range.

Here are few tips that will help you while purchasing your commercial kitchen equipment:

Commercial Kitchen Plan: An excellent commercial kitchen plan means a hassle-free purchase of equipment from the commercial kitchen equipment manufacturers. You’ll get a fair idea of the product size, the quantity that you want to purchase them in and whether you really need those equipments in your kitchen.

Menu Plan: It's impossible to imagine a Chinese joint's kitchen without large and sturdy woks. Every cuisine has different set of requirements and that list of requirements will only be possible if you have the final menu of the restaurant in hand.

Quality Equipment: Quality always matters! It's useless to go for cheap commercial kitchen refrigerators or commercial cooking range that will go kaput just within one year of its purchase.  

Warranty/After-Sales Service: As a commercial kitchen equipment purchaser, it's important to study the warranty details of commercial kitchen equipment so that you don't miss out on the benefits that come along with it. After-sales service consists of maintenance of equipments (E.g.Restaurant Kitchen Equipments), ensuring extra longevity and smooth functioning of kitchen equipments. Trained technicians come to you to fix, educate, or consult on any commercial kitchen requirements; offering complete satisfaction to any new, potential or existing customers. As commercial kitchen equipment manufacturers, it is a professional commitment towards the value systems that we hold onto, for reputation of renowned brand name, says Shree Manek Kitchen Equipments Pvt. Ltd.

 Buy what you need: The products that you buy should always be worth the investment that you make. Don't clutter your commercial kitchens with equipment that you are never going to use.

Induction Based Cooking Equipment: Did you know? Shree Manek Kitchen is one of the first companies to introduce induction based cooking equipment in the market, for the sole purpose of saving energy, enhancing cooking speed, automation and safety. The basic benefit of cooking under induction is that, the efficiency of heating under induction is 50% higher than in gas based cooking.

Every food establishment is unique and operates differently from others. It is important you make best use of the space available to you to maximize productivity in your commercial kitchen. 

Let’s have a look at the reasons why a good commercial kitchen layout is important:

It Makes Employees Happy: A well-designed commercial kitchen is the one that takes every aspect of food preparation – especially commercial kitchen equipment into consideration. Employees also enjoy working in a well-organized, well thought-out and chef-friendly kitchen. Also remember that, more productive employees are happier employees, and happier employees stick around.  

Perfect Service: A good commercial kitchen layout must guarantee a seamless flow of work, from the preparation area to the dining table; this will only be possible if there is a specific area allocated to the service staff to pickup finished dishes from the customers.

The Flexibility Factor: A change in the menu of the restaurant also means a change in the previously used restaurant kitchen equipment. Your commercial kitchen layout should be the one that allows you more space to make flexible changes in the kitchen.  

Mobility: Employees should be able to move around freely without getting in each other’s way. Of course, a good commercial kitchen plan should take good care of this reality.  

It’s not just about Food: Planning of ventilation, water supply and flooring is also essential to your commercial kitchen design and these need to be a part of your thinking and built in to your costs.

At this phenomenal time of isolation and lockdown due to the pandemic, food services like restaurants, hotels etc needed to close down for some time or their sales had decreased. Because of this, many food administration proprietors may have decided to detach their refrigeration equipment and other electrical kitchen equipment to save energy and decrease the costs incurred due to energy consumption. In these circumstances, there are a couple of simple measures that can be taken to ensure that all the electrical kitchen equipment works appropriately without causing any damage when they are reconnected.

In the event that your kitchen equipment is disengaged and not utilized since many days, here are 6 tips from Shree Manek Kitchen Equipment, the pioneer in world-class manufacturing of commercial kitchen equipment for hospitals, clubs, restaurants, hotels, and so on, having over 40 years of involvement with a wide range of kitchen equipment, refrigeration equipment, induction kitchen equipment, exhaust services.

To ensure that the equipments operate properly, make sure that the evaporators and condensers are clean. Also, get a thorough maintenance of your equipment done before switching them on.

Before restocking your refrigeration cabinet, check if you hear any unusual noise like the compressor of the refrigerator is slugged by liquid or fans are making some unusual sound.

While restarting your equipment after many days, it is possible that it might require some time to arrive at the ideal temperature or there might be a higher consumption of energy. So, before loading your items in undercounter refrigerator, vertical 2-door / 4-door refrigerator, worktop refrigerator or display counter, first ensure that the equipment has accomplished the ideal temperature. This results in letting the temperature stay at the ideal level and keeps the equipment from overloading.

Subsequent to loading all of your items, check the temperature of the equipment again and take a note of the time it took to pull down. Likewise, you might want to record the amp draws on all motors after the cabinet has arrived at its ideal temperature. You ought to likewise review and fix any loosened up electrical connections of all your electric kitchen equipment

When the products are restocked back, do not turn off the equipment immediately.

Also, ensure that the restocked products are at the room temperature and not very warm so that the equipment will not take longer than usual time to reach its ideal temperature.