Catering Equipment Guide: What Every Australian Catering Business Needs
- Plan the menu first: Every equipment decision flows from what you’re cooking and serving — don’t source equipment before the menu is confirmed.
- Cooking equipment: Deep fryers, combi ovens, convection ovens, cooktops and stoves — match the unit to your menu’s cooking methods and your site’s power supply.
- Cold storage: Refrigerated display units, chest freezers and bar fridges keep food safe and presentable at events — chilled transport is a separate requirement.
- Hot holding: Bain maries, hot food displays and pie warmers maintain safe serving temperatures for buffet and self-serve catering.
- Warewashing: A commercial dishwasher or glasswasher is one of the highest-return investments for a catering operation — it directly reduces labour cost at event close.
- Compliance: FSANZ Standard 3.2.2 requires hot food held above 60°C and cold food held at 5°C or below — your equipment must maintain these temperatures under real event conditions.
Choosing the right catering equipment for your business starts with one question: what does your menu require? Every equipment decision — cooking method, cold storage, hot holding, warewashing — flows from the food you’re producing and the conditions you’re producing it in.
This guide covers the commercial equipment decisions that matter most for Australian catering operations: what to buy, why, and what to confirm before you invest.
Cooking Equipment
The cooking equipment you need depends entirely on your menu. A catering operation serving canapes and cold food has entirely different requirements from one running full hot buffets. Confirm your menu before sourcing any cooking equipment.
Combi Oven
A combi oven combines dry heat, steam and combined modes in a single unit — roasting, baking, steaming and regenerating all from one appliance. For catering operations that cook in advance and reheat on site, a combi oven’s regeneration function is particularly valuable. It can replace multiple appliances and is the highest-output cooking investment for a catering kitchen.
Convection Oven
A commercial convection oven handles baking, roasting and general oven cooking at high volume. Fan-forced heat eliminates hot spots and cooks faster and more evenly than conventional ovens. The right choice for caterers producing large batch baking or roasting as part of their menu.
Deep Fryer
A commercial deep fryer is essential for any catering menu including chips, battered seafood, crumbed proteins or fried finger food. Available in benchtop and floor-standing configurations, gas and electric. Size to your peak output — an undersized fryer drops oil temperature and produces greasy product.
Commercial Cooktop and Stove
A commercial cooktop or stove gives catering kitchens the flexibility to pan-fry, sauté, reduce sauces and prepare dishes that can’t be produced in an oven. Available in gas and electric, with 2 to 6+ burner configurations depending on output requirements.
Pizza Oven
A commercial pizza oven delivers the high-heat, short-cycle cooking that pizza and flatbread require. For caterers offering pizza at events, a dedicated pizza oven produces significantly better results than a standard convection oven — and faster throughput during a busy service window.
High Speed Oven
A high speed oven combines microwave and convection technologies to cook food in a fraction of the time of a standard oven — without sacrificing browning or texture. Suited to catering operations running rapid turnaround service where oven capacity is the bottleneck.
Confirm Power Supply Before Ordering Cooking Equipment
Many commercial cooking appliances require three-phase power — combi ovens, full-size convection ovens and electric floor-standing fryers almost always do. Discovering this after delivery at an event venue means either a costly emergency electrician callout or equipment that can’t be used. Before ordering any large cooking appliance, confirm the power supply available at your primary kitchen and at the venues you regularly cater. Gas appliances require AGA-certified installation and an existing gas supply. Build these infrastructure requirements into your equipment budget from the start.
Food Preparation Equipment
High-volume catering demands food preparation equipment that can handle large batch work efficiently. The right equipment reduces prep time, improves consistency and lowers the labour cost per event.
Planetary Mixer
A planetary mixer handles batters, creams, whipped products, mashed potato and light doughs — one machine across multiple prep tasks. Available from 10L benchtop to 60L+ floor-standing models. For high-volume bread and pizza dough production, a spiral mixer is the more efficient specialist choice.
Food Processor
A commercial food processor handles high-volume chopping, slicing, shredding and pureeing — reducing prep time significantly on large event menus. Available in bowl and continuous feed configurations. The right choice for catering operations producing large quantities of salads, garnishes, sauces and prepared vegetable components.
