Fast Fix LLC.

While you may think that food safety all depends on how an employee handles the food, there's more to it than that. Your restaurant equipment can play a role in maintaining food safety standards. Without properly working equipment, you could have food that's stored or cooked at improper temperatures, which can lead to foodborne illness. Keep reading to learn more about how equipment maintenance can affect food safety from your favorite Missouri restaurant equipment service company. Proper Food Storage  One of the most important food safety rules is to ensure foods are kept at the proper temperature during storage. In order to do so, you need to have properly working refrigeration units. From walk-in coolers to deep freezers, you want to make sure that your equipment is maintaining the proper temperature. You can do so by checking the temperature regularly with an appliance thermometer. Refrigerators should be at 40°F or below and freezers should be at 0°F or  below. S...

Keeping your food-service equipment clean should be a top priority for any restaurant or other commercial kitchen. One of the main considerations is that regular cleaning of your equipment will extend the life of the equipment, saving you money over time. Today's blog from Fast Fix LLC features several reasons why you would want to keep your food-service equipment clean. 1. Food Quality.  One of the first reasons to keep food-service equipment clean that likely comes to mind is for food quality reasons. Keeping your kitchen clean is food safety rule number one. Dirty equipment is also going to affect the taste of the food that you produce. For example, you can taste when french fries have been cooked in stale oil. Food particles that aren't removed from equipment can also cause smoke, which will also affect the way food tastes. By keeping your equipment clean, and filtering and changing oil as directed, you can eliminate any bad flavors that might affect the taste of th...

Over time, restaurant equipment starts to require some big fixes and maintenance costs. There's a point where you could be throwing more money into a piece of equipment than it's actually worth. The decision to replace your restaurant equipment comes down to age, price and condition. Keep reading to learn more about repairs vs replacement from your favorite Missouri restaurant equipment repair company . Equipment Replacement Considerations When deciding whether to repair or replace a piece of restaurant equipment, your first consideration should be safety, for you, your employees and even customers. You don't want to have a piece of equipment on your line that is no longer safe to operate or that could start a fire in your kitchen. You need to be particularly careful when it comes to ovens, as an improperly working gas flue poses a fire hazard. Fryers also pose a hazard if the tubes transferring oil to the heat element begin to crack and leak.  The next thing ...

Fast Fix LLC is your local restaurant and commercial kitchen solution in Columbia, Missouri , Saint Louis Missouri, and surrounding areas! We specialize in commercial cooking equipment, refrigeration units, commercial HVAC, and more. With over 200 years experience, the Fast Fix team knows a thing or two about repairing and maintaining your restaurant equipment. Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers At Fast Fix LLC, we provide service on a variety of different types of equipment. From ovens and fryers to hood vents and HVAC units, we've got all your Missouri restaurant equipment repair needs covered. Here's just a small list of the manufacturers for which we provide service: APW/Wyott  Dean  Delfied Doyton Duke Frymaster  Garland  Groen  Hatco  Hobart Imperial  Kolpak Lang Marshall Air  Nieco Panasonic  Peerless Pitco  Randell Silver King Don't see your equipment manufacturer here? Don't worry, we service many ...

One aspect of your commercial kitchen that should not be overlooked is the floors. Just like all your equipment, your floors should be cleaned and maintained daily. Not only is floor cleanliness important for sanitation reasons, but also for employee safety. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of and how to keep your restaurant kitchen floors clean from your Fast Fix LLC team. The Importance of Clean Restaurant Kitchen Floors The most important reason to keep restaurant kitchen floors is for safety issues. This includes both food safety and employee safety. Clean kitchens, including the floors, reduce the number of illness causing agents that can infect the food that will be served to customers. Clean floors also reduce the likelihood of slips and falls, and workplace injuries. Consequences of Dirty Floors Dirty floors can lead to a variety of issues for your restaurant including: Loss of Customers - Customers don't want to eat at restaurants that are perc...

Commercial deep fryers are a common piece of equipment in most restaurants, especially fast food ones. The biggest cause of poor-tasting fried food is a poorly maintained deep fryer. To keep your customers happy and coming back, use these tips to maintain your commercial fryers from your favorite Missouri restaurant equipment maintenance company . Cleaning Your Deep Fryer The most important step in keeping your commercial fryer in proper working condition is regular cleaning. When you close up shop for the day, be sure to add fryer cleaning to your closing checklist. Not only do you want to wipe down the exterior of the equipment, but you should also clean out the baskets. Run them through the dishwasher and then be sure to wipe them dry before returning them to the fryer. Every 3-6 months, you'll want to take your fryer through a deep cleaning process called a "boil out." Start by completely draining your fryer of old oil, and then refill it with warm water and a ...

Owning or managing a restaurant or other commercial food-service business comes with its challenges. At times, it can be a bit overwhelming, but Fast Fix LLC is here to help. We've come up with this list of some ways to make your commercial kitchen run more efficiently. 1. Ask for Employee Feedback.  Many managers can easily get set in their ways how things should be run. Unfortunately, this can cause problems and issues between employees and managers. A true leader is willing to listen to their staff and consider their recommendations about how to make processes run more efficiently. Try observing a full service to get a picture of what's going on in your kitchen. Then talk to each person on the team to find out what could help them be more efficient with their particular job. You don't want to be so controlling that people don't want to work for you. Instead, you want to teach your staff to work independently so they feel more invested in their job and will wa...

Just like any other food-service business, a bakery will require a variety of equipment to store and prepare baked goods. Today's blog from Fast Fix LLC offers a list of equipment you'll need to consider for your bakery. Commercial Mixer The easiest way to make large amounts of dough at one time is with a commercial mixer. Commercial mixers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The size you need will depend on the type of baking you will be doing and your needs. For huge cakes and large amounts of bread, you might want a floor mixer. For a small own bakery, a commercial countertop mixer will likely do. To learn more about commercial mixers and how they'll need to be maintained, check out this blog . Proofing Cabinet  Baking in a commercial setting is much different from what you learned about baking from Grandma while growing up. If you are going to be preparing large amounts of dough that will need to rise, you'll want to consider purchasing a proofing cabin...

Regular maintenance of your restaurant equipment will not only improve equipment performance, but also extend the life of the equipment and decrease the likelihood of a costly breakdown. Cleaning and maintenance also ensures quality products are being served in your establishment. In today's blog from Fast Fix LLC , you'll find some general equipment maintenance tips to share with your employees. General Cleaning and Maintenance Tips for Restaurant Equipment  While each piece of restaurant equipment will be different in terms of how to clean and maintain it, there are some general guidelines that you can follow for all the equipment in your commercial kitchen. 1. Always unplug the equipment before attempting to clean it or fix a component. No matter how careful you are, you don't want to take any chances of inuring yourself by the equipment accidentally getting turned on. 2. Never use scrubbing or scouring pads on glass surfaces, as they can easily scratch the su...

Many professional kitchens contain a salamander broiler. This piece of equipment is used for grilling and toasting, melting cheese and the browning of grain dishes. Unlike a traditional broiler, a salamander broiler has belts and grates that are constantly exposed to foods. Therefore, it's very important that this piece of equipment remain clean and well-maintained. Keep reading to learn how to properly clean and maintain this piece of commercial kitchen equipment. Cleaning Your Salamander Broiler  The main issues with not properly caring for your salamander broiler are the sanitation and health risks. Not only does this put your restaurant at risk of a health code violation, but you're also risking the safety of your customers. In addition, the equipment can smoke excessively if it's not kept clean of food remnants. Below are some tips for cleaning your salamander broiler: Be sure to cool the salamander broiler completely before attempting to clean it. This piece ...