If you are planning to bake or cook for business purposes in your home, it may make sense to build a commercial kitchen in your space. You do need to cook in a commercial kitchen when you are preparing food for sale, but it may not make sense to rent out a commercial kitchen or have your own commercial kitchen in a restaurant space. Instead, you have the option of building out a commercial kitchen and having it approved and licensed by the local health board.
Requirements for a Commercial Kitchen at Home
In Alberta, you cannot use your residential kitchen for a food business– you must have a separate space, or commercial kitchen, for any food business preparation. It must be physically separated from the rest of the home, and all food and equipment that you use for your food business must be stored here.
Read on to learn more about some of the other commercial kitchen requirements under Alberta Health Services.
Surfaces and Equipment
When it comes to surfaces and space, there must be enough space for the safe storage and preparation of food in your kitchen. Both your flooring and your walls must be smooth, and washable, and the materials must not be able to absorb water or grease. Stainless steel is a great option for both appliances and countertops.
The cooking equipment that you use must have proper ventilation, with an exhaust system that vents cooking fumes outside. Additionally, you must ensure that your garbage containers are watertight. You must also have enough garbage containers for the needs of your food business.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
It is important that you have the basics in your commercial kitchen. If you will be handling any unwrapped food, it is required that you have a sink for hand-washing with liquid soap, as well as single-use paper towels in the proper dispenser. This sink is to be only used for hand-washing. So with that said, you need to have some sort of water source for this purpose.
Cleanliness requirements include drain racks to air dry dishes, and either a two or three-compartment dishwasher sink. Depending on the type of food handling that you will be doing, a sanitizing dishwasher may also be required.
Temperature Control
There are certain requirements for temperature control, especially for high-risk foods. High-risk foods include poultry and cooked rice. During storage and transportation, these foods should be kept at either 4 degrees Celsius or greater than 60 degrees Celsius. They should not be kept at room temperature for more than two hours.
Freezers must keep all food frozen, and the kitchen should have a minimum of one probe thermometer to monitor cooking and hot-holding temperatures.
Tips for Building a Commercial Kitchen
For those who want to build a commercial kitchen, especially one in their own home, there are a few different factors that should be taken into account.
Read on to learn more about some of these variables and why it is important that you plan accordingly.
Legal Requirements
If you are building a commercial kitchen in your home, you will first want to research the legal requirements for doing so. First, you should contact the branch of your area’s city or county government that inspects and approves commercial kitchens. In Alberta, you can contact Alberta Health Services. They will have written resources that you can acquire for reference so that you can ensure that your plans are up to code, and will be approved when the time comes for your commercial kitchen to be reviewed and become a licensed commercial kitchen.
You can also hire a professional consultant to walk through the space with you and advise on how to move forward, which will ensure that you are in accordance with local laws and can also save you money down the line by avoiding any costly mistakes.
Your Needs
Also important to consider is what exactly you will need from your commercial kitchen space. In terms of the equipment you are purchasing, this is typically determined by the type of cooking you plan to do. For example, if cooking treats such as cookies or cakes, you will need a commercial oven. Commercial ovens vary in size, shape, and price– smaller, compact commercial ovens may total around $1000, while prices can jump as high as tens of thousands of dollars for programmable, larger, and more complex models.
It is best to do extensive research on what you will need, as well as on the options available that are within your budget. You can also discuss with those who have done something similar to what you are looking to do in order to see what equipment they have purchased for needs that are similar to yours.
There are many different designs and possibilities when building out commercial kitchens, you can even make them look similar to restaurant kitchens!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make a commercial kitchen at home?
Yes, it is possible to make a commercial kitchen in your home and have it properly licensed. You will have to make sure that your commercial kitchen is in accordance with your local rules and regulations, and you’ll have to have the space professionally inspected and licensed.
How much does it cost to build a commercial kitchen in your house?
The cost to build a commercial kitchen in your home is dependent upon a few factors, such as the size of the kitchen, menu requirements, and your needs in general. Typically, the cost can range from $15,000 to $30,000.
What is the difference between a home kitchen and a commercial kitchen?
A home kitchen is designed for home and residential use only, while a commercial kitchen is designed in order to cook or prepare food for business purposes. Due to this, a commercial kitchen must be routinely inspected and licensed. It also differs from a home kitchen in its layout, appliances, and storage spaces– for example, a commercial kitchen may require a large walk-in freezer that would not be needed in a home kitchen.
What is considered a commercial kitchen?
A commercial kitchen is a fully equipped kitchen that is used for food preparation for businesses, such as catering companies or restaurants. A commercial kitchen can also be rented out for shared use, as with a kitchen incubator or food innovation center.