European Cooking Suites Could Have American Chefs Rethinking Kitchen Design

Restaurant kitchens have changed over the years. In the past, they were merely functional spaces for cooking. They were isolated in the back of the restaurant and hidden from view. That’s no longer the case. Today, as more and more restaurants incorporate chef tables and display cooking, kitchens are no longer just places to prepare food. In fact, in some restaurants, kitchens are as much a part of the ambience as the dining room.

Kitchens are also being designed to be more efficient than ever before. European restaurants often incorporate cooking suites into their kitchen designs in order to increase efficiency, maximize space and reduce energy consumption. Cooking suites aren’t as prevalent in the United States yet, but it’s easy to see why they are so popular in Europe.

Cooking suites have large bases with solid tops that contain several customizable cooking elements, such as burners, grills, griddles and planchas. They can be customized to accommodate any menu. Cooking suites are extremely efficient because they include a number of work stations, including areas designated for starters, main courses and dressing.

“Cooking suites are organized so that a plate is passed from station to station—similar to an assembly line—where individual food items are placed on plates as they are passed down the line,” explains Eric Soller, marketing manager, restaurants for Hobart. “This is different from most American methods, where one cook may be responsible for all the contents on a single plate. Cooking suites are organized so cooks rarely need to move from their station. Once plates move down the line, they are passed to the chef who garnishes the dish and places it on a platter for serving. This gives chefs more control over the cooking line and improves quality control as he or she touches every plate before it is delivered to a table.”

Space, Energy and Cost Saving
The idea of cooks working closely together on a cooking line to prepare meals isn’t a new concept in the United States. Here you’ll often see cooking islands, which are organized so multiple cooking components are close together, but they are still individual units. While this setup does improve workflow, it doesn’t improve the equipment’s operational efficiency. Cooking suites, on the other hand, are 55 percent more efficient than a traditional American line.

“Since cooking suites contain multiple integrated components in a single unit, they can share heating sources, which cuts down on wasted energy,” explains Soller. “Most European cooking suites have cast iron ovens, which hold heat extremely well and require less fuel compared to standard ovens. They also have solid cast steel French tops, which are more efficient than range tops with individual burners.”

French tops have no external burners. Instead, the entire top acts as a cooking surface. French tops have one internal burner that heats the entire top. The center of a French top is the hottest cooking area, reaching temperatures of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, with gradually cooling temperatures closer to the edge. This unique setup allows cooks to have consistent and precise temperatures all on one large, flat surface. It also provides a larger prep surface to accommodate more pans or plates when not cooking.

Cooking suites also take up 40 percent less space than a traditional American line. While they do vary by size, a typical cooking suite might require 200 square feet, whereas a similar American line requires 350 square feet. Since cooking suites are constructed with a single body, they are stronger and more durable than individual units, which can bump together or be knocked around the kitchen. Cooking suites also have fewer edges and less opportunity for rust. The average annual cost to maintain a cooking suite is $2,000 compared to $5,000 for an American line, a 60 percent difference.

Changing the Way Kitchens Are Designed
Dining trends have a significant impact on the way kitchens are designed. As American restaurants begin to experiment with display cooking and other concepts, greater emphasis will be placed on how kitchen design and equipment can improve operational efficiencies. No doubt American chefs will be keeping a close eye on European cooking equipment and kitchen design trends to identify efficiencies they can incorporate in the United States.