Equipment Selection & Kitchen Setup | RAS Pantry

Start here (5 minutes)

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If you only do 4 things:

Plan from your menu (top 20 sellers)
Size for peak hour volume (not average)
Confirm utilities early (power/gas/water/drainage/hood)
Buy reliability for mission-critical items (especially refrigeration)

The decision sequence (don’t skip steps)

Menu + service model (dine-in / takeaway / delivery)
Peak hour capacity (covers/hour, ticket-time targets)
Space + workflow zones (receiving → storage → prep → cook → pass → dish)
Utilities readiness (electrical load, gas BTU, water pressure, drainage, ventilation hood)
Equipment list + budget (new vs used strategy)
Procurement + installation + commissioning
Preventive maintenance routine

Menu-to-equipment method (copy/paste)

For each of your top 20 sellers:

Cooking method:
Prep requirements:
Holding needs:
Special equipment required:

Then consolidate into equipment categories.

Size equipment for peak hour reality

Estimate your busiest hour covers.
Multiply by average hot items per cover.
Add 20–30% buffer so you don’t collapse during spikes.

Peak hour sizing worksheet (copy/paste)

Peak hour covers:
Avg hot items/cover:
Total hot items/hour:
Target ticket time (mins):
Capacity gap risks:

Kitchen workflow zones (compact but functional)

Receiving + storage
Prep
Cook line
Pass / expediting
Dishwashing

📌

Singapore reality: compact kitchens pay you back when the workflow is clean. Optimise for short steps and clear stations.

What to buy new vs used (practical rule)

Buy new (usually)

Refrigeration (breakdowns = disaster)
Core cooking equipment you depend on daily
Complex equipment that needs local support

Consider used

Stainless tables + shelving + sinks
Simple holding racks
Non-critical small equipment

Utilities checklist (confirm before you buy)

Electrical: voltage + dedicated circuits + total load (with 20% buffer)
Gas: total BTU + pipe sizing + shutoff valves
Water: hot/cold supply + drainage + grease trap
Ventilation: hood coverage + make-up air + fire suppression

Utilities sign-off (copy/paste)

Electrical load approved by:
Gas capacity approved by:
Water/drainage approved by:
Hood/ventilation approved by:
Date:

Installation + go-live checklist

☐ Equipment delivered and inspected (no damage)
☐ Positioned per layout plan (clearances respected)
☐ Connections done by licensed contractors
☐ All equipment tested (full function)
☐ Staff trained + SOPs written
☐ Warranty registered + service contacts saved

Maintenance (the boring part that saves you)

Daily

Clean per manufacturer instructions
Temperature checks for refrigeration

Weekly

Deep clean key equipment
Check seals/gaskets

Monthly

Descale (steamers/coffee) as applicable
Inspect hinges/doors

Templates

Equipment list (copy/paste)

Equipment:
Purpose:
Qty:
Budget:
New/Used:
Supplier:
Notes:

Maintenance schedule (copy/paste)

Equipment:
Daily:
Weekly:
Monthly:
Quarterly:
Owner: