Kitchen Resolutions: 8 Ways To Be A Better Chef in 2016

kitchen resolutions

With 2016 here, its the perfect time to set your resolutions and start the year off right in your restaurant or commercial kitchen. We want to make deciding on and keeping your new year’s resolutions as easy as possible.  Just because they are easy resolutions, that doesn’t make them any less important.  These resolutions for your kitchen will make your time in the kitchen less stressful, increase your creative juices and make your days a little easier.  So, as the ball drops and 2016 starts with a bang, here are the kitchen resolutions to help you have a cleaner, more organized and optimal kitchen.

1.  Buy local

We love Cleveland and the suburbs.  We live in one of the best places for food in the world! Your restaurant or commercial kitchen is in a thriving market where people are flocking to for the food.   With all of the options in vendors and resources available, we want to do all we can to support our local communities.  At Dean Supply, we are locally owned and operated and also support many Ohio vendors.  If you are not sure what options are available for local vendors and opportunities for local support, here are some great lists of Cleveland resources

    1. Keep it Local 
    2. Cool Cleveland 
    3. Plain Dealer Business Index 
    4. Cleveland Independents 
    5. This is Cleveland

2.  Degrease!

After the rush of the holidays, its the perfect time to deep clean and degrease your kitchen.  Grease happens when creating so many delicious dishes, but it can cause kitchen disasters if not properly removed.  Above all we want everyone to be safe in their kitchen.  So break out the elbow grease and start degreasing.  Degreasing most industrial kitchens is not an easy task, here is some helpful advice:

    1. Degrease floors 
    2. Degrease walls, cabinets and countertops 
    3. Naturally degrease your entire kitchen 
3.  Waste less, save more

    One way to start the year off right and help the environment is to limit your wasted food. The start of a new year is a perfect time to implement new strategies or procedures with your kitchen staff.  Wasting less food and water are both great ways to lower your costs and help eliminate your carbon footprint.

        1. Educate yourself and your kitchen staff about the cost of wasting food 
        2. Learn how easy waste reduction can be 
        3. Reduce waste at home and work 
        4. New York Cities reduced their waste, find how out they succeded 
        5. The real cost of wasted food 
        6. How other commercial kitchens have eliminated waste 
    4.  Use green cleaning products

      In an industrial kitchen we know cleanliness is crucial and corners can not be cut.  That doesn’t mean that your cleaning products have to be corrosive or dangerous.  Using natural cleaning products are a great way to start the year off clean and green.

        1. Add green cleaning alternatives to your cleaning routine 
        2. Benefits of green cleaning 
        3. Safety first - at work and at home 
        4. Green product options and descriptions 
        5. When not to go green 

      5.  Clean as you go

      Cleaning is a never ending battle as a commercial chef, or a home chef.  Getting behind on the cleaning during a rush can increase your stress and tension in the kitchen.  To keep morale high and great food coming, here are some ways to implement a plan to clean as you go.

        1. Tips to improve cleanliness 
        2. How to clean as you cook 
        3. Cleaning during prep 
        4. Home chefs clean as they cook 
        5. Juila Child cleaning tips 
        6. Advice to add cleaning to the cooking process 

      6. Calibrate electronics - test thermometers, scales, and ovens

      A few degrees separate a perfectly cooked meal and one that’s dangerous to consume.  It is important to keep your kitchen electronics accurate.  Start the new year off on the right foot with calibrated equipment and accurate electronics

        1. Digital scale calibration 
        2. Kitchen thermometers 
        3. Kitchen electronics 

      7.  Care for your knives

      A dull knife is a dangerous kitchen tool.  When knives are dull your staff has to work harder to get their desired results.  This can lead to costly mistakes that can injure your workers and damage your kitchen.  So, care for your knives and your staff by supplying sharp tools.

        1. Knife sharpening video 
        2. The different tools 
        3. Sharpening vs. Honing 
        4. Why to sharpen knives 
        5. A local expert who will sharpen for you 

      8.  Master mise en place

      In your kitchen you will relieve stress and keep the flow of food optimized if you implement mise en place or having everything in place.  Mastering mise en place is a great way to streamline your kitchen and increase teamwork and community with the kitchen staff.

        1. Restaurant tips 
        2. Importance of mise en place 

      As you celebrate the new year with friends and family, take a moment to think of your kitchen.  Reflect on how to improve your everyday processes and help your bottom line. Whether you decide on one resolution or you want to go big and implement all eight of these, you'll be on the path to a cleaner, more organized and high performing kitchen. 

       

       


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