The operations inside a pizza restaurant often involve heavy ingredients like pizza dough, flour, and a whole lot of cheese. To get these ingredients to and from cooking stations, many restaurants will use rolling carts that are equipped with steel casters. Casters are the wheels that the carts roll on, and they are all different depending on the type of industry that you work in. When purchasing steel casters for your restaurant, you want to select options that are reliable, durable, and can handle the daily wear and tear that comes with transporting pizza ingredients. The following five steel caster features are ideal for pizza restaurants and can improve the way your kitchen flows.

Swivel Wheels

One of the first options to choose from when shopping for steel casters is a swivel wheel. Maneuvering inside a restaurant kitchen can include tight corners and small spaces like walk-in freezers. When you're operating a food cart, swivel wheels make it easier to move in multiple directions. Wheels in a locked position can make it harder to round corners, especially when a lot of weight is present on the cart. Swivel wheels can naturally turn when you need it to and includes ball bearings to help the turn go smoothly and eliminate any jerking movements.

Shock Absorbing Wheels

A number of wheels can be purchased with shocks built into them. These shocks help add to the stability of the cart and make it easier to handle ingredients being lifted on and off. For example, if giant bags of flour are being dropped onto the cart, the shocks can absorb the impact without the wheels being pressed into the floor. The shocks can also help with large jars of pizza sauce or other heavy ingredients like packages of pepperoni.

Wheel Locks

Not all steel casters come with wheel locks, so it's important to purchase ones that have them included. Wheel locks are essential for working in the kitchen. If the cart accidentally starts rolling, food items can spill, the carts can slam into food equipment, and a big mess can occur. Locking mechanisms are especially important if there are any slopes in the restaurant kitchen. For example, there may be a slope leading up into a walk-in freezer or a product delivery area at the back of the store. The wheel locks will prevent the cart from rolling away and causing major problems.

Load Rating

The smoothness and ability to roll a cart will all depend on the load rating of the steel casters that you purchase. The load rating is the amount of weight the wheels the can handle without risk of malfunction or breaking. For example, a bulk bag of flour could weigh around 50 pounds. If you are carrying two to three bags, then you have at least 150 pounds that you are pushing around. If this is the case, then you want to purchase steel casters that have a a load rating of at least 200 pounds. The wheel strength will enable you to roll the cart easily and not run into any major issues while operating through the kitchen. You should always select a rating that is higher than the maximum weight you plan on transporting with a cart.

Wheel Material

Even if the supporting frame of a caster is made of steel, you can select a wheel material to properly operate in a pizza kitchen. When browsing through wheels, you want to select a product that can handle the moisture, oil, grease, and conditions found in your restaurant. Solid steel wheels are a good option, along with polyurethane or a hard rubber. All of these materials are resistant to rust and can handle the environment of a kitchen.

When purchasing steel casters for your kitchen, a supply company, such as Garland's, Inc., can help you make the best selection and save your order details for any casters you need in the future.