Tools for Saving Time & Money in the Commercial Kitchen

Slower months are a great time to rethink how you might save money on labor in the kitchen. We all know time is money which is why food prep equipment plays such a big role in your labor costs. 

We’ve gathered a few of our favorite labor-saving tools from the best brands in commercial kitchen equipment.  These tools will have you turning prep time from hours to minutes.

From salsa to soup to refried beans, immersion blenders can save you time and labor. If you haven’t used one yet, they have a blender blade on the end, so you can put it right in the product, saving time in transferring from one container to another. For big batches, a heavy-duty tool like the Robot Coupe MP450 Turbo Hand Mixer makes all the difference. Its 18-inch stainless steel shaft, comfort grip and self-regulation system allow you to make up to 100 quarts in a fraction of the time. The mixer comes apart easily for cleaning as well.  

Food prep blenders, like the Vita-Prep, are more specialized for food than standard beverage blenders and are great for making small batches of salsa or sauces daily or every shift which taste better than ingredients that have been sitting in the refrigerator a few days. With the Vita-Prep’s 2.3 horsepower motor, rubber-grip handle and locking lid, you can prep fresh batches quickly – saving money on labor and waste.  

Heavy-duty champions, like the Robot Coupe R2 Dicer, make slicing, dicing, shredding and pureeing faster than ever. Its S-blade and continuous-feed head means there’s no need to waste time pre-cutting.  

If you aren’t ready to invest in an electric dicer but still want faster, uniform dicing, try Vollrath’s Insta Cut Dicers. These durable dicers resist corrosion from acidic foods like tomatoes, plus their sturdy base and suction cups make it simple to dice everything from onions to apples in a consistent, customer-pleasing way. Learn more about this tool in our review.  

Manual gravity slicers can be a big help to any kitchen. If you are looking for fresh sliced products, these can be used not only for deli meats and cheeses but everything from steaks and pork chops to fresh vegetables. The Globe G12 slices high volumes of meat, cheese or vegetables to any thickness level with consistency and ease. Designed to handle up to 4 hours of cutting at a time, you can make large quantities of ingredients or to-go sandwiches in advance.  

From dicing, slicing, blending, mixing, and yes, these things can julienne, too. As mentioned before, these tools will help decrease food waste and save up to four hours (or more) of labor used for prepping. What does that mean in dollars? Let’s do the math:

That gives you $280 to cushion your rushes, extra cleaning, an extra hand during inventory, or you can keep for your bottom line.

For more ways to save money on labor in the kitchen, reach out to our  Curtis Consultants.  They have the knowledge and passion to help make the most of your kitchen’s budget and time.