If you have just set up, or are planning to set up, your first catering business, then the whole world of commercial catering equipment will be a bit of a blur to you.
Domestic catering equipment is so different, and you most likely won't know where to start when looking at the commercial side of things.
My advice would be to start with your budget before looking at what you want, that way you know where you should be looking.
Used catering equipment is certainly a viable option; you can pick up equipment that is a few years old for half the price of the original.
As long as it has been regularly serviced and there is proof to say that, then you shouldn't be put off.
Too many people have a negative perception of used equipment that is it a silly route to go down.
If your budget is tight, see if what you are looking for is available in used condition and take it from there.
Compare the price to the new version, and of course take into account factors such as condition, age and so on.
A sensible place to start is by considering what the catering equipment will be getting used for.
Consider the maximum amount of people you will be catering for, as this will affect the size and specification of the equipment you should be looking at.
If you aren't too sure what catering equipment to be looking for once you do decide on the information you need then do some research on the Internet, or even better, call up a few catering equipment companies.
There is an endless supply of them online, and most should be more than happy to help you out.
As regards the specification of the equipment, every category of equipment will vary in a different way depending on what you need it for.
For example, you will struggle to cope with a regular commercial refrigerator if you are planning on serving 150 customers! Make a list of everything you think you will need, such as cutlery, crockery, linen, chafing dishes and so on.
Go over it a few times as it is all too easy to miss certain items out.
All the little things are again heavily dependent on the type of catering business you will be running.
If you will be catering to large numbers and therefore need catering equipment which is powerful enough to cope, then you may struggle to have enough budget for smaller items such as uniforms.
So you may have to seriously consider used catering equipment in order to be able to afford everything you need.
As was said, try doing some research into what other people have done, and ask suppliers for some advice.
Good luck!
Domestic catering equipment is so different, and you most likely won't know where to start when looking at the commercial side of things.
My advice would be to start with your budget before looking at what you want, that way you know where you should be looking.
Used catering equipment is certainly a viable option; you can pick up equipment that is a few years old for half the price of the original.
As long as it has been regularly serviced and there is proof to say that, then you shouldn't be put off.
Too many people have a negative perception of used equipment that is it a silly route to go down.
If your budget is tight, see if what you are looking for is available in used condition and take it from there.
Compare the price to the new version, and of course take into account factors such as condition, age and so on.
A sensible place to start is by considering what the catering equipment will be getting used for.
Consider the maximum amount of people you will be catering for, as this will affect the size and specification of the equipment you should be looking at.
If you aren't too sure what catering equipment to be looking for once you do decide on the information you need then do some research on the Internet, or even better, call up a few catering equipment companies.
There is an endless supply of them online, and most should be more than happy to help you out.
As regards the specification of the equipment, every category of equipment will vary in a different way depending on what you need it for.
For example, you will struggle to cope with a regular commercial refrigerator if you are planning on serving 150 customers! Make a list of everything you think you will need, such as cutlery, crockery, linen, chafing dishes and so on.
Go over it a few times as it is all too easy to miss certain items out.
All the little things are again heavily dependent on the type of catering business you will be running.
If you will be catering to large numbers and therefore need catering equipment which is powerful enough to cope, then you may struggle to have enough budget for smaller items such as uniforms.
So you may have to seriously consider used catering equipment in order to be able to afford everything you need.
As was said, try doing some research into what other people have done, and ask suppliers for some advice.
Good luck!