A functioning workplace revolves around the kitchen.
It’s where your employees can make their coffee, prepare breakfast or lunch, make snacks throughout the day, or take five-minute breaks. But if you’re kitchen doesn’t have the right tools, it won’t do anyone much good.
If you’re just setting up your kitchen, take a look at these nine things every office kitchen should have.
1. A Proper Coffee Maker
Coffee is an essential part of many employees’ daily routines. That means one of the most important office kitchen tools is a proper coffee maker. Don’t settle for something cheap that’s not going to last.
And the same goes for your coffee.
The coffee shouldn’t be cheap or instant. This drink serves as a stress reliever. When an employee gets tired or needs a fresh perspective, a cup of coffee can give them a burst of energy and help them get refocused.
Good coffee paired with the best coffee maker will give your employees enough fuel to get through the workday.
2. A Microwave
For many people, it’s impossible to keep breakfast or lunch warm when you’re bringing it from home. Even if someone doesn’t have a long commute, they don’t usually eat their food right away. And storing it in the fridge to keep it fresh makes it cold.
A microwave gives your employees a way to heat their food up fast. It’s also a useful tool for making snacks at random times throughout the day. You can use a microwave for something as simple as heating up a cup of water for tea or warming up a bowl of soup.
3. Good Quality Tupperware
Cheap Tupperware might save you money at first, but it wears out fast and has a tendency to break. This means you’ll have to buy more Tupperware more often, which is more expensive in the long run.
But Tupperware is a must have for your office kitchen.
Whether your employees bring their food from home or make it in the office, they don’t always finish everything. Putting that food into the refrigerator without sealing it will make the fridge stink and the food taste bad.
To make sure the food at your office stays fresh, invest in some quality Tupperware.
4. A Dishwasher
Unless you want to wind up with grumpy employees complaining about the dishes, you should make sure your kitchen has a dishwasher.
It might seem easy to have everyone wash their dishes when they’re done eating, but this doesn’t always happen. Many people are in a hurry to get back to work and don’t have time to wash their plate.
This can lead to a messy (and smelly) pile up or a single person taking on the dishes job by themselves every time. A dishwasher does all this cleaning for you, so none of your employees have to deal with the mess.
5. Every Kind of Utensil
Most people don’t bring utensils along with them to work. It can be an annoying problem sitting down for lunch and realizing you don’t have a way to eat it. An office kitchen should always be stocked with enough utensils for everyone.
Plastic utensils aren’t good enough. They aren’t sturdy enough to handle some kinds of foods, and they’ll waste a lot of company money. Instead of buying new packages of plastic utensils all the time, get some real utensils and wash them with your dishwasher.
Utensils should include good cutting knives. Though you might want to avoid an accident, dull knives (or no knives at all) isn’t the way to go. Those types of knives don’t cut well and are more likely to cause problems than a few sharp knives.
6. Several Cutting Boards
When you have knives, you need something to cut on. That something might end up being your counter if you aren’t prepared. This can both damage your counters and leave them a crumb or juice covered mess.
Your employees might not have time to wash the counters every day, so supplying them with a few cutting boards can keep the counters safe and clean.
7. Plates, Bowls, and Cups
Your kitchen should have all the necessary dishes, including plates, bowls, and cups. If you have a microwave, these dishes should be microwave safe. Most people will assume the dishes can go in the microwave, and plastic dishes could melt, warp, misshape, or end up with holes.
Don’t skip the bowls. People need bowls for their soups, cereals, salads, yogurt, popcorn, snacks, etc. Sometimes plates aren’t enough.
Coffee and tea are often a big part of the workday, so you should have enough to go around. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have normal glasses as well. There are times your employees will want to drink for regular cups as well.
8. Sponges (More than One)
Sponges come in handy for tough messes a dishwasher might not be able to handle. For the people who do bring their dishes to the office, this also gives them a way to clean them before taking them back home.
Make sure the sponge you choose isn’t cheap. You can only use bottom-of-the-line sponges a few times before they turn brown and start to smell. Again, you’ll save yourself more money if you invest in better sponges.
9. A Toaster Oven
A toaster oven is a lot more valuable than a regular toaster. While people can still use it to make toast, they can use it to prepare many other kinds of foods as well. A toaster oven is versatile, and it’s a helpful tool to keep in your office kitchen.
Keeping the Right Tools in Your Office Kitchen
Your office kitchen is one of the most critical parts of your workspace. It gives your employees a place to prepare meals, snacks, and drinks, all of which keep them fueled throughout the day. But a kitchen without the right supplies won’t do anyone much good.
Looking for other ways you can be a better business owner? Take a look at some of these healthy business habits you should start.
