How to Increase Efficiency with Commercial Kitchen Shelving and Storage Racks

Having a commercial kitchen means that you have a lot of things to manage from food, appliances to kitchen shelves, and racks. The commercial kitchen is a crucial area whenever you open a restaurant or a small pub. It is necessary to organize cookware, food items, and other equipment to work efficiently.

Regular cleaning and maintenance of the catering equipment are some of the most significant investments. You can maximize your storage space by organizing racks and shelves smartly. It will help you in finding any equipment at the time of hurry. The kitchen shelving and storage racks will also increase the efficiency of the chefs and other restaurant workers.

In the following write-up, we will understand the ways to manage the commercial kitchen and increase efficiency. We will discuss some of the kitchen shelving options to keep the food supplies, cookware, utensils, and much more. We will help you to manage and optimize your kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Shelving and Storage Racks

There is a wide range of products that comes in kitchen storage and shelving. Many manufacturers provide storage racks in different materials for vegetables, cooking pots, cans, clean dishes, etc., in different environments. It is easy to pick anything from the shelf and keep it after use. It will help in organizing your kitchen equipment very well.

Kitchen shelves are available in different materials like stainless steel, aluminum, epoxy-coated, chrome wire, polymer, antimicrobial, and much more. You can prefer racks according to the type of storage, like moist, wet, humid, cold, hot, etc. Some materials are corrosion-resistant that is good for humid and moist storage like epoxy-coated, polymer, steel, etc.

Let us discuss some of the types of restaurant kitchen shelves and racks.

Solid Shelves

There is no opening on the surface of the shelf. You can store any type of item without any risk of slipping and spilling on the items placed below it. You can clean the shelves easily without maintaining any grids. This type of shelf is suitable for dry storage because there is no ventilation of air in between the shelves.

Vented Shelves

It is best for cold storage because it promotes air circulation through it and adds the product’s shelf life. The visibility to look for the items below the shelf is also clear. You can easily identify what items you have stored easily. The shelf is difficult to clean because it comes with a grid-like structure. There is a higher risk of drips or spills onto lower shelves.

Triangle Shelves

If you want to place a shelf on the tight corners, then you should buy triangle shelves. You cannot lose any valuable storage space. It can also be used as regular rectangular shelves.

Wine Shelving

These shelves are specially designed to keep bottles. It comes with a wave pattern to hold the bottles without any risk of slipping. It helps in preserving the wine quality and also, allows proper air circulation through the shelves. The wire wine rack is inexpensive and helps in maintaining the cool and consistent temperatures.

Wall Mount Shelving

It is an additional storage space that you can make over tables or other work areas. You can keep ingredients like spices, canisters, etc., over it. The shelf is helpful if you want to take any item frequently. You can get such a type of shelf in different lengths and widths. Similarly, there are microwave shelves to keep small appliances and glass or dish racks for tableware and countertops.

Dunnage Racks

You can keep bulky and heavy ingredients like flour, sugar, rice, etc. The rack is generally made up of aluminum, steel, and polymer. It is a heavy-duty and sturdy type of shelf.

Security Shelving

If you want to protect sensitive or delicate items like high-quality liquor. You can lock it and view all the items from its wired structure.

High-Density Shelving

It is a great shelving unit to minimize your kitchen space. It is a traditional storage space along with a movable aisle. You can mount any number of shelves and roll it from one side to another. It can be used where there is a tremendous amount of stuff in a little space.

Cantilever Shelving

The storage space is created by rear support without drilling into the walls. The shelves can be used over countertops or tables to store the items efficiently.

Adjustable Shelving

This is a customizable type of shelf that can display items based on your requirements. It offers flexibility and is suitable for businesses with dynamic product offerings. You can move the shelves up and down according to the size and type of items placed on it.

Kitchen Shelving Accessories

Different accessories enhance the storage spaces of shelves and racks. This additional equipment helps in making the stationary shelf mobile, which can be taken to another location. Here is a list of some shelving accessories, you might require along with shelves and racks.

Shelving Casters

There is a wide range of casters that are available in different diameters and materials. It will convert your shelving unit into a versatile mobile unit.

Wire Label Holders

You can attach a label holder to your shelf. It helps in organizing the items on the shelf. You can write the item name over it so that your employees can easily recognize and identify an item’s location. It will help your employees to work more efficiently.

Wire Storage Baskets

Sometimes, we have small items that cannot be stored on big shelves. There is a risk of losing them because it cannot be tracked. A storage basket can be attached to a wire rack. You can store small items, cooking utensils, serving spoons, and much more.

Wire Dividers

The accessory is available in different sizes and finishes. It helps in dividing small shelves into small sections to keep the items in a more organized way.

