With lower risk, speed to market, and flexible pricing, food entrepreneurs are choosing to start their business in commissary kitchens.
Coho has a growing community spanning five commissaries that are home to not only ghost kitchens, but also caterers, food trucks, meal prep companies and bakeries.
To serve our expanding community and diversity of businesses, Coho’s kitchens are equipped with a range of commercial-grade equipment to suit our membership’s production needs.
If you’re ready to start your food business today, but unsure of what you can expect to find in a commissary, this article will help you understand the kind of equipment we offer in our shared kitchen spaces.
Food Storage
On average, food cost accounts for 25-30% of your total margins.After purchasing your ingredients, proper and reliable food storage is important not only from a food safety aspect, but to maintain the longevity of your ingredients. Our commissary kitchens are outfitted with dry storage, conveniently located by our shared and dedicated stations. Coho Members also have access to storage in our industrial walk-in fridges and freezers. Coho uses an app-based monitoring system for our coolers and freezers that allows for real-time temperature regulation to ensure the quality and safety of your stored items.
Our flexible memberships provide 24/7 security and access, as well as upgrades to purchase additional storage as your business grows.
Food Preparation
Whether it’s folding hundreds of dumplings or packaging orders for your ghost kitchen it all relies on the single most used piece of equipment: tables.
Identifying if your commissary has stainless steel tables that are adjusted to a proper prep height, will save you hours of cleaning, and years of damage to your back. Stainless steel tables are known for their durability and high temperature resistance. The non-porous nature of stainless steel also leaves no room for germs to thrive, ensuring an ideal surface for food prep.
Food preparation also includes your kitchen tools such as knives, cutting boards, and heat-proof rubber spatulas. While Coho provides a range of communal tools like mixing bowls, baking trays, and other handhelds, we recommend business owners to invest in their own essential tools to yield substantial long-term savings.
A few extra dollars could potentially save you hundreds in labour costs, replacement expenses or personal damages.
Commercial Kitchen Equipment
Cooking equipment can vary based on your needs, but having access to a wide variety of commercial kitchen equipment will let you experiment with different concepts or provide a resource to scale your current production.
As a shared kitchen space with up to 30 businesses operating under one roof, kitchen management is key to encouraging collaboration and avoiding chaos. Coho’s kitchens use The Food Corridor for members to easily reserve station space in time with our shared equipment. With the variety of businesses that operate within our kitchens with unique needs, we offer a wide range of commercial-grade equipment that is regularly maintained and upgraded by our commissary team.
Commercial grade stoves
Commercial stoves are a combination of both oven and range. They are most similar to what you would find in your home kitchen but are outfitted to operate at higher temperatures and hold larger capacities.
Ranges are often differentiated by BTUs: a measurement of how much heat is generated per device. Commercial ranges can also be segmented by the number of burners, which means more space, and can include specialty ranges at higher BTUs for woks, or stock pots.
Commercial ovens
Commercial ovens are capable of holding a larger capacity and retaining heat more efficiently than your average home oven. They cook evenly through radiant heat circulated by a fan.
Deck ovens are suited for high-volume baking, as they allow for a larger surface area. They come with a few additional features like steam injection and fan speed control that provide an even radiant heat - perfect for bread baking.
Combi-Ovens provide similar functions as deck ovens but offer three types of heat transfer: dry heat, steam, and a combination of both. They are engineered to offer the highest level of control. When used effectively, combi-ovens can perform cooking techniques like searing or sous-vide, as well as all of your traditional oven techniques.
Sheeters
Dough sheeters allow bakers to produce larger quantities without sacrificing the quality of their creations. They minimize the risk of overworking the dough, which preserves the rise and flakiness of baked goods. Sheeters allow bakers to fine-tune the thickness of their dough and also accommodate for a wide range of dough types.
Mixers
Commercial-grade mixers significantly reduce the time required for food preparation by allowing you to mix larger quantities efficiently.. They also provide peace of mind for bakers to continuously mix without the fear of overheating your machine. Traditionally, at-home stand mixers can be found in up to 6 quarts, while our commercial kitchens are equipped with planetary mixers up to 30 quarts.
Stand mixers and tabletop mixers traditionally come with three attachments: a bread hook for kneading; a paddle for mixing; and a whisk for incorporating air and emulsion.
Tilt Skillets
Also known as braising pans, tilt skillets are versatile pieces of equipment used for a variety of cooking methods: searing, sauteing, braising, stewing, and with additional pieces of equipment, steaming.
They are most commonly used for high-volume cooking and, by definition, are able to tilt out their contents, which is ideal for cleaning as well as product transfer. Coho’s tilt skillets hold up to 100 litres of contents.
Steam Kettles
A steam kettle is also used for high-volume cooking, as the standard size ranges from 20 to 40 gallons
They are technically called steam jacket kettles since their primary source of heat comes from steam being circulated throughout the interior walls of the entire kettle. This allows for liquids to be heated not only faster but more evenly.
Deep Fryer
Commercial-grade deep fryers have precise temperature controls and offer rapid cooking capabilities, ensuring consistency in taste and texture.
Coho uses Beyond Oil in our frying systems. Beyond Oil’s patented formulation with reduced free fatty acids improves fry oil life and reduces oil waste in our kitchens.
Tandoori Oven*
Designed to recreate the traditional clay oven cooking method, commercial-grade Tandoori ovens excel at imparting a distinct smoky flavor and char to meats, bread, and vegetables. The precision in temperature control and its large capacity accommodates multiple orders simultaneously, making it an invaluable asset for restaurants serving authentic menus.
Wok*
The large surface area of a commercial wok allows chefs to prepare generous portions, catering to the high demand typical of ghost kitchens and caterers. These woks can withstand the rigors of constant use and the intense heat generated by professional-grade stovetops.
*Only available at Coho Richmond
Cleaning
As an entrepreneur, you know that every dollar counts. Coho offers cleaning supplies and rag service, and waste and oil disposal for all membership packages. Our kitchens are also routinely cleaned every evening to ensure high standards for the health & safety of our spaces.
Dishwashers
An industrial dishwasher is a lifesaver for cleaning speed and cleaner strength. Most commonly you may find conveyor belt dishwashers, which can independently clean and sanitize in under a minute. You may also find door-type dishwashers, where you manually close a door to sanitize.
Having a well-organized kitchen space can increase productivity, reduces food waste and lowers labour costs.
If you’re curious about the equipment offered at each of our locations, take a look inside our commissary kitchens here.
Whether your business needs an entire storage rack, high-volume equipment, or a station available to you 24 hours a day, with Coho’s customizable packages and variety of commercial-grade equipment, we guarantee you’ll find a location that fits your business needs.
Sources: BDC Food and beverage outlook