The Complete Guide to Buying Catering Equipment in Australia (2026)
Quick Summary
- Cooking: The core of any catering operation — combi ovens, convection ovens, deep fryers, stoves, and char grills cover most production needs.
- Refrigeration: Upright fridges for bulk storage, under-bench and drawer fridges for service, blast chillers for cook-chill workflow.
- Food holding & display: Bain maries, pie warmers, hot food displays, and food warming carts keep food at temperature during service.
- Warewashing: Match your dishwasher type to your volume — under-bench for small operations, pass-through for mid-size, conveyor for high-volume venues.
- Prep & benches: Stainless steel benches, sinks, mixers, food processors, and slicers form the backbone of your prep infrastructure.
- Buy for your peak: Size all equipment for your busiest service period, not your average — undersized equipment creates bottlenecks that compound across every category.
“Catering equipment” covers everything from the cooking line to the pass, from cold storage to the dishwashing run. For businesses setting up or upgrading a commercial kitchen, the challenge isn’t finding options — it’s knowing which categories matter most for your specific operation, and what to prioritise within each.
This guide covers the full range of catering equipment available through Snowmaster, organised by category. Whether you’re equipping a restaurant kitchen, a function venue, an aged care facility, or a catering business, use it as a reference for what you need and links to the relevant buying guides.
Cooking Equipment
The cooking line is where most catering operations start when planning equipment. What you need depends on your menu, your volume, and your service style.
Combi Ovens
Combines convection heat and steam in one unit — bakes, roasts, steams, and regenerates. The single most productive oven in a professional kitchen. Unox is the dominant brand in Snowmaster’s range.
Convection Ovens
Fan-forced hot air for even, consistent baking and roasting. Lower cost than combi, simpler operation. The right choice when steam cooking isn’t required.
Commercial Deep Fryers
Gas and electric models across a range of oil capacities. Covers everything from chips and crumbed products to donuts. See also the dedicated donut fryer range.
Commercial Stoves
Gas and electric stoves in 4, 6, and 8-burner configurations. The workhorse of any full-service kitchen. Pair with char grills, salamanders, and cooktops to complete your cooking line.
Commercial Wok Burners
80,000–200,000+ BTU output — purpose-built for wok cooking. Chimney and duckbill burner configurations, 1–4 rings, waterless and water-cooled. Luus, Goldstein, Jasper, LKK, and Cobra.
High-Speed Ovens
Combines microwave, convection, and impingement heat for cook times up to 15x faster than a standard oven. Merrychef is the leading brand. Suited to cafés and venues needing rapid food-to-order production.
Refrigeration and Cold Storage
Cold storage is the second largest capital investment in most commercial kitchens, and getting the configuration right from the start avoids expensive retrofitting.
Commercial Upright Fridges
The primary cold storage solution for most kitchens. Single and double door models, solid and glass door options. Key for mise en place, dairy, proteins, and prepared components.
Under-Bench Fridges
Maximise bench space while keeping ingredients cold at the point of use. Essential for busy service lines. See also drawer fridges for prep stations and pass positions.
Blast Chillers
Rapidly cools cooked food from 70°C to 3°C in under 90 minutes — meeting FSANZ cooling requirements and enabling efficient batch cooking. Essential for catering businesses, aged care, and production kitchens.
Commercial Freezers
Upright freezers, chest freezers, and under-bench freezers for long-term frozen storage. Size based on your batch cooking frequency and the volume of frozen product you turn over per week.
Pizza Prep Fridges
Refrigerated prep surface with ingredient pans above and storage below — the standard for pizza stations and sandwich bars. See also cake display fridges, deli display fridges, and sushi display fridges.
Bar Fridges
Under-counter bar fridges for front-of-house beverage storage. Also covers wine fridges and cold food displays for retail-style food presentation.