Commercial Blender
A commercial blender or stick blender handles soups, sauces, smoothies and dressings at volume. For large batch sauce and soup production, a stick blender directly in a pot is faster and produces less washing up than a bench blender. Both have a place in a well-equipped catering kitchen.
Meat Slicer
A commercial meat slicer produces consistent, thin cuts of cold meats, cheese and charcuterie at scale — essential for catering operations running deli platters, grazing tables and charcuterie boards. Manual and automatic models available depending on volume.
Cold Storage and Refrigeration
Cold chain management is one of the highest food safety risks in catering. Food needs to be kept at 5°C or below from production through to service — and the equipment you choose must maintain this reliably, not just at your base kitchen but at the event.
Base kitchen refrigeration
Commercial upright fridges and commercial freezers are the backbone of cold storage at your production kitchen. Size to your peak pre-event production volume — the day before a large event, your fridges need to hold substantially more stock than a typical service day. Under bench fridges and chest freezers provide supplementary cold storage without consuming additional floor space.
Event refrigeration
For on-site event refrigeration, bar fridges keep beverages cold and accessible at the service point. Wine fridges maintain the precise temperature required for white and sparkling wine service. For events serving ice cream or frozen desserts, an ice cream display freezer keeps product at serving temperature while it remains visible to guests.
Hot Holding and Display Equipment
Hot holding equipment keeps cooked food at a safe serving temperature throughout a buffet or self-serve event. FSANZ Standard 3.2.3 requires hot food to be held at 60°C or above — equipment that can’t maintain this temperature under load puts both guests and your business at risk.
Bain Marie
A commercial bain marie keeps soups, stews, curries, vegetables and sauces at serving temperature throughout service using hot water or dry heat. The standard hot holding solution for buffet catering. Available in countertop and floor-standing configurations, wet and dry heat, with varying numbers of wells.
Hot Food Display Cabinet
A hot food display cabinet keeps cooked food hot and visible for self-serve or counter service. Suited to catering operations serving hot finger food, pastries, pies and snack items at events where self-serve display is part of the service format.
Pie Warmer
A pie warmer holds pies, sausage rolls and pastries at serving temperature with display lighting for customer-facing service. Available in benchtop configurations suited to catering counters and temporary service setups.
Chip Warmer
A chip warmer holds hot chips and fried sides at serving temperature under a heat lamp, preventing the soggy result that comes from holding in a closed container. Essential for catering operations serving fried food in a self-serve or buffet format.
Ice Machines and Beverage Equipment
Ice demand at catering events is consistently underestimated. On a warm day, a 100-person event can consume 50–100 kg of ice across drinks service, food chilling and display. Running out mid-event is an entirely avoidable problem.
A commercial ice machine ensures a consistent supply throughout the event. For catering operations running multiple events per week, an undercounter or modular ice machine at base kitchen level is the most cost-effective solution — producing and storing ice in advance of each event. Commercial drink dispensers and beverage equipment round out the drinks service setup for self-serve event formats.
Warewashing Equipment
Warewashing is where most catering operations underinvest — and where the labour cost of a poorly planned event is most visible. Manual washing at event close is slow, ties up staff and delays pack-down. The right commercial dishwasher turns hours of end-of-event labour into minutes.
Under-Bench Dishwasher
- Single-phase power — no special electrical infrastructure required
- 20–40 racks per hour throughput — suited to small to mid-size events
- Compact footprint — fits under a bench in most temporary kitchen setups
- The right choice for catering operations up to 80–100 covers per event
- See Snowmaster’s full range of under-bench dishwashers
Pass-Through Dishwasher
- Three-phase power required — confirm venue electrical supply
- 40–80 racks per hour — suited to mid to large events
- One-directional flow — dirty in one side, clean out the other — prevents cross-contamination and speeds up turnover significantly
- The right step up when an under-bench machine creates a post-event bottleneck
- See Snowmaster’s full range of pass-through dishwashers
For events serving significant quantities of glassware, a dedicated commercial glasswasher at the bar position significantly speeds up glass turnaround and reduces breakage compared to running glasses through a standard dishwasher.
