# Opening a new restaurant...essential kitchen tools list



## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

You guys want to help me compile a list of items needed for opening a kitchen from scratch? Talking like non-culinary items mostly (mop, mop heads, mop bucket, etc) 

Obviously I have a pretty good idea what we'll need, but thought you guys might have some ideas on easy to overlook things, or kind of things that are easy to forget until you need them. 

Thoughts are appreciated. 

If you guys want to throw cooking tools into the mix too (ladles, pans, spatulas, etc) then I'm game as well. 

Thanks


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## soesje (Dec 6, 2012)

*raises eyebrow*

oh SURE …….

what about

RESEARCH

or

GOOOOOOOOOGLE?

always glad to help.


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

I always just divide it up into categories like Sanitation, Hot Line, Utinsels, Dry Storage etc, then start

brainstorming lists. You've prob done the same already, so maybe if you posted your lists, you could

fill in the gaps while avoiding dozens of repeats.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Soesje said:


> *raises eyebrow*
> 
> oh SURE …….
> 
> ...


Do you mean research like posting on a chef's forum, for chef's, by chef's, and seeking advice from people who've gone through the experience before?

If you have something useful to contribute I'm all ears. 


Meezenplaz said:


> I always just divide it up into categories like Sanitation, Hot Line, Utinsels, Dry Storage etc, then start
> 
> brainstorming lists. You've prob done the same already, so maybe if you posted your lists, you could
> 
> fill in the gaps while avoiding dozens of repeats.


Yeah, I've got a pretty good idea of most of the obvious stuff. I was looking for things more along the line of stuff that you might not necessarily think about until you don't have it. Like, an oyster shucker or something (not that though lol).

I don't wanna post my lists because that would require me typing them up and uploading, etc. Don't want to do that right now lol. But I get your point


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## chef torrie (Mar 1, 2011)

Palette knives 
Bus tubs
Tray stands if desired 
Squeegee
Sharpies 
Thermometers
File cabinet
Hang folders
Portfolio folders
Host/hostess mat for table sections
Reservation book
Pens/pencils
Plenty of scrubbies and scotch Brite
Paper clips 
Post it's
Coffee Filters 
White board 
Dry erase markers
Index cards 
Tweezeers
channel locks 
pliars 
Pastry bag
Plenty of paper
Batteries
Tape of all sorts
Push pins / thumb tacs
Wooden dowels
Bandaids/first aid
Heavy rubber gloves
Plunger
Scented aerosol spray for bathrooms 
Garden hose
Tooth picks
Rubber bands


A lot of this stuff probably sounds obvious and stupid, but as you said sometimes the easy stupid sh!t is the stuff that you overlook. So all of this stuff are things that I have needed at some point at the shop. I'm sure I'll think of more stuff that I'll add. 

Cheers, Torrie


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## grande (May 14, 2014)

Deck brush
Rolling cart of some sort
Bustubs
Soap dispensers
Light bulbs
Garbage bags
Basic stuff, but...


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Perfect guys, keep it coming--thanks


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## rbrad (Apr 29, 2011)

You'll always forget something........if you are in a situation where you can walk through your last kitchen then go everywhere and look at everything.If not then go with a few people including the front of house manager to your suppliers on a slower day and walk up and down every aisle.The salesperson or rep will probably go with you and write everything down and go over it with you later......if not carry notepads and compare later.Make a master list for the next time you need to do it.It can be overwhelming so it's a good idea to take pictures of plates,cutlery,glass wear,etc. and look the next day to see if it's what you really want.Use something like a sharpie in the photos for scale.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

ticket wheel

pick up bell

clock


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## capecodchef (Jan 19, 2014)

Stove. Maybe an oven.....and oh yeah, a dishwasher is not a bad idea. Plus a zester. I'd be lost without a decent zester.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Thanks again all. It IS a bit overwhelming, comes with the territory, I know. With such a huge amount of stuff to buy it would be easy to overlook a few things, so like I said, I thought I would ask you guys for some of the more out of the way type stuff.


