
Commercial Foodservice Principles Applied to Cannabis Kitchens
Downloads & Templates
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answer: Maybe, depending on your cooking processes.
Whether you need a Type I or Type II hood depends on what you’re doing, how you’re heating, and your local building/fire code authority (AHJ).
You’ll likely need a hood if you:
- Boil sugar, syrups, or gummies
- Cook in kettles (especially with open steam or high BTU)
- Bake with convection or combi ovens
- Melt chocolate at scale (sometimes triggers odor/heat management concerns)
- Use gas ranges or high-wattage induction
- Operate in a shared-use or multi-tenant building
You may not need a hood if you’re:
- Using only small-batch countertop equipment
- Only warming/melting at low temperatures
- In a facility explicitly exempted by your AHJ
- Working under a Type S shared kitchen license (state-dependent)
Pro tip: Request a preliminary mechanical review before buying equipment—hood installation can range from $10K to $80K+ depending on ducting, fire suppression, and building type.
Yes — induction is extremely common in cannabis kitchens.
Why operators like induction:
- No open flames → fewer ventilation requirements
- Faster, more precise heating (great for infusions and gummies)
- Lower energy use
- Safer for staff
- Easy to clean and maintain
Where induction works best:
- Infusion rooms
- Gummy cooking
- Chocolate melting
- Small-batch pilot production
Where induction is not always ideal:
- Very large batches needing high BTU
- Rooms without sufficient power
- Facilities requiring UL-listed heavy-duty kettles for daily production
Gummies.
Followed closely by chocolates, depending on your climate control.
Why gummies are easiest:
- Fast production cycle
- Limited equipment needs
- High yield and low ingredient cost
- Long shelf life
- Do not require refrigeration (shelf stable)
But beware:
- Humidity control is essential
- Texture can fail without a blast chiller
- Potency uniformity requires proper mixing/shear
Runner-up: chocolates
- Easier than baked goods
- Require a controlled room
- More forgiving than sugar-based products
Blast chillers are mission-critical for gummies, chocolates, and many infused bases.
For small operations (50–150 lbs per day):
- Reach-in blast chiller
- 5–10 pan capacity
- 208v single/three phase
- Examples: small Delfield, Victory, or American Panel models
For mid-size (150–500 lbs per day):
- Roll-in blast chiller
- Works with full-size racks
- Fast recovery time
- Great for high-frequency gummy deposition
For large-scale production (>500 lbs per day):
- High-capacity roll-ins
- Multi-zone chilling
- Optional humidity control
- Integrated with conveyors or cooling tunnels
Pro tip: Size the blast chiller to the batch, not the square footage of your building.
A gummy layout should prioritize flow, moisture control, efficiency, and sanitation.
Recommended layout zones:
- Ingredient Receiving & Storage
- Infusion / Potency Prep
- Cooking & Mixing Area
- Depositing Zone
- Cooling Room or Blast Chiller
- Demolding / Cutting
- Finishing & Packaging
- QA Hold / Storage
Critical design elements:
- Keep humidity under control (ideally < 45%).
- Use U-shaped flow to minimize backtracking.
- Install floor drains near sanitation zones.
- Keep cannabis-active ingredients in locked storage.
- Dedicate separate racks/molds for allergen vs non-allergen batches.
Common mistakes in gummy facilities:
- Using a walk-in cooler instead of a blast chiller
- No dehumidification
- Underpowered mixers
- Workflow that requires staff to cross back and forth with hot syrup

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