Food Holding and Display
For catering operations specifically — events, functions, buffets, and institutional service — food holding equipment is critical. It keeps food at safe serving temperatures from kitchen to table and across extended service periods.
| Equipment | Use Case | Key Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Bain Maries | Wet heat holding for sauces, soups, gravies, and moist dishes at buffets and service counters | Size by number of pans required; countertop vs drop-in depending on your service setup |
| Hot Food Displays | Heated display cabinets for front-of-house food presentation at cafés, delis, and takeaways | Glass display models for visibility; solid door for heat retention in back-of-house |
| Pie Warmers | Holding and displaying pies, sausage rolls, and pastries at correct serving temperature | Capacity by number of units; benchtop vs floor-standing for high volume |
| Chip Warmers | Holding fried products at correct temperature and texture for service | Lamp-style vs heated cabinet; throughput volume determines size |
| Food Warming Carts | Mobile holding for events, off-site catering, and institutional service rounds | Essential for any catering operation moving food from a central kitchen to a service point |
| Soup Kettles | Holding and displaying soups, sauces, and hot beverages at service counters | Capacity in litres; single vs double kettle for variety |
Food Preparation Equipment
Prep equipment determines how efficiently your kitchen can convert raw ingredients into service-ready food. Getting the right mix of prep equipment significantly reduces labour cost and prep time.
Planetary Mixers
The standard for bakeries, pastry kitchens, and any operation mixing dough, batters, or creams at volume. Available in 5L to 40L+ bowl capacities. See also spiral mixers for high-volume bread dough.
Commercial Food Processors
Cuts, slices, dices, and purées at volume. Reduces prep time significantly for any kitchen producing large quantities of vegetables, proteins, or sauces.
Meat Slicers
Precision slicing for deli meats, smallgoods, and cheese. Essential for any delis, sandwich bars, or catering operations with consistent slicing needs.
Vacuum Sealers
Extends shelf life of prepared foods and enables sous vide cooking. Particularly valuable for catering businesses preparing food in advance of events. See also sous vide equipment.
Warewashing and Dishwashing
Warewashing is the category most catering operations underinvest in at setup and pay for in daily labour and service pace. The right machine type for your volume makes a significant operational difference.
| Type | Capacity | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Glasswashers | 20–40 racks/hr | Bars and venues with high glassware volume; dedicated bar warewashing alongside a kitchen dishwasher |
| Under-Bench Dishwashers | 20–40 racks/hr | Small cafés, restaurants, and low-to-medium volume kitchens; single-phase power |
| Pass-Through Dishwashers | 40–80 racks/hr | Mid-size restaurants, pubs, catering kitchens; three-phase power required |
| Conveyor Dishwashers | 100–240 racks/hr | Hotels, clubs, aged care, stadiums, large function venues; three-phase power required |
| Utensil & Pot Washers | Varies | Central kitchens, production facilities, large-scale catering with heavy pot washing requirements |
For a full guide to choosing the right dishwasher type, see our Commercial Dishwasher Buying Guide.
Stainless Steel Benches, Sinks, and Shelving
Bench infrastructure is the connective tissue of a catering kitchen. A well-planned bench run determines your prep efficiency, food safety compliance, and how smoothly staff move through the kitchen during service.
Core Bench Infrastructure
- Kitchen Benches — workbenches with splashback for wall-positioned prep stations; available in 600mm to 1800mm widths in 304 or 430 grade stainless steel
- Stainless Steel Tables — freestanding prep tables without splashback; ideal for island and central kitchen positions
- Mobile Workbenches — castored benches for kitchens that need reconfigurable prep areas or off-site catering use
- Double Sinks and Single Sinks — FSANZ compliance requires appropriate washing facilities; double sinks for most commercial wash-up areas
- Overshelves and Wall Shelves — add vertical storage above bench runs without consuming floor space
- Dishwasher Inlet and Outlet Benches — essential companions to any pass-through or conveyor dishwasher; plan 900–1500mm on each side
For a full guide, see our Stainless Steel Kitchen Equipment Guide.