The End-of-Event Warewashing Calculation
Before investing in a dishwasher, calculate the labour cost of manual washing at your average event close. For a 100-cover event, hand-washing crockery, glassware and serving equipment typically takes two staff members 90–120 minutes. At award rates, that’s $150–200 in labour per event — before factoring in venue hire for the extra hours. An underbench dishwasher at 30 racks per hour reduces that to 20–30 minutes for one staff member. The machine pays for itself in saved labour within a modest number of events. The larger the events you cater, the faster the return.
Australian Food Safety Compliance for Catering
- Temperature logging: Document food temperatures at key points — out of cold storage, after cooking, at service and at close. This is your evidence of compliance in the event of a food safety incident
- Cold chain transport: Food transported to events must remain at 5°C or below — confirm your transport containers or vehicles can maintain this on the hottest days you work
- Hot holding temperature: Bain maries and hot food displays must hold food at 60°C or above — check operating temperature under full load, not just when empty
- RCM certification: All electrical equipment used in your catering operation must carry the Regulatory Compliance Mark
Common Catering Equipment Mistakes
Avoid These
- Sourcing equipment before confirming the menu — every equipment decision flows from what you’re cooking; ordering before the menu is confirmed leads to gaps and duplications
- Underestimating ice demand — ice consumption at warm-weather events consistently exceeds expectations; size your ice machine to your peak event demand, not your average
- Not confirming power supply at venues — three-phase appliances at a venue without three-phase power is an operational crisis; always confirm electrical infrastructure before booking equipment
- Underinvesting in warewashing — manual washing at event close is the most avoidable labour cost in catering; a commercial dishwasher pays for itself faster than most equipment investments
- Hot holding equipment that can’t maintain 60°C under load — a bain marie that holds 60°C when half-full may drop below compliance when fully loaded in a cool outdoor environment; test under real conditions
- No documented temperature records — in the event of a food safety complaint, temperature logs are your defence; build logging into every event workflow
Frequently Asked Questions
What catering equipment do I need to start a catering business in Australia?
The core equipment for an Australian catering business depends on your menu, but a practical starting point includes a commercial convection oven or combi oven, a commercial cooktop, an underbench or upright fridge and freezer, a bain marie for hot holding, a commercial underbench dishwasher and a commercial ice machine. From there, add specialist equipment as your menu and event volume demands it — a deep fryer for fried menus, a planetary mixer for baking-focused operations, a meat slicer for deli and charcuterie service.
What temperature must catering food be held at?
FSANZ Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 require cold food to be held at 5°C or below and hot food to be held at 60°C or above throughout storage and service. The two-hour/four-hour rule applies to food held in the temperature danger zone (5°C–60°C) — food in this zone for more than four cumulative hours must be discarded. Your equipment must maintain these temperatures under real event conditions, including outdoor summer heat and high-access service periods.
What is the best oven for a catering business?
A combi oven is the most versatile and highest-return oven investment for most catering operations — it roasts, bakes, steams and regenerates pre-cooked food, effectively replacing multiple appliances. For catering operations focused heavily on baking, a commercial convection oven delivers high-volume, consistent results at a lower price point. The right choice depends on your menu’s cooking methods and whether regeneration of pre-cooked food is part of your workflow.
Do I need a commercial dishwasher for a catering business?
For any catering operation using reusable crockery and glassware, a commercial dishwasher is one of the highest-return equipment investments you can make. The labour cost of manual post-event washing is significant — two staff members hand-washing for 90 minutes per event adds up quickly across a season. A commercial underbench dishwasher reduces that to one staff member for 20–30 minutes. It also sanitises at 82°C, which hand-washing cannot achieve, supporting food safety compliance.
How do I keep food at the right temperature during a catering event?
Cold food requires adequate refrigeration at the event — bar fridges, chilled display units or portable coolers rated to maintain 5°C under ambient conditions. Hot food requires a bain marie or hot food display cabinet that maintains 60°C or above under full load. Both require checking under real event conditions — outdoor summer heat, direct sun and high-access service are all significantly different from the controlled conditions most equipment is tested in.
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