Covers

The covers are also available to protect the shelves from dust, water, and other contaminants. You can get covers of different colors, sizes, and materials. It keeps your kitchen shelving safe and increases their life.

Wire Ledges

You can fit the ledges on the boundaries of the shelves to prevent falling of any item. It is a handy accessory, which keeps your items sage and stacked, even at a certain height.

Wire Hanger Tubes

The accessory is necessary if you want to hang aprons, uniforms, etc., on shelves. It will save the storage space of keeping aprons and uniforms.

S Hooks

You can combine two wire shelves by using an S hook. It will help you to create a line of shelves for easy access to corner storage spaces.

Ways to Increase Efficiency with Commercial Kitchen Shelving and Storage Racks

There are different ways to organize and manage your kitchen. The storage racks and shelves need to be installed wisely. Every restaurant or commercial kitchen has a small space, in which you have to manage all the items like cool room, dry store, and many more. You need to understand different ways to optimize your kitchen like:

1. Keep Small Kitchen Gadgets in Reach

You need to install some shelves that help the chef to reach all the food items and cooking gadgets near him. All the gadgets need to be hanged throughout the kitchen’s different stations. It becomes easy to find small items through shelves and cabinets. You can hang utensils like tongs, ladles, strainers, spatulas, whisks, cups, spoons, pots, pans, etc.

You can install a small rack to keep spices and knife holders. If you have a bar, then you can store napkins, straws, glasses, etc. The factor depends on different types of kitchens, cooking stations, and bars. The kitchen members should work smoothly without disturbing anyone.

2. Use of Racks and Shelves

Utilize your kitchen space smartly by installing racks and shelves. In an open space, the kitchen shelving units allow you to keep all types of items. The racks can be stationary or moving. You can buy the required types of shelves for your kitchen. There is a variety of shelves and racks, available in different materials, designs, purposes, and sizes.

You have a shelf for keeping spices and dry ingredients. You can label the ingredients to prevent finding problems and mix-up issues. Other items like bread, oils, canned items, etc., can be placed together. You can arrange different cookware by height, usage, and type on racks. You have to manage all the items according to your needs.

3. Develop Designated Food Stations

You can organize your commercial kitchen by creating different food stations. It helps you to streamline your processes and allows you to access everything with ease.

4. Baking Station

Here, you can do tasks like mixing, rolling, cutting, kneading, etc. You should place a counter of sinks, work tables, etc. The shelves must contain flour, required utensils, knives, spices, cutting boards, etc. The items needed for the baking system should be placed in an organized way.

5. Hot Station

This section consists of cooking equipment like grills, warmers, ranges, and fryers. If you keep these units in a separate space, then it becomes easy to access them without disturbing other things. It will prevent grease and heat that can wear out dishwashers and other refrigeration units.

6. Cold station

The area should be reserved for freezers and refrigerators. Make sure that you keep this section away from the hot station. If both stations are together, then it can affect the temperature of refrigerator units. There are higher chances of grease build-ups that can damage the condensers.

7. Cleaning Station

It is a separate section for cleaning pans, dishes, and other utensils. Space should have multiple dishwashers and sinks, along with many kitchen shelving units. The racks should be there to keep scrubbing pads, soaps, detergents, and other brushes.

8. Other Stations

You can create other small sections in your kitchen like salads, desserts, plating, etc. It will be easy to access everything in different sectors. You can also split a big station into small ones for accomplishing small tasks. It depends on the size of the kitchen, your chefs, and other employees.

9. Organize Refrigeration Units

It is crucial to store items in refrigerators in an organized way. There are several things to keep in a cool room. The food supplies remain fresh and can be used for many days. You can also keep raw meat to increase its shelf life. Make sure that you maintain the temperature of the units so that it does not freeze any item.

Lastly, before we conclude, essential around any kitchen is the equipment you choose.  Norris, a manufacturer of quality commercial dishwashers for over sixty years, wrote an informative checklist on kitchen equipment and other essentials around the commercial kitchen which we recommend you read.

The Bottom Line

Having the right quantity and quality of kitchen shelving and storage racks increases the efficiency of your commercial kitchen. You can work comfortably in the kitchen if you keep all the catering equipment in an organized way. There should be different sections to manage the cooking of food, storing vegetables and raw ingredients, refrigerating, cleaning, baking, etc.

It is easy to manage lots of utensils, cooking appliances, ingredients, etc., only if you have enough space. You should install kitchen shelves and racks to arrange all the goods according to the size, weight, requirement, and other factors. If you want to optimize your restaurant or commercial kitchen, then you should follow the given guidelines and buy the required accessories.