Frequently asked questions

When choosing hospitality equipment, what do I need to consider?

By following these three simple steps, you’ll make smarter equipment choices:

  1. Study your menu — your menu will tell you what equipment you’ll need, from prep to cooking to serving to cleaning up.
  2. Decide on a floor plan — after considering your menu and associated workflow, as well as storage and occupational health and safety (OH&S), plan your kitchen’s layout. Avoid or minimise staff crossing paths or cross-contamination of food. 
  3. Take measurements — once your floor plan has been finalised, make sure you have enough room for the equipment and can use it safely.
Which types of hospitality equipment can I get finance for?

We’ll finance virtually any type of commercial kitchen equipment that helps your business make a profit.

The equipment must have an invoice value of $1,000 or more (Rent–Try–Buy and Custom Equipment Lease) or $10,000 or more (Lease-to-Keep).

You can finance either standard equipment (Rent–Try–Buy or Lease-to-Keep), or custom-made and other ‘non-standard’ equipment (Custom Equipment Lease or Rent–Try–Buy). See custom equipment list

Where can I find the equipment that SilverChef finances?

There are three main places you can find the commercial kitchen equipment that we finance:

  • equipment-dealer showrooms and websites — we’re in partnership with hundreds of dealers nationwide. They can help you not only select equipment, but also apply for SilverChef finance.   
  • SilverChef website — our commercial-catering-equipment marketplace (which includes new, ‘Certified Used’, and clearance equipment) is one of Australia’s biggest. Find equipment
  • custom-equipment manufacturers, fabricators, and shopfitters.
Does SilverChef sell equipment?

We stock a large range of ’Certified Used’ and clearance hospitality equipment, which customers can either finance through SilverChef or purchase outright from us.

Though we don’t sell new commercial kitchen equipment, we can quickly source it via a network of hundreds of dealers nationwide, finance it for you, and help ensure it’s promptly delivered to your door.  

Is all the equipment I can see on your website in stock?

The new equipment advertised on our website is stocked by one or more of hundreds of equipment dealers nationwide that we partner with, so it’s almost always available. 

All the ‘Certified Used’ and clearance equipment on our website is in stock.

That said, because this equipment turns over quickly, we recommend you double-check it’s in stock by calling us on 1800 154 161 first.

Note that any equipment you’re interested in won’t be reserved for you until you’ve either signed a finance agreement or paid for the equipment in full.

If it’s not reserved, someone else will be able to order the equipment — even if it’s in your shopping cart!

Can I physically see the equipment before ordering it?

If you’d like to see a piece of new equipment in person, we can direct you to the equipment dealer nearest you that has the equipment in stock. 

If you’d like to inspect a piece of ‘Certified Used’ equipment stored in one of our warehouses (Brisbane, Melbourne, or Perth), you’re welcome to call us on 1800 154 161 to arrange an appointment. (You’ll need to give us at least 48 hours’ notice.)

What is 'standard equipment'?

We define ‘standard equipment’ as virtually any type of commercial-grade electrical or gas appliance with a serial number and that was not custom-built. 

We also consider flat-pack and modular stainless-steel benching and shelving, and furniture (e.g. tables and chairs), as standard equipment. 

Standard equipment can be financed using Rent–Try–Buy or Lease-to-Keep.

All other equipment is considered by us to be ‘non-standard equipment’.

What is ‘non-standard equipment’?

The below shows you the common types of equipment we consider to be ‘non-standard equipment’; as you can see, it includes not only equipment but also fixtures and fittings: 

  • All custom-made equipment
  • Audio-visual equipment
  • Bar equipment (e.g. beer reticulation systems)
  • Bug zappers (portable)
  • Coffee carts
  • Cool rooms (custom)
  • Customer paging/food buzzer systems
  • Digital media boards
  • Exhaust canopies/hoods (installed)
  • Grease traps (fixed and portable)
  • Heat lamps
  • Heaters (outdoor, fixed)
  • Point-of-sale (POS) software
  • Robot waiters
  • Security systems
  • Stainless-steel (custom benches, custom panelling, etc.)
  • Shelving (custom)
  • Smallwares (e.g. cutlery, dinnerware, glassware, table-top items, pots and pans, food prep utensils and tools)
  • Vending machines (excluding coffee)

Non-standard equipment can be financed using Custom Equipment Lease, Lease-to-Keep, or Rent–Try–Buy.

