Pizza Today - May 2022 - 28

Before choosing wood, coal, gas or electric,
be in the know. I highly advise working
in a pizzeria that uses the style you are looking
to purchase first.
Mixers
There's the classic American-style hook
mixer with different parts you've seen in
many American pizzerias. And that is a
perfectly viable option. Before jumping in
on them, check out the planetary mixers.
Planetary mixers don't rip the gluten net as
much because the hook spins one way while
the bowl spins the other. I'm a big fan of
these styles of mixers because they're highly
efficient, and they create an excellent end
product.
A vertical chopping mixer or VCM is a
fantastic tool to have in your kitchen. Just
not for pizza making. A vertical chopping
mixer cuts at your pizza dough and destroys
your gluten net. But if you're using a pizza
press or a dough with little to no air, it's a
viable option. It's just not going to be the
most culinary astute choice.
I have vertical chopping mixers to make
all my salad dressings and cut our blocks of
cheese. It's an invaluable piece of equipment
in our kitchen. And I highly advise getting
one if you plan to make a lot of items from
scratch.
Slicers
A great slicer has a solid motor and a
company with a good reputation. The classic
stand-up Italian slicers are simply the best
for slicing thin prosciutto and meats, but the
American ones, especially those with automatic
handles, work great for high capacity.
Bear in mind slicers are a real dangerous
piece of equipment, and no one under 18
should be using them or anyone without
proper training.
And depending on the OSHA laws of
your state, you might need to put a sticker
on your equipment items that say this item
must only be operated by 18 and over.
Additionally, protect your mixer when it's
not in use. Make sure the blades are not in a
position where they could cut someone. It is
not worth the hospital bill over laziness.
Stovetop Griddle and Oven
Combo
You're going to need a stovetop, more
likely than not. You can get a basic stovetop
that heats up some water to cook off some
pasta, and you're set. Maybe a grill top if
you're making breakfast or sandwich items.
28 / P IZZATODAY.COM / MAY 2022
Potentially it has an oven under it so you
can cook meatballs or bread at a separate
temperature than your pizza oven.
This is all in the puzzle matching of your
kitchen. Knowing your menu first, and what
you want to cross utilize can help you limit
the number of equipment items you have.
Fryer
A good fryer is worth its weight in
crispy gold because it can do heavy capacity
and not lose temp will keep your kitchen
running more efficiently with lower ticket
times, which is highly valuable.
If you have many fried items, don't
underestimate the need for two fryers. Even
better, the double fryers that can clean into
each other will help clean up at the night's
end go more smoothly. And yes, you need to
clean in your fryer oil at night, or else you're
a dirty, dirty pirate restaurant.
Ice Machine
I have learned my lesson that ice
machines are a massive pain in the butt.
They break when you need them most, and
they're hard to maintain. I have switched
to using a rental program on these where if
the ice ever doesn't create, it's on them to
replace the ice for me, or they will reimburse
me, which incentivizes them to service my
ice machine once and sometimes multiple
times a month. Big fan of the rental ice
machine because it costs about as much as
the lease would. As for what ice machine
you choose, you want the biggest capacity
you can fit in your kitchen that makes the
most ice the fastest. Don't mess around; you
don't want to half-ass the amount of ice
you'll need.
Dish Machine
The same thing goes for a dish machine.
You do not want your dish machine going
down. It is a massive bottleneck, and a
bunch of 18-year-olds learning how to use a
three-compartment sink when they're used
to a dish machine it's not something you
want to teach on the fly.
Refrigeration
I advise you should buy new. I would
never buy a used prep table. When it comes
to what prep table is suitable for you, know
exactly how much space you want and what
amount of shelves and bells and whistles
you need. And then don't go cheap because
there's nothing more expensive in the world
than cheap refrigeration and cheap lawyers.
You always end up paying more in the end.
Your walk-in is a little more straightforward.
It just needs a great compressor. You
could save money if you have it built in a
way where you don't have the floor on it
because that's unnecessary. A tall walkin
takes more electricity to operate. But
short walk-ins have fewer shelves. And I've
learned that I like a tall walk-in to get a few
extra shelves to have more prep staying in
location; also, really good shelves that could
be taken out and cleaned. The plastic ones I
find are preferable to the metal ones that are
locked in place forever.
Other items
You might need or want a pasta extruder,
hot pizza box cabinet, secondary convection
oven, or any number of other equipment
items. The ones listed above will get you off
the ground just fine until you decide to add
the bells and whistles.
No matter what you decide for equipment,
do not take the decision lightly. I
highly advise going to Pizza Expo to see the
items in person. Break out your measuring
tape to know for a fact how it will fit in your
restaurant. Also, will it need a hood and or
fit under the one you have?
Talk to the manufacturer who created it
and lives with that product every day, shake
their hand, know their name, know who
services and maintains this item in your
area. Talk to other operators using that same
oven and know what you're getting yourself
into.
It's fascinating to me the number of
people who don't go to Pizza Expo and
are surprised at what they don't know. In
20 minutes of talking to an equipment rep,
you could save yourself upwards of $50,000
over the next few years in screw-ups, wrong
purchases and lost profit. Attending a
trade show, namely Pizza Expo, is the most
straightforward ROI in our industry.
So cross utilize, think ahead, do your
research from the manufacturer and people
using the product, and know why you do
what you do for when you do it to make the
most successful pizza restaurant possible.
And if you're already in the game, evaluate
everything you have because there's probably
something better. There always is.
MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini's
Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
http://www.IZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - May 2022

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