Food Truck Equipment and Supplies Buying Guide
It’s easy to assume that designing and outfitting a food truck is less complicated than designing a restaurant kitchen. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The small size of a food truck poses unique challenges for operational efficiency and often influences what your truck can and can’t serve. Food truck equipment must be compact but capable of producing quality food quickly.
So what equipment is needed for a food truck? Undercounter refrigerators are a must. Depending on the food truck's menu, compact ovens, griddles, or charbroilers can be necessary. You’ll need storage containers, cooking utensils, and signage, not to mention disposable containers, flatware, and drinkware. A complete food truck equipment list is surprisingly long for such a small workspace.
Chefs’ Toys has provided the mobile food service industry with high-quality food truck equipment since 1988. Here’s our advice on what equipment you need for a food truck, from commercial appliances to disposables.
Undercounter and Worktop Refrigeration
Adequate refrigeration is required for any food truck to preserve fresh ingredients and keep canned beverages cool. Commercial under-counter refrigerators are an ideal solution, offering excellent storage space in a small form factor.
Given limited space, appliances capable of performing double duty are highly valued. Worktop refrigerators and freezers have all the storage space of undercounter fridges but offer built-in workspace on the top of the appliance. Whether you choose under-counter refrigerators or worktop models depends in part on any existing workspace in your truck.
Countertop Griddles, Hotplates, and Charbroilers
Unless you specialize in beverages and ice cream, your food truck will probably include equipment capable of preparing hot food. The most common commercial appliances used in the mobile food industry include countertop griddles, hotplates, and charbroilers.
- Countertop griddles are versatile, easy to operate, and are well-suited for multiple applications, from making pancakes to frying up meat or other ingredients. The wide working area of a griddle makes it possible to cook several items at once.
- Countertop Hot Plates make it possible to boil, saute, and stir-fry food while keeping soups or sauces piping hot. Single-burner and double-burner hotplates are best suited as food truck equipment, but some trucks may need four-burners, depending on their menu choices.
- Charbroilers give hamburgers, steaks, and other food a distinctly smokey flavor and visually appealing grill marks. Compact charbroilers can have one to six broilers and still fit into the confines of a food truck.
Commercial Storage and Containers
Food storage can present challenges to even large kitchens. In a food truck, it’s critical that all storage be neat and organized. Food truck storage covers multiple products, including such items as:
- Containers and Lids
- Boxes and Covers
- Plastic food pans
- Ingredient lids
- Jars and ingredient canisters
Food Serving Baskets and Disposables
Food baskets and disposables are to food trucks what dinnerware and flatware are to restaurants — you need something to serve food on, and unless you serve finger food exclusively, you need utensils for your customers. Typical food truck disposables include:
While the disposables mentioned above are usually sufficient for food trucks, if you specialize in certain types of food, you may also need picks, cones, ramekins, or tasting cups.
Signs and Easels
The final item on your food truck list should be signs and easels. You’ll need Employees Only signs to prevent customers from accessing food preparation areas and Order Here and Pick Up Here signs to direct customers to where they need to go. An Open/Closed sign is essential, and you may also want Write-On Boards with markers and chalk to advertise your menu and prices.
Explore Food Truck Equipment and Supplies
We hope this helps you understand what equipment you need for a food truck. The mobile food service industry is booming, and there’s never been a better time to take your food on the road!
Browse Chefs’ Toys food truck equipment for inspiration, or contact our team of professional kitchen designers for help planning the layout of your food truck kitchen.
