When you have a restaurant, you have a lot to juggle. It doesn’t matter if you have a full-blown Mexican restaurant or a quaint bakery; the process is the same. You must get permits, licenses, employees, and much more. One of the things you need to consider is the equipment you’ll need in your kitchen, and that can vary depending on the type of restaurant you’ll have.

One piece of equipment, particularly, is important for any restaurant that makes its living mixing dough: the commercial mixer. If you already have one, congratulations! You’re already one step ahead! However, if your mixer is starting to malfunction, it might be time to get an upgrade. Below, we’ll discuss the signs it’s time to upgrade your commercial mixer and considerations you should keep in mind when you’re ready to get your new one. Read on below for more.

When To Let It Go

Many of us like to hang onto equipment, but sometimes it’s important to know when to let something go. This is especially true with your mixer. However, what are some signs that it’s time to upgrade your commercial mixer? Here are a few things you should look out for.

Decreased Efficiency

The more mixers age, the less efficient they become. Because of this, you might notice lower-quality end products and longer mixing times. If you notice your dough isn’t coming out as uniform or the texture isn’t the quality you want, it might be time to bite the bullet and buy a new commercial mixer.

There’s nothing worse than having a line out the door and not being able to promptly satisfy your customer’s needs when you’re all out of products. Your customers will remember those long wait times, so you’ll want to stay on top of things and buy a new dough mixer.

Frequent Repairs and Breakdowns

No one wants to constantly repair their mixer. Frequent breakdowns cause nasty instances of downtime and production loss, but did you know it’s also a safety hazard? Any mixer that breaks down could accidentally hurt the person operating it, and since your employee’s safety is your top priority, you need to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

Additionally, frequent repairs will end up costing you more than the price of a new mixer. Trust us when we say repairs are just a bandage on the bigger problem, and when it breaks down for good, you could be out thousands of dollars.

Capacity Limitations

Small businesses don’t necessarily stay small forever. You always need to leave room for growth.

If you have a line down the block during rush hour but can’t seem to get your products out in time, it might be time to get a bigger commercial mixer that can handle the capacity you’re looking to output. Your end product will come out to the sales floor quicker, giving you significant room to grow your business.

It’s Outdated

Technology is always changing, and restaurants aren’t exempt from these changes. If you find that your mixer lacks all the functions you want and no longer meets your needs, why would you want to hold onto it? Mixers with new tech are perfect for meeting new regulations and standards. These regulations could change yearly, so if your mixer is 10 years old, it won’t work as well as a newer one. It’s a great return on investment, boosting your productivity and efficiency. So why not invest in it?

Safety First

Sometimes, wear and tear can make your mixer a serious safety hazard. We mentioned earlier that you must keep your employees safe. Replacing a faulty mixer is the best way to do this. If you don’t and something happens to your employee, you and your business could be liable for damages, and no one wants to deal with a lawsuit. A lawsuit can ruin your business and your reputation.

Why should your customers trust you with their hard-earned money when they can’t trust you to take care of those employees who are on the front line of your business? Get a new mixer and save yourself the headache.

Choosing the Right Mixer

Now that we’ve convinced you to get another mixer, deciding which one will be best for your needs is important. This will determine factors like output, uniformity, efficiency, and the kind of mixer you’ll get. Let’s dive into a few considerations you’ll need to make when finding the right mixer for you.

Planetary vs. Spiral

When you buy a new mixer, you’ll likely come across a few terms you don’t quite understand, such as the differences between spiral and planetary mixers. We got you covered. A planetary mixer has an offset shaft. This shaft makes several revolutions inside the mixing bowl. While it’s doing this, the bowl itself stays still. This way, your mixer doesn’t leave any area of the bowl untouched. Because of this, you can expect it to be more uniform and evenly textured overall.

Spiral mixers are gentle and efficiently knead and mix whatever dough you put in it. It allows you more control over the revolutions, which makes it a wise choice for people who make large amounts of bread loaves and pizza.

Absorption Rate

You must understand the absorption rate of your ingredients if you’re mixing dough. For example, a 70 percent water absorption rate means that 70 pounds of water can hydrate 100 pounds of flour.

Safety Features

We mentioned earlier that safety should be your top concern for your employees and business. Accidents happen, so look at the safety measures that manufacturers have incorporated to make their products safer, then compare them with other mixers. At the least, you should see a bowl guard—which keeps fingers, utensils, and clothes from getting trapped in the bowl while it’s running. You should have a no-voltage release coil that trips the motor so that it doesn’t come on after you’ve cut off the power supply. Finally, you need a support interlock. This keeps your bowl stationary while the agitator does its job.

In conclusion, now that you know why you should upgrade your dough mixer, it’s just time for you to buy one. Work with us at Pro Restaurant Services, where we can get you the proper equipment—including dough mixers—for your restaurant. Contact us for more info.