Who’s responsible for insuring the equipment?

Customers have a legal obligation to arrange and pay for insurance for their rented or leased equipment for the entire term of the finance agreement.

Who’s responsible for maintaining and repairing the equipment?

Customers are responsible for arranging and paying for maintenance and repairs to their rented or leased equipment. 

Some faults may be covered by the manufacturer's warranty and be eligible for a free repair, replacement, or refund.

As well as the equipment, can you finance the cost to transport and install it?

We’ll consider financing some or all of the cost of the equipment transportation and installation on a case-by-case basis.  

For more information, please call us on 1800 337 153.

What warranty is provided?

The new commercial kitchen equipment we finance typically comes with a minimum one-year manufacturer’s warranty.   

The warranty documents should tell you what’s covered and the duration of the warranty period; make sure you hang onto these documents and any other paperwork that comes with your equipment.  

If the new equipment becomes defective within its warranty period, please contact the dealer who supplied the equipment. 

Our refurbished (‘Certified Used’) and clearance equipment comes with a minimum three-month warranty.  

If it develops a fault within that timeframe, you can lodge a warranty claim with us.

What happens if the equipment breaks down?

If your rental or lease equipment was new when you got it, chances are it’s covered by a minimum one-year manufacturer’s warranty. 

If it becomes defective within its warranty period, please contact the dealer who supplied the equipment for assistance. 

If your rental or lease equipment was ‘Certified Used’ or clearance equipment when you got it and it develops a covered fault within the minimum three-month warranty period, please call us on 1800 154 161. 

We’ll arrange for a service agent to visit your premises to assess the fault. If the fault is deemed to have resulted from a defect in workmanship or material, we’ll arrange a free repair, replacement, or refund.  

If the agent determines the fault or breakdown was due to misuse of the equipment, the customer is liable for the cost of any repairs. 

Once the equipment is out of warranty, the customer will be responsible for meeting any breakdown-repair costs.   

Rest assured that, if your equipment develops a fault or breaks down after its warranty has expired, we can help you quickly find a repairer or source a replacement machine in as little as a day.  

Where does SilverChef get its used equipment from?

We source our ‘Certified Used’ commercial kitchen equipment from businesses we know and trust, mostly customers who’ve either upgraded their rental equipment or returned it to us due to a change in their circumstances.  

(Our Rent–Try–Buy finance solution allows customers to upgrade their rental equipment at any time or, after 12 months, return it to us.) 

We source our clearance equipment (comprising runout, used, ex-demo, and scratch-and-dent equipment) from trusted third-party suppliers.

What is ‘clearance’ equipment?

Our clearance equipment comprises:

  • runout equipment supplied by our equipment-dealer partners
  • used equipment supplied by our equipment-dealer partners
  • ex-demo equipment previously used in a dealer’s demonstration kitchen
  • scratch-and-dent equipment that’s sustained minor cosmetic damage.

You can either finance this equipment through SilverChef or purchase it outright from us.

Where can I order SilverChef’s used equipment?

You can order used (‘Certified Used’ and clearance) equipment from us directly (online or by calling us on 1800 154 561) or indirectly, via one of hundreds of hospitality-equipment dealers nationwide that we partner with.

Can I buy some used equipment and finance the rest?

Yes — if you buy more than one piece of second-hand hospitality equipment, you can purchase some of the equipment outright and finance the rest.

Does SilverChef buy second-hand equipment?

We don’t usually buy second-hand commercial kitchen equipment, but will consider doing so under the following circumstances:

  • if you finance new equipment through us, we’ll consider paying you cash for your old equipment (i.e. a trade-in)
  • if your business’s cash flow is tight and you need some quick cash to relieve the situation, we’ll consider buying equipment that you’ve recently bought and renting it back to you under a 12-month agreement (under our Buy-Back scheme). Not only will your business get an immediate cash injection, you’ll be able to continue using the equipment for manageable, weekly payments that protect your cash flow.

* This advice is general in nature and does not consider your personal circumstances. Professional advice should be sought that is tailored to your personal situation.