Keep the tea and coffee flowing at your next church event with these small appliances that complement your kitchen.
When your community gathers for an event, there’s always a lot to do , and your church volunteers are often be rushed off their feet. There are a number of appliances that can save time and effort, allowing you to run your day and enjoy it at the same time.
It’s not just your volunteers that can benefit from these time saving solutions. The right kitchen gadgets can also make your kitchen more appealing to people looking to rent out the space, whether it’s for a party or a corporate meeting.
Here are some suggestions from our Steelplan Church Kitchen experts:
HOT WATER
Think of the scenario: you’ve planned a community gathering, and everyone wants a hot drink. How many kettles would you have to fill, and how many would that serve? Not only is it a lot of heavy lifting, but it’s not ideal to keep people waiting. With a hot water dispenser, they don’t have to, as you’ll have hot water on tap and ready to go.
There are different types you can get, including ones directly installed on the wall, built into the tap itself, or portable vats that can be useful to take outside – what you choose should depend on how often you use it and what you need it for.
On the flip side, a water cooler can be a good idea too, especially for when the weather warms up.
MICROWAVE
It may seem like an obvious choice, but a microwave can save the day when you’re busy. From warming through food a kind member of your community has lovingly made, defrosting items, or reheating a forgotten cup of tea – a quick 30 seconds and you’re ready to go. There are both domestic and commercial options avaiable, depending on how pro you want to go with your kitchen gadgets.
These are usually at home on the worktop, but if your church kitchen or café is short on space, you can combine your oven to include a microwave.
DISHWASHER
When the fun of the fair is over, the prospect of washing up can be daunting. If your church kitchen or café has the space, then investing in a dishwasher to do it all for you is a sound one. Your volunteers can fill it, let it run overnight, and empty it in the morning – which after a busy day sounds so much better than standing over a sink.
Alternatively, if you need to flip dishes quickly – such as if you’re running a community café or hosting big events – you might prefer a commercial dishwasher that can have everything clean and ready to use again in a matter of minutes.
PLATE WARMER
There’s nothing worse than putting piping hot food on a cold plate – in fact, it reduces the heat of your food by half. A plate warmer may seem extravagant, but if you’re holding a cook off or a potluck, or using your kitchen for upmarket events like coroporate dinners or weddings, people will enjoy the food so much more if it stays warmer for longer.
OTHER EXTRAS
There are other appliances that can complement your semi-commercial kitchen. Holding a bake sale? A display case will keep them fresh and away from flies. There are also warming drawers or portable trays to keep food hot. They will come in handy during your church café opening times.
Of course, these are all optional and will depend on the amount of space you have and your budget – and if you need help deciding what’s right for you, we can help. Our kitchen experts have all the answers, having worked with churches up and down the UK to get them the perfect kitchen for their needs. They can always help you get the most out of your kitchen – even in small or listed buildings. Speak to them on 0844 809 9186 to get started, or send an email to [email protected].
