Basic Kitchen Checklist

This basic kitchen checklist helps teams maintain safe, clean, and compliant food service operations. It covers personal item storage, no phones on work areas, cleanliness of freezers, dishwashers, grills, ovens, and steam tables, secure and dated storage of dry goods, clean carts and shelving, valid sanitation test strips, defect free pots, pans, trays, and cutting boards, proper separation of clean and dirty items, and no wet nesting. It also includes completing temperature logs for refrigerators and dish machines, ensuring all items in fridges are wrapped and dated, keeping doors closed, and maintaining clear access to fire extinguishers and exit doors. Use this template to standardize daily checks and readiness for service.