A kitchen is any room or section of a larger room used primarily for food preparation and cooking in a house or in an establishment such as a restaurant, dorm room, office, or hospital. Commercial kitchens located in hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals, offices, military establishments, and other similar establishments usually have services and equipment for food preparation onsite. In such establishments, kitchens differ from residential kitchens in many ways, including their size, number of working areas, equipment available, style and decoration, and others. In addition, commercial kitchens differ from residential kitchens in the fact that they are often heated or cooled, whereas in houses, the cooking of food typically occurs in the kitchen itself.
The term “work kitchen” gained popularity in the 20th century and has since then been used to refer to any type of cooking area. This term may also include prep kitchens, which are sections of ready-to-eat restaurants and other food service establishments where prep cooks prepare the meals for other staff members. Commercial work kitchens may also refer to the cafeterias and snack bars located within fast food establishments, retail stores, hospitals and military establishments. The work kitchens of these establishments tend to be large in size and equipped with cooking equipment.
Commercial kitchen equipment includes stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, ranges, frying pans, microwaves, cookers, cabinets, countertops, trash compactors, garbage disposals, exhaust fans, gas stoves, and more. These kitchen appliances are designed to make food preparation easier, faster, and safer, and may be operated by a single person. They may not be fueled with electricity. Restaurant kitchens, cafeteria servers, and kitchens in day care centers are examples of commercial kitchens.
Commercial kitchen equipment is classified according to function into three main categories, namely cooking, smoke cooking, and broiling. Cooking is the process of preparing food using methods like grilling, baking, frying, and boiling. Smoke cooking involves the use of smoke, oil, or fire as an element in cooking. It may involve either heating or simmering. Frankfurt kitchens frequently use ovens, fryers, steamers, grills, and convection ovens.
The main building of any kitchen may house one or more of these appliances depending on its size and number of users. The cooking appliances can range from a single oven to hundreds. Large stoves may also be installed. A Kamado Japanese stainless steel grill, for example, can grill up to 400 square feet of food at one time. Large ovens with grilling racks and warming racks are another common feature found in many main building kitchens.
The smoke cooking method is one of the most popular because it uses natural gas or propane to heat the bottom of the stove, while cooking food in this manner does not require constant attention. Food preparation in this method is quick and easy as the ingredients for the food can be pulled from any refrigerator within the kitchen. The smoke from the stove cooks the food inside out. This is one reason that Kamado restaurants are popular in residential kitchens.