Beverage Equipment
Hot Water Urns
High-capacity urns for tea, instant coffee, and hot water service at events and institutional kitchens. Available in 10L to 40L+ capacities. Essential for any catering operation serving large numbers at once.
Commercial Blenders
High-powered blenders for smoothies, sauces, soups, and cocktails. See also commercial juicers, milkshake makers, and drink dispensers.
Commercial Ice Makers
Self-contained ice production for bars, beverage stations, and food service. Size by kg/day output relative to your peak demand — always err on the side of more capacity.
Bar Fridges
Under-counter refrigeration for front-of-house beverage service. See also commercial wine fridges for temperature-controlled wine storage.
Key Buying Principles for Catering Equipment
Before You Buy
- Size for your peak, not your average — undersized equipment creates daily bottlenecks that cost more in labour and service friction than the price difference between sizes
- Confirm power supply before purchasing cooking and dishwashing equipment — combi ovens, conveyor dishwashers, pass-through dishwashers, and large cooking equipment typically require three-phase 415V power; confirm your supply before ordering
- Plan bench infrastructure alongside equipment — every dishwasher needs inlet and outlet benches; every oven needs landing space; every prep station needs appropriate bench and sink access
- Account for ventilation — cooking equipment, dishwashers, and fryers all require adequate exhaust ventilation; plan canopy size and position alongside equipment selection
- Buy from brands with Australian service networks — equipment that breaks down with no local service support costs far more than the saving on the purchase price
- Factor in running costs — energy consumption, water usage, and chemical costs vary significantly between models; total cost of ownership over 5–10 years often differs more than the purchase price
Frequently Asked Questions
What catering equipment do I need to start a commercial kitchen?
The essentials for most commercial kitchens are: a cooking line (oven, stove or cooktop, fryer depending on menu), cold storage (upright fridge and freezer), a commercial dishwasher sized to your volume, stainless steel bench infrastructure including sinks, and food preparation equipment matched to your menu. The specific mix depends heavily on your cuisine type and covers — a café has very different priorities to a function venue or a production kitchen.
What is the difference between catering equipment and commercial kitchen equipment?
The terms are often used interchangeably. “Catering equipment” can specifically refer to equipment used for off-site or event catering — food warming carts, bain maries, hot water urns, and portable cooking equipment. “Commercial kitchen equipment” typically refers to fixed or semi-fixed equipment in a permanent kitchen. Snowmaster supplies both — everything from portable food warming carts and urns for events through to full commercial kitchen fit-outs.
How do I choose the right oven for a catering operation?
A combi oven is the most versatile choice for most catering operations — it handles baking, roasting, steaming, and food regeneration in one unit. A convection oven is a lower-cost option when steam cooking isn’t required. For high-speed food-to-order production, a high-speed oven (Merrychef) delivers dramatically faster cook times. Match the capacity in GN trays to your batch cooking volume and peak covers.
Do I need a blast chiller for a catering business?
For any catering business cooking food in advance of events, a blast chiller is strongly recommended. It cools food rapidly from 70°C to 3°C — meeting the FSANZ cooling requirements of Food Standards Code 3.2.2 and enabling safe storage of batch-cooked food. Without a blast chiller, food must cool in ambient conditions, which is slower, less safe, and harder to document for HACCP compliance.
What catering equipment do I need for a large event?
For large events the key equipment categories are: food production (combi oven, stoves, fryers), food holding and transport (food warming carts, bain maries, hot water urns), cold storage (upright and under-bench fridges, blast chiller for cook-chill), and warewashing (at minimum a pass-through dishwasher for 100+ covers). The specific requirements depend on whether food is prepared on-site or transported from a central kitchen.
Snowmaster has supplied commercial kitchen and catering equipment to Australian restaurants, cafés, hotels, aged care facilities, schools, and catering businesses since 1945. We stock the full range — cooking, refrigeration, dishwashing, food prep, benches, and beverage equipment — with delivery across Australia and finance available.
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