Planning a commercial kitchen: ventilation, hoods, stainless steel furniture
Are you opening a restaurant, planning a canteen, or modernizing a clinic kitchen? Anyone looking to plan a professional commercial kitchen must consider ventilation, hoods, stainless steel equipment, and fire protection from the outset. This guide will walk you through all trades step-by-step – including a cost overview.
In practice, kitchen projects rarely fail due to the technology itself, but rather due to a lack of coordination: the ventilation is undersized, the hoods don't match the arrangement of the cooking stations, and fire protection only becomes an issue during the acceptance inspection. Those who start early with a well-thought-out overall concept avoid expensive modifications during operation and pass inspections without unpleasant surprises. The following sections explain what is important for each trade and in what order you should proceed.
Needs Analysis: How many meals per day?
At the beginning of every kitchen planning process is the question of capacity: How many meals should be prepared per day – and within what timeframe? Almost all subsequent decisions are derived from this number: the required space, the size and number of cooking appliances, the necessary ventilation capacity, and ultimately the budget. An honest needs analysis is therefore not a formality, but the foundation of the entire project.
Don't just think about current needs. A successful restaurant quickly expands its menu; a company canteen grows with the business. Therefore, plan for reserves – a subsequent expansion of ventilation and electrical systems is significantly more complex and expensive than proactive initial planning. Workflows also belong in this early phase: goods reception, storage, preparation, cooking, serving, and dishwashing areas should ideally not cross paths to ensure hygiene and efficiency in daily operations.
The following categorization has proven useful for general orientation:
| Category | Meals/Day |
|---|---|
| Small Restaurant Kitchen | 50–100 |
| Medium Gastronomy / Small Canteen | 100–500 |
| Clinic / Hotel Restaurant | 500–2,000 |
| Commercial Kitchen / Catering / Cafeteria | 2,000+ |
These categories are intentionally broad. Ultimately, the specific food concept is decisive: A kitchen that cooks fresh food daily requires more space, appliance performance, and exhaust air than a purely regeneration kitchen that only reheats and plates delivered components.
Ventilation, Hoods, and Fire Protection according to DIN EN 16282
Kitchen ventilation is mandatory in every commercial kitchen – and at the same time the trade with the greatest impact on the working climate and safety. Cooking produces large quantities of fumes, a mixture of water vapor, grease aerosols, and odors. If these fumes are not captured directly at the cooking station, grease accumulates on ceilings, walls, and equipment, humidity rises, and staff work under conditions that can negatively impact health and concentration in the long run.
Therefore, the principle applies: capture where the fumes originate. Choose suitable hoods and kitchen exhaust technology based on the cooking station arrangement and performance. Don't forget the supply air: what is extracted at the top must be able to flow in without drafts – otherwise, negative pressure, poorly closing doors, and unpleasant drafts at the workplace will occur.
Hood Types
The choice of hood type primarily depends on where the cooking appliances are located and how the kitchen is organized:
- Wall-mounted hood – cooking line against a wall
- Ceiling-mounted hood – central cooking island
- Induction hood – highly efficient
- Combi-steamer hood – specifically for combi ovens
- Counter hood – open counter / show kitchen
In practice, several hood types are often combined – for example, a wall-mounted hood over the cooking line and a separate combi-steamer hood that reliably captures the abrupt steam release when opening the appliance.
Filter Requirement in the Hood
Within the hood itself, a multi-stage filter system works to retain grease and sparks before the exhaust air enters the duct system. This not only protects the system from grease deposits but is also the most important measure against grease fires in the exhaust duct:
- Flame arrestor filter (DIN EN 16282-7) – mandatory
- Mesh filter as a pre-grease separator
- Activated carbon filter for odor neutralization
All details regarding filter requirements can be found in the guide Flame Arrestor Filters in Commercial Kitchens. Suitable air filters for regular maintenance can be found directly in our shop.
Fire Protection in Three Stages
Fire protection in commercial kitchens is tiered: the higher the installed connected load, the more extensive the required measures. This makes sense, as the grease load and fire load in the exhaust system increase with performance.