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## chef torrie (Mar 1, 2011)

Scissors
Timers


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## sugarcrystals (Mar 30, 2014)

Congratulations!!!!

What type of restaurant are you opening?


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## rouxrobot (Feb 20, 2014)

My recommendation would be to get a catalog from whatever company you order from, go through the whole thing and circle or write down everything you think you might need. It may be a bit tedious as they can get kind of thick but there is usually a lot of stuff in there you wouldn't normally think about or might skip over.


> You'll always forget something........if you are in a situation where you can walk through your last kitchen then go everywhere and look at everything.If not then go with a few people including the front of house manager to your suppliers on a slower day and walk up and down every aisle.The salesperson or rep will probably go with you and write everything down and go over it with you later......if not carry notepads and compare later.Make a master list for the next time you need to do it.It can be overwhelming so it's a good idea to take pictures of plates,cutlery,glass wear,etc. and look the next day to see if it's what you really want.Use something like a sharpie in the photos for scale.


This is also a good idea.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

SugarCrystals said:


> Congratulations!!!!
> 
> What type of restaurant are you opening?


Thanks...I'm going to be CDC of a farm to table restaurant. Very, very excited. First time head chef. Thanks again for all the info everyone.


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

A tamis and chinois mousseline and a chinois gros.


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## chef torrie (Mar 1, 2011)

Someday said:


> Thanks...I'm going to be CDC of a farm to table restaurant. Very, very excited. First time head chef. Thanks again for all the info everyone.


Congratulations on the place, as well as your first Head Chef role. As you know it will be a $h!T ton of work, but it seems as if your up to the challenge. The farm to table idea is always a good one iIf the resources are available and of quality. Congrats again and best of luck on this endeavor


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Chef Torrie said:


> Congratulations on the place, as well as your first Head Chef role. As you know it will be a $h!T ton of work, but it seems as if your up to the challenge. The farm to table idea is always a good one iIf the resources are available and of quality. Congrats again and best of luck on this endeavor


Thanks!

We're cooking all our items sous vide, so it'll be a lot less work. (haha just kidding)

Seriously, thanks for the help. I've got several months to get my ducks in a row, but I thought I'd start compiling lists early and often. Any more contributions would be welcome.


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## chef torrie (Mar 1, 2011)

Someday said:


> Thanks!
> 
> We're cooking all our items sous vide, so it'll be a lot less work. (haha just kidding)
> 
> Seriously, thanks for the help. I've got several months to get my ducks in a row, but I thought I'd start compiling lists early and often. Any more contributions would be welcome.


You almost gave me a heart attack! Sous Vide foie baby!

All joking aside, if you ever need any advice or just a good vent once in a while, start a thread or shoot me a PM. I have gotten a lot of great advice from this community. A lot of good people here.

I know it's early, but do you have any clue on what your menu is going to look like ?


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## beastmasterflex (Aug 14, 2013)

Good luck sounds like it will be a fulfilling gig. 

De buyer pans.

Salmon/ham slicer

I might add though that the success of a place often hinges more on what you can learn to do without.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Thanks again guys.

Menu will come together in a few months. Have a lot of work to do with sourcing items, meeting with farmers, getting a sense of what is available. It will be creative, seasonal food but at a price point that encourages multiple visits. Know that is vague. Grass fed beef, local pork/lamb, east coast seafood (oysters, clams, etc). House made sausages, pasta, all that stuff. 

Looks like we'll be opening late summer, so peak time of year for a lot of stuff up here in NE. Getting very excited.


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## ljokjel (Jul 1, 2009)

Should consider a Thermomix.
As well what is called a Superbag here in Spain. Maybe its got a different name in the U.S.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

ESSENTIAL kitchen list guys...ESSENTIAL. 

I suppose I could make a new "wishlist" category and add a thermomix and de buyer pans to it, but I somehow don't think that's in the budget. Thanks though


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

fire

water

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/peace.gif


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## chef torrie (Mar 1, 2011)

Someday, roughly where abouts are you here in New England?


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