31.1 Food Service Equipment: Selection, Capacity, Life-Cycle Cost, Depreciation, and Maintenance

Facilities and equipment carry 8% of Foods and Food Service Systems. Layout principles, sanitary design marks, and stainless steel specifications are covered in the facility layout section; this section focuses on choosing, sizing, costing, and maintaining equipment.

Criteria for Selecting Equipment

Major Equipment by Function

Notes on key cooking equipment:

• Steam-jacketed kettle: a kettle with a steam jacket around the lower part; heats large volumes of soups, sauces, and stews evenly and quickly; tilting models make emptying safer.
• Tilting braising pan (tilt skillet): a large, flat-bottomed pan that can braise, fry, simmer, griddle, and stew, and tilts to pour out food.
• Combi oven: combines convection heat and steam, for roasting, steaming, baking, and rethermalizing.
• Convection oven: fans circulate hot air, cooking faster and more evenly at lower temperatures.
• Compartment steamer: cooks vegetables, rice, and fish quickly with good nutrient retention.

Warewashing

• Manual: a three-compartment sink for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing, with an area for air-drying.
• High-temperature machines sanitize with hot water; a final rinse of about 82 °C is commonly specified.
• Low-temperature (chemical) machines sanitize with chemical solutions such as chlorine.
• Check wash and rinse temperatures and chemical concentrations each shift and record them.

Sizing Equipment to Production

Kettle example. A hospital serves 150 portions of soup at 240 mL each. The total volume is 150 × 240 mL = 36 L. Kettles should not be filled to the brim; at about 80% fill, the kettle must hold 36 ÷ 0.8 = 45 L, so a 50 L kettle (or two smaller ones for batch cooking) is suitable.

Life-Cycle Cost and Depreciation

Life-cycle cost compares options by total cost over their life, not just price:

Life-cycle cost = purchase price + installation + (annual energy, water, and maintenance × years of use) - salvage value

A cheaper but energy-hungry fryer can cost more over 10 years than an efficient model.

Straight-line depreciation:

$$\text{Annual depreciation} = \frac{\text{Cost} - \text{Salvage value}}{\text{Useful life (years)}}$$

Example. A combi oven costs ₱800,000, has a salvage value of ₱80,000, and a useful life of 10 years. Annual depreciation is (800,000 - 80,000) ÷ 10 = ₱72,000.

Maintenance

Equipment records list the item, model, serial number, supplier, purchase date, cost, warranty, location, maintenance schedule, and repair history. They support budgeting for replacement.

Daily and routine care:

• Clean equipment after each use following the manufacturer's instructions.
• Check refrigerator and freezer temperatures and door gaskets.
• Calibrate thermometers and scales regularly.
• Report problems promptly; lock out and tag faulty equipment.
• Train staff on correct operation to prevent misuse.

The Equipment Purchasing Process

1. Justify the need with production data and a cost comparison.
2. Write specifications: type, capacity, dimensions, materials, utilities, safety and sanitation features, accessories, warranty, installation, and training.
3. Obtain quotations or conduct bidding; government hospitals follow the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184).
4. Evaluate bids on specifications, life-cycle cost, and after-sales service.
5. Inspect the delivered unit, supervise installation, and run acceptance tests.
6. Train staff and file manuals and warranty documents in the equipment record.

Energy and Water Conservation

• Preheat only as needed and turn off idle equipment.
• Load ovens fully and keep doors closed.
• Keep refrigerator coils clean and gaskets tight; defrost freezers regularly.
• Run dish machines only with full racks.
• Choose energy-efficient models and use timers and controls.
• Schedule high-energy equipment use outside peak hours where possible and track monthly utility bills per meal served.