The Ideal Time To Replace Restaurant Equipment

If you own a restaurant, then you know that the worst thing that can happen is the failure of any piece of your kitchen equipment right in the middle of preparing orders. Commercial kitchen appliance can do that, unfortunately. So, what can you do to protect yourself and the image of your restaurant from unexpected breakdowns?

The best option would be to know when it’s the time to replace the old with a new commercial kitchen appliance. This way you can have enough time to prepare for the change.

1. When the cost of repairs go beyond the cost of buying a new commercial kitchen appliance.

When you start calling the repair guy too often, know it is time for a replacement. This goes for home kitchen appliances as well. Here is an example of why. Let’s say you bought a stove for about $5,000 (7 years ago), and you have to pay over $1,000 for a single repair (service fee not included), and you need to buy a spare part for another $1,000… well, you do the math. The point is, if repair costs you more than the actual product, it is better to replace it with a new one, or you are going to end up spending a lot more.

2. No utility savings?

When you notice that your utility bills keep increasing each month, know your equipment is no longer energy-efficient as it used to be and the logical thing to do is to buy a new one. It’s insanity to keep using kitchen equipment that costs you too much, instead of saving you money. After all, buying new restaurant equipment is the main investment in running a restaurant. Today’s modern technology allows commercial kitchen appliance to pay for itself through utility savings.

3. It’s a question of a lifespan

Nothing lasts forever. Neither does restaurant equipment. Eventually, you are going to have to replace it because of two possible reasons: major parts are irreparably broken; or there is a new modern version that just makes your older equipment look like a huge expense and nothing more.

4. 2-in-1 combination

As mentioned before, thanks to today’s modern technology, new kitchen appliances are energy-efficient and most come with a 2-in-1 feature. The higher the energy-efficiency, the lower the monthly energy bills. The same goes for the 2-in-1 feature. For instance, instead of using commercial food steamer and a convection oven separately, get a combi oven. Not only will you save on your kitchen space, but more importantly, you will save money as you will no longer have to power two units.

To sum it all up, there really isn’t any standard guideline to tell you when to replace your restaurant equipment. Having in mind the sensitivity of this issue, you need to estimate the situation in advance to prevent downtime. When you decide that it’s time to buy a new commercial kitchen appliance, look for a company/retailer that guarantees high quality.