Used Commercial Kitchen Equipment: Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Work through this at the machine. Your ticks save on this device, so you can stop and come back. Print it to take to the sale.

Before you go

Get the exact model and serial number from the seller
Check the serial against the True / Secop and Scotsman recall lists — no retrofit proof means walk
Look up the model’s observed used-price range so you know the real band

Certification & compliance

Find a legible NSF / ANSI certification mark on the data plate (a missing or painted-over plate is a rejection risk)
Confirm it is commercial-grade, not a repainted residential unit

Refrigeration (reach-ins, ice machines)

Run it: listen for hard starts and short-cycling
Feel the condenser airflow — hot and steady; coils clean, not packed with lint
Check every door gasket seals (torn or hardened gaskets mean the compressor has been overworked)
Ask, in the seller’s own words, when the condenser coils were last cleaned

Cooking & warewashing

Confirm every burner, element, and pilot lights and holds heat
If it is a high-temp dish machine, confirm the booster heater is present and reaches the sanitizing rinse temperature

Deal math

Compare the ask against the model’s observed used range — a price below the floor is a question, not a bargain
Get a written parts quote for any expensive item you expect to need

A working checklist, not legal or professional advice. See the full guide for the reasoning behind each check, and the model records for prices and known failures.