Commercial Kitchen vs Home Kitchen

The conventional kitchen, or domestic kitchen, is the one that almost anyone has in their home, with appliances designed to prepare dishes – even if they are elaborate – in a family environment. This is why the designs are much more varied in terms of size, colour, structure and functionality. These kitchens are usually designed with the comfort and harmony of the lifestyle of the people who will be living in them in mind.

Industrial kitchen, or commercial, is usually seen in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, school or business dining rooms, shopping malls and similar places, where it is used intensively on a daily basis due to the large amounts of food they produce.

Compared to the domestic version, its design maximizes hygiene and cleaning speed; its stainless steel finish represents greater durability (it can have a life span of up to 20 years, depending on care); it is much more functional because it is built with elements designed to withstand frequent use and under extreme conditions. The equipment is usually purchased in specialized stores and not in appliance shops.

Logically, the first difference we find is the place where these two different culinary spaces are located, since an industrial kitchen is usually installed in places such as restaurants, hotels, caterings, schools or similar places and a domestic kitchen is installed in a house.

This means that an industrial kitchen has to withstand intense work with a very high level of demand for efficiency while a domestic kitchen dedicated to cooking in a family environment does not have that level of demand and has to balance its level of efficiency with an intimate and welcoming environment in tune with the tastes of the inhabitants of the house.

Furthermore, by occupying a predetermined space, it inhibits the versatility and agility of the interior, which is a great disadvantage for a continuous and massive production capacity for a large number of diners. The space of an industrial kitchen will be as wide as possible and with an arrangement and design that allows maximizing the fast and unobstructed transfer between its different areas.

commercial kitchen

This difference in space also means a great difference in infrastructure, since an industrial kitchen will need much more demanding and specific ventilation, hydro-sanitary and electrical installations and supply systems (such as gas) than the standards that can be found in a domestic kitchen.

The materials used in the two spaces also differ greatly. While a domestic kitchen chooses to use ceramic materials (coating) and synthetic or natural materials in its furniture (fornicas, melanins, plastics and wood), in an industrial kitchen, materials that maximize hygiene and quick cleaning must always be used, so stainless steel equipment is usually installed.

Difference between commercial and home kitchen:

A home kitchen, the one we all have at home, is designed to meet the needs of a family environment in terms of both size and performance.

The kitchen area usually has between 2 and 5 fires depending on the size of the house and the people living in it. For cooking we have 3 systems mainly: gas (currently very disused), glass-ceramic and induction.

Dishwashers usually have a capacity that is three times greater than a homemade one and even specialize in different types of dishware and cutlery items.

Their design, colors, functions, Will depend on the tastes, budgets and fit in the kitchen. Each one has its own priority but in this type of kitchen more importance is given to how it looks in the environment and the comfort when using it.

In the commercial ones, the kitchens are much bigger and remain lit with a pilot flame so as not to lose time.

Professional dishwashers and fryers have a larger capacity; the fume hoods are made of stainless steel.

In the commercial kitchens they use a lot of salamander, an equipment (that serves to keep the dishes warm while the complete order comes out (command).

The commercial kitchens that use induction plates install models of greater durability and power to respond to the canons of requirement.

The industrial microwave, for example, has two magnetrons that generate energy waves, instead of one like the conventional one, which favors its performance, power and life time.

Industrial cooling equipment can take up the space of a room.

In commercial kitchens, if they are electric kitchens they are usually professional induction cookers, with a much higher quality and durability standards than those of a domestic kitchen. We must think that in a week of work in a successful restaurant you can cook the same rations as in a year in a domestic kitchen (calculating 52 services per day).