The Complete History of Commercial Kitchen Equipment: From Ancient Cooking Tools to Smart Kitchens

Where did the Commercial Kitchen Begin?

The history of the commercial kitchen is the history of civilization. Archeological remains of public eateries can be found in incredible ancient sites in Egypt, China, and India. Before Pompeii became its own hot spot it there used to be countertop ovens with inlaid soup stoves

Really as long as there is a big enough community of people, there needs to be a system that can help feed them. Cities create large populations of people who aren’t farmers and who need access to food.

By the time of the Song Dynasty in China, you already had established communal eating places where someone could order items from a menu. There are even documents about how picky some of the diners were. I guess some things never change.

How Did the Industrial Revolution Transform Commercial Kitchen Equipment?

The time of the French revolution was developmental for the world in lots of important ways. One way that often gets put on the back burner is how it effected the development and even the name of “Restaurant.”

Before the revolution, only the wealthiest would have people who could cook for them. The poor had to eat from large communal eateries or inns. But after the revolution all of those premier cooks were suddenly unemployed and needing a way to use their skills. And so the Restaurant “the place of restoration” was born!

As the industrial revolution continued to steam ahead before and after the French revolution vital technologies were being developed for the commercial kitchen.

• Mass-produced cast iron stoves and ovens

• Early mechanical refrigeration systems

• Improved ventilation and fire control technologies

To list a few.

How Did Technology Shape Commercial Kitchen Equipment in the 20th century?

The continued industrialization of the world, that was accelerated to new heights at the advent of the 20th century did not shy away from the commercial kitchen. After the world wars the world had an unprecedented level of manufacturing and metallurgical advancements.

Stainless steel became the king of the metals and this was equally true in the kitchen. The fact that it was corrosion resistant, easy to clean, and super durable made it the obvious choice. It soon became used to make parts of almost everything in the kitchen tables, sinks, refrigerators, everything.

Post war saw the rapid implementation of wartime technology for kitchen use, the microwave oven, dishwashers with drying systems.

Moreover, the world got a lot smaller with the establishing of global trade and logistics networks that brought a variety of flavor never seen before.

What about the Modern Commercial Kitchen?

The explosion of technology and social change that we are all familiar with have not left the kitchen behind,

• programmable commercial ovens

• digital kitchen equipment

• automated foodservice systems

• eco-friendly materials (bamboo, recycled metals)

• water-saving dishwashing systems

• reduced energy consumption across all equipment categories

• IoT-enabled appliances

• remote monitoring systems

• predictive maintenance technology

• automated cooking equipment

• touchless systems

• enhanced sanitation equipment

• high-efficiency ventilation solutions

And so many more. You can see a glimpse into the major events of the 21st century by looking at this list. The advent of smart touch screen technology, increased awareness of environmental issues, covid-19 related sanitation changes. The chaos of our era visible in the changes to our cooking.

And the Future?

I can't say that I know what the future will hold but what I can say is this:

The history of the commercial kitchen is the history of community and technology, that is to say it’s the history of the world!

Whatever happens and however things change, people will still come together for food, and that food will reflect them and the journey they take.