How to furnish a Dark Kitchen: ISA’s guide
Behind the services of food delivery lie large “invisible” kitchens, which are fully equipped in order to quickly and efficiently manage the requests received via app. This is the so-called Dark Kitchen: how does it work and why does it represent an increasingly important phenomenon in the world of catering?
Dark kitchen: what is it
Unlike the traditional kitchen – connected to a place with customers and service in presence – the Dark kitchen is a professional “closed” environment that does not communicate directly with the outside. It is reserved for personnel specialized in food preparation and preservation – including chefs – and dedicated to logistics operations. Compared to the classic restaurant, this environment must manage and aggregate different gastronomic proposals, with all the challenges that come with it from an organizational point of view. Normally, the Dark kitchen can count on large spaces and fully equipped laboratories that allow to manage the requests in a flexible and highly efficient way.
Cold technology for the Dark Kitchen: blast chillers
The best performing blast chillers are the products of the Zero line, which is included in ISA’s Lab catalog. These units are also available in an All Inclusive version, offering a wide range of functions and work programs: including the complete management of natural leavening cycles – with perfect temperature and humidity control -, tempering – for the preparation of ready meals – and low temperature cooking. Temperature detection is flawless, thanks to the single point core probe. Moreover, thanks to the hermetic compressor and low-noise fans, the working environment is silent and comfortable, without forgetting the technical devices to avoid heat loss and to maximize ergonomics and ease of cleaning.
Refrigerated Cabinets and Tables for the Dark Kitchen
ISA’s Lab products are capable of satisfying even the most demanding requirements in terms of laboratory cabinets, with static or ventilated refrigeration systems, as well as high-load capacity solutions such as the Magnum Plus storage cabinet, which is ideal for ice cream and pastries. The range of refrigerated tables offers virtually endless options in terms of configuration. Optimal cold distribution is guaranteed by the conveyed air flow, which creates a homogeneous temperature inside the counter. Reversible doors, tops with and without risers, pull-out drawers, grids and racks make up the ideal set-up for each type of product. Reducing management costs is inevitably one of the objectives of the Dark kitchen: this is achieved thanks to high energy efficiency – an element common to all the proposals in the catalog – and advanced solutions for monitoring equipment and managing technical interventions.
Modularity and simplicity of configuration
The professional kitchen – even more so if declined in the Dark kitchen version – must guarantee an agile design and the possibility of changing, if necessary, the configuration according to the needs of the moment. The Abaco range of catering equipment, made up of semi-finished steel products that can be adapted to any context, responds perfectly to this need. The catalog includes static and ventilated refrigerated cells, counters, showcases and drop-in units. The layout can be worked out in real time, thanks to a targeted consulting service that makes it possible to quickly perfect the order. Even more immediate is the ISA configurator, designed for the do-it-yourself creation of simple 3D projects: ideal for easily outfitting your laboratory with refrigerated counters, cabinets and professional equipment for the storage and preservation of food.