Kitchen Systems

Planning of large kitchens and canteens

In many public buildings or social and special buildings there are canteen kitchens which are designed to supply a large number of people. Of course, completely different standards apply here than for a kitchen that is only used by a few people. A large part of the equipment in commercial kitchens is part of the building services and thus of the technical building equipment, at least if it is permanently installed.

What systems are part of kitchen systems?

Kitchen systems as part of the building planning

This includes a large number of different systems that must be taken into account in the planning of the building. This category includes, for example, elevators for transporting people and loads or so-called dumbwaiters for food and crockery. For reasons of efficiency, the kitchen and dining room are often arranged directly next to each other. The dividing wall between the two is often partially broken through to create a pass-through or designed to do so from the outset.

Storage rooms such as cold rooms and freezers must also be taken into account in the planning. In addition, possibilities must be created for the hygienic intermediate storage of waste until its final disposal.

Permanently installed kitchen equipment

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This category includes, among other things, systems for aeration and ventilation together with the associated measurement and control technology. Not to be forgotten are safety devices such as fire alarm systems and fire doors. To make work easier and improve sanitation, many connecting doors within the kitchen area are designed as automatic doors controlled by a motion sensor and open when approached.

The grease separator is one of the most important kitchen equipment. Its installation is required by law in all commercial kitchens in the hotel, catering and community catering sectors. The grease separator is used to clean grease, oil and solids from the wastewater of the canteen kitchen before it is discharged into the sewerage system. Grease separators work on the principle of the different density of substances in the wastewater.

Fats and oils float on top, water is in the middle and solids sink to the bottom. Often grease separators are installed underground. Although they are located outside the building, they are still considered part of the building services. To reduce the operating costs of the building, heat recovery systems such as heat pumps or heat exchangers are increasingly being installed, which are also part of the building services.

Devices for the preparation of food

These facilities form the classic kitchen furnishings, so to speak. They include, among others:

• Grills and fryers
•  Frying pans
• Cooking kettle
• Stoves
• Dishwashers
• Conveyor belts

and a great of other facilities.

In a normal, household kitchen, most of these appliances are not part of the home automation system, as they are small appliances that are simply plugged into the nearest suitable socket and can be used practically anywhere.

With canteen kitchens it looks completely different. The appliances mentioned above are so large that they often have to be placed on solid brick foundations. Cooking kettles for canteen kitchens, for example, have a capacity of several hundred litres. If circumstances permit, cooking can be done with steam, for which appropriate pipes must be laid. This option is useful if steam is already being used in the building for industrial processes and free capacity is available.

Summary

Kitchen technology also plays an important role in the technical building equipment. This refers to all permanently installed systems and equipment that enable the operation of a commercial kitchen, as found in many buildings. The range of kitchen technology is very wide and, in some cases, extends into other areas of technical building equipment.

These include lifts, for example, but also cold storage rooms, grease separators, ventilation systems, safety equipment, conveyor belts, heat recovery systems and permanently installed equipment for food preparation. Regular maintenance and inspection of the systems is also the responsibility of the building service.