6 Popular Examples of Technology Used by Chefs
Technology is making it possible to run a restaurant more easily, more efficiently, and more profitably. Many innovations are used by the staff working in the front of house, and some have been created to make it easier for customers to order and pay for their food in their preferred way.
When it comes to restaurant chefs, they are interested in using technology that will allow them to spend more time cooking, creating delicious meals, and working with their team. Fortunately, some technologies that have been developed for the back of house are making it possible for them to focus on the things they love the most about being chefs.
Here are six popular examples of the technology used by chefs:
1. Smart oven technology
Smart appliances are becoming increasingly popular nowadays. These types of commercial kitchen equipment can be found in modern restaurants. Restaurant owners who are ready to invest in innovative restaurant equipment & supplies will know that a smart oven can help them save money and time.
For a chef, a smart oven will act as a reliable work partner, as it can be remote controlled and monitored, and will simplify most of their cooking and baking operations.
A cook and hold oven is a smart appliance that will adjust itself to a lower temperature after a meal has cooked, so the food will stay warm until it’s time to serve it. The chef will not have to worry about lowering the oven, and will be able to focus on other tasks.
2. Bluetooth temperature sensors
Bluetooth temperature sensors are another example of technology used by chefs nowadays. This can reduce the workload of chefs and other kitchen staff. Fixed sensors will automatically monitor the temperature of equipment present in the kitchen, and will record their temperature readings in daily reports.
It’s also possible to use handheld devices to measure temperature, but fixed sensors are an even more convenient option for busy chefs.
By keeping a close eye on the temperature of kitchen equipment, these sensors ensure that food safety standards will be respected, and that customers will stay healthy as they enjoy their meals.
3. Food safety management technology
Meeting food safety standards is essential for a restaurant, but chefs and kitchen staff often have better things to do than fill up paperwork to keep track of the different assets they have inspected in their kitchen.
A food safety management system can come in the form of a software or a mobile device app that can connect to a network of kitchen equipment to keep track of different food safety indicators. The system automatically fills up reports, and will remind the chef and their team whenever it’s time to conduct a kitchen inspection.
Chefs can then present their food safety management system reports to food inspectors visiting the restaurant.
4. Digital inventory tracking & automated purchasing technology
Keeping track of a restaurant’s inventory is a daunting task, but it can be simplified thanks to technology. The Internet of Things can be implemented in a commercial kitchen, so the different pieces of equipment a chef uses will be connected to form a remotely controlled network.
Thanks to the Internet of Things, it’s possible for a digital inventory tracking system to keep track of the restaurant’s inventory, but also to determine how much inventory the restaurant should have at any given time.
To make this technology even more convenient, an automated purchasing system can be set up to automatically place orders with vendors whenever a product in the inventory is about to be needed.
5. Kitchen display technology
A kitchen display system is a technology that improves communication between the front of house and the back of house of a restaurant. Instead of printing receipts to give them to the staff working in the kitchen, front of house staff will place orders through the system, and they will instantly appear on a monitor or on a tablet in the back of house.
The orders placed online by customers will also be displayed by the system, so the work of the chef and their team will be completed faster, and more consistently.
Customers will also receive their orders much faster, and everyone will be more satisfied.
6. Scheduling software technology
Some chefs are also the owners of their restaurant. But others have simply been pushed to taking care of staff scheduling and management, as well as payroll. Performing these additional tasks manually will keep a chef away from the kitchen for a long time, but fortunately, technology can come to the rescue.
A scheduling software can be used to quickly prepare a weekly schedule, and distribute it to all of the restaurant’s employees. The right people will be working at the right place, and at the right moment, and the chef will not have to try to figure out which employees will not be available, and which ones might not be necessary for a certain period of the day. The software will take care of everything, so the chef can go back to what they were truly meant to do.