# 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.

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](/en/equipment): every machine has its own button to ask on WhatsApp about condition and price.