12 EQUIPMENT

MUST-HAVES
FOR STARTING
A BUSINESS
by Tetyana Verbytska
If you love cooking in your home kitchen, you may think about
one day having your own professional workshop.

Setting up your own workshop starts with a simple dream of

doing so. However, once you’re ready to tackle this dream,
there’s plenty to consider. What equipment do you need? What
do you need it for? What’s important to bear in mind? And how
much should I spend?

It’s quite simple, really – a successful pastry business needs

to have the right equipment. So, I’ve made it easy for you and
drawn up a list of equipment must-haves for your professional
pastry kitchen.

From industrial ovens to proofers and stone top tables, this

list covers 12 key pieces of kitchen equipment you need to
know about. These essential appliances and machines will
help make your pastry shop run smoother and more efficiently,
allowing you to spend more time on the exciting parts of your
business. Let’s go!

The information in this book represents the opinion

of the author and has been provided for educational purposes;
it is not intended as advertisement for certain manufacturers.
1. Freezer
The prices start at $1 000.

Eight years ago, I bought a new economy-class

freezer for the opening of the school. It cost around
$1000, and has been in constant use ever since.
During this time, it has only needed two minor
repairs.

In a shop or kitchen, it’s important that your freezer

can drop to -25 °C / -13 °F or below. A minimum
temperature of -18 °C / -0.4 °F just isn’t cold enough.

It’s super practical to be able to place baking trays

in your freezer or fridge. This means it’s best to have
shelves in your freezer that are larger than your
baking trays, rather than smaller.

I chose a fridge-freezer combination for a few

reasons – so that the shelves are the same size
and interchangeable, and so that the fittings and
accessories are the same.

It’s important that the inside of your freezer isn’t too

humid, otherwise ice will build up.

When setting up a small shop, I think it’s a great idea

to purchase an inexpensive freezer.

To purchase similar equipment,

click on the link below
https://bit.ly/2REnwT5
2. Fridge
The prices start at $1 000.

As mentioned above, I bought a fridge-freezer

combination so that I could swap the shelves
around as and how I like.

Also, if either the fridge or freezer breaks in some

way, it’s convenient to only have to reach out to
one maintenance company for all your refrigeration
equipment.

I bought a new economy-class fridge for a little

under $1000.

It’s useful to be able to regulate the temperature in

your fridge.

And it’s important to be able to control the humidity

in your fridge so as to prevent moisture from building
up.

In my opinion, when setting up a small shop, it’s

a good idea to purchase new but inexpensive
refrigeration equipment.

To purchase similar equipment,

click on the link below
https://bit.ly/2H3fnmf
3. Shock freezer
The prices start at $2 900.

Using a shock freezer makes it possible to take a

tray straight from a piping hot oven and chill it to
-35 °C / -31 °F.

This super low temperature allows the product to

cool very quickly, freezing it almost instantly.

This saves a lot of time and effort – and therefore

money!

You don’t need to buy a shock freezer as soon as

you set up your business. However, doing so will
hugely speed up and help your work in the kitchen.

When purchasing a shock freezer, make sure that

your oven trays will fit inside. The shelves in your
blast freezer should be larger than your oven trays.

I bought myself an Italian economy-class shock

freezer, and I’ve been using it now for eight years
without any issues.
4. Tray trolley
The price ranges from $150 to $400.

A tray trolley is a simple yet essential piece of

equipment for any pastry shop.

This nifty trolley can store up to 18 trays with ease. And

due to its practical open design, it’s very easy to see
what’s on each tray from all sides of the trolley.

Thanks to its swiveling wheels, moving a tray trolley

around is effortless. You can transport 18 hot trays all
around your shop, even when they have just come out
of the oven.

Depending on what’s going on in the school that day, I

will use my tray trolley to carry baking mats, molds and
(of course) baked goods.

A well-organized tray trolley is a pastry shop must-

have. It keeps your kitchen tidy and allows you to
work quickly and conveniently with a large number of
baking trays.

To purchase on Amazon,
click on the link below
https://amzn.to/3EMqNtW
5. Dishwasher
The prices start at $1 000.

We have a Krupps dishwasher in our kitchen. If cared

for and maintained regularly, this appliance can last for
several years.

In a professional dishwasher, one dishwashing cycle

only takes two minutes! And detergent and rinse aid
are dispensed automatically – very convenient for
frequent use.

A professional dishwasher also saves a considerable

amount of water. It only uses two liters of water per
cycle, which is far less than if you were to wash the
dishes by hand.

In a pastry shop, a lot of dishes and bakeware need to

be washed. Having a reliable professional dishwasher
makes this task easier and faster.

To purchase similar equipment,

click on the link below
https://bit.ly/3mg7piA
6. Proofer
The prices start at $1 000.

