Used catering equipment: what to check first
Used cookers, ovens, fridges and display cases for restaurants. Five things to check before you buy, and what Italian law says about gas.
2 min readby Vi.Da Affila
A used or reconditioned machine costs less than a new one. But a fridge that does not hold its temperature, or an oven without service, costs much more. Before you buy, check these five things.
1. The real condition of the machine
Ask for photos and videos of the machine you buy, not of a similar one. Look at the fridge seals, the steel (look for rust), the cooker burners. In reviews of used-equipment dealers, these are the most common complaints: rust, missing seals, goods different from what was shown.
2. What work was done
"Reconditioned" means little if you do not know what was done. Ask which parts were checked or replaced, and who did the work.
3. Who services it afterwards
This is the most important question. If the machine stops in a month, who comes? The best advantage is to buy from the people who repair these machines: the person who sells it to you is the person who services it.
4. Warranty, transport, installation
Ask in writing if there is a warranty and how long it lasts, who does the transport and who installs. Many dealers do not write the warranty period: ask for it first.
5. Gas and safety
- Gas cookers and ovens: a licensed installer makes the connection and, at the end of the work, issues the declaration of conformity (Italian DM 37/2008).
- Used machines: whoever sells or rents machines put into service before the current rules must state that they meet the safety requirements (art. 72 of Italian Legislative Decree 81/2008).
Our equipment
We sell catering and bakery equipment, new and reconditioned: cookers, ovens, fridges, display cases, ice machines and dough machines. We know them because we repair them. See the equipment: every machine has its own button to ask on WhatsApp about condition and price.
