Commercial kitchen equipment rarely dies suddenly — it is neglected to death on a schedule. A modest maintenance calendar, actually followed, is the cheapest equipment budget line there is.
Daily: the ten-minute close
Wipe ranges while warm, brush the griddle, skim fryer oil and check its colour, run the last dish rack and drain the tank, wipe door gaskets on every refrigerator. Ten minutes at close saves an hour every deep-clean day.
Weekly: filters and drains
Hood grease filters go through the dish machine; condenser filters get vacuumed; floor drains under the line get flushed. A blocked condenser filter is the number-one avoidable refrigeration callout in every fleet we service.
Monthly: temperatures on paper
Verify every thermostat against a reference probe — ovens, fryers, refrigeration — and log the reading. Drift of a few degrees costs energy quietly for months before it costs food safety loudly on one bad day.
Annually: the professional pass
Gas pressure and combustion check, electrical tightening, refrigerant circuit inspection, dish machine descale, door hinge and gasket renewal. Book it in the slow season and the busy season stays busy.