A proofer allows you to control both humidity and

temperature during proofing, meaning you can
prevent your baked goods from becoming stiff and
losing elasticity.

As a result, your baked products will be deliciously

light and soft, with a homogenous and fluffy texture.

Also, a proofer makes it easy to work with chocolate,

e.g. melting and tempering.

Higher-end proofers also have the option of adjusting

and regulating the temperature very precisely.

To purchase similar equipment,

click on the link below
https://bit.ly/3y6g35G
7. Stand for silicone
and metal molds
The prices start at $175.

This piece of equipment isn’t expensive or fancy, but it

allows you to keep order in your shop.

Each mold can be stored in its own place, saving time

searching for specific molds. You can organize your
silicone and metal molds, keeping them neat and tidy
and preventing them from bending. The holders on
the stand can also be easily rearranged.

To purchase,
click on the link below
https://bit.ly/3kCpV4g
8. Oven
The price ranges from $4 700 to $10 000.

When it came to buying my oven, I decided to go

all out and purchase a higher-end model: a new
Electrolux oven.

This oven can be used to bake several trays worth of

products in one go.

It heats up to 300 °C / 572 °F very quickly, and has a

convenient “washing” function. I’ve used this oven for
eight years and I’m very satisfied with its performance.

I can fit large baking trays in this oven (up to 60 cm

wide).

However, you don’t have to splash out on an

expensive oven – there are also good cheaper
options out there. It’s important that the fan function in
the oven is well regulated. You don’t want a strong fan
to deform your products!

To purchase,
click on the link below
https://bit.ly/3SDvbBa
9. Induction cooktop
The price ranges from $160 to $400.

Before you invest in an induction hob, make sure you

find out what kind of cookware it will and will not work
with. For example, our induction hobs don’t work with
copper pots and pans.

For our school, I chose a mid-range option and went

for Hendi induction cooktops.

The active heating areas on the cooktop range from

160 to 300 mm in diameter.

It has a great automatic heating setting that works with

the size of the cookware, and also has a mechanism
to prevent overheating.

Each induction cooktop is designed for a weight of

up to 20 kg, meaning it can handle large amounts of
cooking simultaneously. It also has 3500 W of power.

I’ve been using these induction cooktops for over five

years, and I’m very satisfied with them.

To purchase similar equipment

on Amazon, click on the link below
https://amzn.to/3Z8MlsY
10. Dough sheeter
machine
The price ranges from $1 000 (small)
to 4 000 USD (professional).

If you’re planning on preparing products made from

(yeasted) puff pastry, such as croissants, pain au
chocolats, or any viennoiseries, you need to get your
hands on a dough sheeter machine. This machine
helps you roll out pastry quickly and effortlessly in
even layers, without the need for heat.

For the past eight years, we’ve been using an Apach

dough sheeter machine. When it comes to buying the
right rolling machine for you, you should consider that
it might need other outlets for 380V.

To purchase similar equipment,

click on the link below
https://bit.ly/3SCbxp0
11. Stone top tables
The price starts at $1 500.

A table with a stone top doesn’t sag like a stainless

steel table does. Instead, its surface remains smooth
and cool. It’s great for rolling out and working with
different kinds of dough, and is especially useful for
tempering chocolate.

Avoid tables with soft marble tops, as they may

crumble after long-term use.
12. KENWOOD
stand processor
The average price is $1 600.

The UK-made KENWOOD stand mixer comes with

a huge variety of attachments – from a pasta roller
to a mini herb chopper! In our kitchen, the following
features of this KENWOOD model are particularly
useful:

• A warming feature that heats the bowl as you whip

what’s inside it. This is useful for obtaining light, fluffy
sponge textures. It can heat the contents of the
bowl up to 180 °C / 356 °F, controlled by onscreen
temperature settings.

• Super accurate electronic scales – very practical.

• Various whipping modes, from slow to super fast.

• Creaming beater attachment – a special KENWOOD

food processor feature. Cleans up residue on the side
of the bowl by “licking” it up and incorporating it into
the main mixture.

• Blender attachment – effortlessly turns ingredients

(e.g. caramel and nuts) into liquids and pastes. Also
great for turning oats into oat flour. Really good at
chopping nuts. Useful for mixing icing sugar with
almond powder to make macaron batter.

• Very reliable – I’ve been using this stand mixer

for seven years now and it hasn’t broken once. It
also withstands industrial-size amounts of usage/
ingredients.
The KENWOOD stand mixer costs around €1500,
so it’s not cheap – but after using it for a while, you’ll
be very glad you invested in it.

There’s only one drawback – after working with a

KENWOOD stand mixer, you won’t be able to switch
to another model!

To purchase,
click on the link below
https://bit.ly/3R93HCS