- Flame arrestor filter in the hood (standard)
- Smoke and heat exhaust fan for connected loads over 25 kW – see Smoke and Heat Exhaust Fans
- Automatic fire suppression system from 50 kW (CO₂, water mist)
Attention: Violations of DIN EN 16282-7 (flame arrestor filters) can result in fines of up to €50,000. The guide Fire Dampers in Ventilation Systems explains how fire protection in duct systems works.
Stainless Steel Furniture and Equipment (DIN 18866 / GN Standards)
Stainless steel equipment is the heart of any commercial kitchen. Stainless steel has established itself in the professional sector because it can be processed with minimal joints, withstands high temperatures and aggressive cleaning agents, and can be cleaned hygienically. This is exactly what the hygiene concepts in gastronomy and communal catering require: smooth, closed surfaces without crevices where germs could accumulate.
When purchasing furniture, it's worth looking at the details: work tables with upturned edges prevent liquids from running behind the furniture; a base shelf provides additional storage space; cleanly finished corners and edges significantly facilitate daily cleaning. The GN standard dimensions also ensure that containers, appliances, and furniture from different manufacturers are compatible – a great advantage for future additions.
Typical basic equipment includes:
- Work tables – with/without base shelf, upturned edge
- Work cabinets – storage and preparation
- Heated cabinets – food warming 30–95 °C
- Dish cabinets – hygienic storage
- Wall shelves and wall-mounted cabinets
Stainless Steel Quality: 1.4301 (V2A) for dry areas, 1.4404 (V4A) for damp and aggressive areas. In dishwashing areas or wherever chlorine-containing cleaners are used, the higher-grade material is the safer choice.
Cost Overview: Example Restaurant Kitchen
What does a commercial kitchen cost? There's no single answer, as equipment levels, structural requirements, and appliance fleets vary significantly from project to project. Nevertheless, the following example calculation provides a realistic sense of the magnitudes and shows how the budget is distributed across the individual trades.
Example calculation for a medium-sized restaurant kitchen with 200 meals per day on 80 m²:
| Item | Costs |
|---|---|
| Complete Stainless Steel Furniture | €15,000–€25,000 |
| Ventilation + 2× Wall Hoods + Roof Fan | €8,000–€15,000 |
| Initial Filter Equipment + Maintenance | €500–€1,500 |
| Dishwashing Area | €2,000–€5,000 |
| Fire Protection | €3,000–€10,000 |
| Appliances (Stove, Combi-Oven, Refrigeration) | €20,000–€50,000 |
| Total | €50,000–€110,000 |
Important for calculation: The investment is only half the story. Plan for ongoing costs for filter replacement – the Maintenance Plan for Ventilation Systems shows when which component is due. Cleaning, maintenance contracts, and the energy costs of ventilation should also be included in the operating cost calculation from the outset.
Frequently Asked Questions about Commercial Kitchen Planning
How large should the extractor hood be?
Wall-mounted hoods: 30 cm overhang per side. Ceiling-mounted hoods: up to 1 m overhang. The overhang ensures that rising fumes are captured even with cross-currents. Volume flow calculation is carried out according to VDI 2052.
Do I need flame arrestor filters in every commercial kitchen?
Yes, as soon as open cooking stations are installed (gas, electric, fryer, charcoal). DIN EN 16282-7 has been mandatory since 2017 and is regularly checked during inspections and approvals.
Which stainless steel is the right one?
1.4301 (V2A) for dry areas, 1.4404 (V4A) for damp and aggressive areas. When in doubt, the higher-grade material is worthwhile because it remains corrosion-resistant even with intensive cleaning.
When is an automatic fire suppression system mandatory?
From 50 kW connected load, for large deep fryers (50 l oil), and in assembly facilities with over 200 people.
Conclusion
Well-planned commercial kitchen design combines capacity, standard-compliant ventilation, robust stainless steel equipment, and fire protection into a coherent overall concept. Those who coordinate all trades early on save expensive retrofits later and pass inspections safely. Start with an honest needs analysis, dimension the ventilation with reserve, and treat fire protection as an integral part of the planning from the beginning. This creates a kitchen that functions efficiently, hygienically, and safely in everyday use – and remains economical for years. You can find the right ventilation technology for your project at Wohnungstechnik.de.
