Top tips for buying stainless steel benches

A kitchen bench is a piece of furniture on which foods are prepared. The bench is where most of the cooking processes such as cutting, mixing, rolling, and blending are performed. It is the Centre of authority as far as the kitchen is concerned, and its usage comes before the likes of pots and other kitchen utensils. It is used in all kitchen environments, including restaurants and hotels. 

The first set of kitchenware receives the likes of wooden benches. However, that did not stay long because of the effect of water on it. Then, it began to evolve into concrete, luxurious marble, tiles, laminated benchtops, and timber. But nowadays, stainless steel benches have dominated the market. 

Apart from the fact that they are movable, stainless steel benchtops are great in all ramifications. Let's begin with its aesthetic features. These products are fashionable, sweet with their bright and shiny metallic surface. Their beauty cannot be hidden, and they will surely attract attention irrespective of their position in the kitchen. 

They are generally versatile. One of these in your kitchen would cover the need for some other small wares in the kitchen. Their maintenance is straightforward, and simple cleaning with water and towel will restore the sparkling beauty. The benchmark for a high-class restaurant is their hygienic qualities, and this is what these benches offer. They give no room for bacteria growth, and their surfaces harbor no mess. 

Durability is another thing you would like to consider. The wooden bench will rot, tiles may break, luxurious marble will become outdated, but stainless steel will always remain the same. Stainless steel generally has high resistance to corrosion. Not just to water, but has resistance to acidic, alkaline, and chlorinated solutions. If all cautions are taken too, this product can serve for years with no cost on maintenance. Buy one and never regret it- it is one of the quality investment a restaurateur can ever make. 

Have you ever think of their resistance to fire. Stainless steel is not flammable material, and they don't easily burn off like wood. And as we know that the kitchen is where we use fire, therefore, it will be brilliant to buy metallic substance instead of wood. Even if the fire stays longer and destroys the texture of the steel, it won't feed the fire with more strength.   

The fascinating thing about stainless steel benches is produced in varieties of size, shape, design, and function. You can easily get a small size for your catering business without exhausting the list. And there is a wide range of options to choose the best one that can serve your big restaurants. This is one of the kitchenware that comes in different grades — each grade with their unique qualities and purpose for all levels of catering businesses to have their own. 

With all these ranges, sizes, and forms, it may be hard for some people to identify the best one for their business. For this reason, the rest of this blog post focuses on the top tips for buying stainless steel benches. 

 1. Consider your buying intentions 

Why do you want to buy this catering equipment? What process do you want to be performing on it? The activities performed in your business will determine the grade of a stainless bench that best suits your business. The recommended grade for a butcher is different from that of a caterer who needed it for cutting vegetables. Without considering this, one may later lament for buying the wrong stainless steel bench. Therefore, first, evaluate all the activities you intended performing on your workbench before making a final decision. Some benches can survive daily blows and knuckles without any sign of dents, while some are specifically made for less invasive activities. 

 2. Your budget 

Your budget also plays a significant role in the grade of the bench you purchase for your restaurant. The 18-grade bench is the most economical. You can easily buy that for rolling, mixing, and placing all your cooking ingredients. It is not as strong as the 14-grade, which is the most expensive and durable stainless steel bench. 

 3. Go for the stainless steel bench with cabinets 

Having cabinets underneath your bench is very helpful. There you can store things and leftover ingredients. The cabinets would keep your work together in one place, and there won't be the need to go helter-skelter for other small wares. Everything you need for cooking is just beneath your workbench. It also keeps work orderly and avoids mix-up. When your tools and ingredient bottle are well arranged, there won't be any spillage or mess during the cooking. Moreover, you and your personnel will perform the task faster without any disturbance. A bain marie can also be a useful addition to your kitchen, as it can keep sauces, soups, and other liquids at a consistent temperature while you work. By having a bain marie underneath your bench, you can easily access the warm sauces and ingredients you need without having to stop and reheat them, saving you time and keeping your work area organized. 

 4. But the one with castors/wheels 

As stated earlier, stainless steel benches are made in various forms and designs. Some have movable features like castors or wheels. With this, you can easily move your bench around the kitchen. A small bench with castors can help in collecting items from the central workbench at once. Carrying dishes to your dishwasher and back to the plate racks can be done with no stress. You can use it to return all the catering equipment back to their respective position in the kitchen after the day's work. 

 5. Check the edges of the benchtops 

The mistakes people often make in buying this bench is that they fail to consider the compatibility of the edges of their anticipated benchtops with the proposed location. Circular bench tops won't work perfectly to the wall, but it can do well at the center of the kitchen. Meanwhile, consider a square or rectangular shaped edges for placement beside the wall.  

  6. Read through customer review 

Before buying a stainless steel bench, you should endeavor to go through customer's reviews on the internet. Confirm if it meets up with its specification and if it would completely discharge all your expectations.