Set up new commercial kitchen equipment in six steps: inspect it before you sign for it, confirm services and clearances, have gas and electrical work done by a licensed trade, run the manufacturer's commissioning and burn-in, calibrate and record the settings, then train every operator before it goes into service. Skipping any of these is how warranty claims get refused.
📋 What this guide covers
- What to check before you sign the delivery docket
- Services, clearances and levelling
- Why gas and electrical connection must be a licensed trade
- Commissioning and the first burn-in
- Calibration and recording your settings
- Training, documentation and protecting the warranty
1. Inspect before you sign
The delivery docket is the moment your leverage is highest. Once you sign for goods in good order, a transit damage claim gets much harder.
Before signing: check the packaging for crush damage, count the cartons against the packing list, and open the crate if you reasonably can. Look for dents, bent legs, cracked glass, damaged control panels and missing feet or shelves. Photograph anything suspect on the spot, and note it on the docket before you sign rather than after.
ℹ️ Measure the doorway before delivery day, not on it
Measure the machine's crated width and height against every doorway, corridor and lift it has to pass through. A machine that will not fit through the door becomes a return, a redelivery and a delayed opening.
2. Confirm services and clearances
Put the machine in its final position before connecting anything. Check the manufacturer's required clearances on every side and above — those figures exist because the airflow, heat dissipation and service access depend on them.
Level the unit using its adjustable feet. Refrigeration and ice machines need to be level to drain and cycle properly, ovens need it for even cooking, and fryers need it so the oil sits at a consistent depth. A spirit level takes two minutes and prevents months of odd faults.
3. Gas and electrical connection is licensed work
In Australia, gas fitting and fixed electrical work must be carried out by a licensed tradesperson. This is not optional, and doing it any other way puts your insurance, your warranty and your people at risk.
Give the trade the machine's data plate and installation manual before they attend. Confirm the supply matches: single phase or three phase, the amperage required, and for gas the correct gas type — natural gas and LPG are not interchangeable without the right conversion kit fitted by a licensed gas fitter.
🔧 Pro tip, keep the compliance paperwork
Ask for the electrical certificate of compliance and the gas compliance certificate at the time of installation, and file them with the machine's manual. You will need them for insurance, for a council inspection and for any warranty claim. Chasing them a year later is painful.
4. Commissioning and the first run
Most equipment needs a specific first-run procedure, and it is in the manual for a reason.
- Ovens and cooking equipment: Usually need a burn-in cycle at high temperature to cure protective coatings and manufacturing oils. Expect smoke and an odour, run the extraction, and do it before any food goes near it.
- Refrigeration: Should be left standing upright for the period stated in the manual before switching on, so the oil settles back into the compressor. Then let it pull down to temperature empty before you load it.
- Fryers: Need the pan cleaned of manufacturing residue and filled to the marked oil level before first heating. Never run a fryer element dry.
- Dishwashers and ice machines: Need a full flush cycle and, in most cases, a sanitising cycle before first use.
Remove every scrap of protective film. Film left on a hot surface bakes on and is extremely difficult to remove afterwards.
5. Calibrate and record the settings
Do not trust the dial. Check the actual temperature with a calibrated probe thermometer and compare it to what the machine says. Ovens, fryers, bain maries and refrigeration all drift, and knowing the offset from day one saves a great deal of guesswork later.
Write down the settings you land on and keep them with the machine. When a new staff member changes something, or after a service, you have a known-good reference to return to.
ℹ️ Register the warranty on the day
Many warranties require registration within a set period and proof of professional installation. Do it during setup while the serial number, invoice and compliance certificates are all in front of you.
6. Train before it goes into service
New equipment fails fastest in its first month, usually because nobody read the manual. Before the machine takes its first order, run every operator through it: how to start and stop it, what the controls do, what the safety interlocks are, how to clean it, and what to do if it faults.
Put a simple laminated one-page instruction near the machine covering start-up, shutdown and daily cleaning. Keep the full manual somewhere findable, not in a drawer in the office.
7. Set the maintenance schedule immediately
The day the machine goes in is the day to diarise its servicing. Filters, seals, descaling and scheduled services all have intervals in the manual. Put them in the calendar now, because nobody remembers in eight months.
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Final thoughts
Setup is the cheapest opportunity you will ever have to protect a large purchase. Inspect before signing, use licensed trades, follow the commissioning procedure, calibrate against a real thermometer, and train the team before service. An hour of care at installation routinely saves thousands over the life of the machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check the packaging for crush damage, count cartons against the packing list, and open the crate if you can. Look for dents, bent legs, cracked glass and missing parts. Photograph any damage and note it on the delivery docket before signing, because signing for goods in good order makes a transit claim much harder.
No. In Australia, gas fitting and fixed electrical work must be done by a licensed tradesperson. Doing it any other way risks your insurance, your warranty and your staff. Give the trade the data plate and installation manual beforehand, and keep the compliance certificates they issue.
A burn-in is a first high-temperature run that cures protective coatings and manufacturing oils on new cooking equipment. Expect smoke and an odour, run the extraction, and complete it before any food goes near the machine. Check the manual, because the procedure varies by model.
Follow the period stated in the manual for that model. The purpose is to let compressor oil settle back after transport. Once switched on, let the unit pull down to temperature while empty before loading it with product.
Displayed and actual temperature often differ. Check with a calibrated probe thermometer, work out the offset, and record it. Also confirm the unit is level and has the clearances the manufacturer specifies, because restricted airflow is a common cause of poor temperature control.
