kitchen display screens brands

Kitchen display systems (KDS) are digital kitchen monitoring screens that display incoming orders in restaurant kitchens. KDS route orders from the point-of-sale (POS) system to the correct kitchen stations. An excellent kitchen display system streamlines kitchen communication, reduces human error, and monitors cook times for each dish. The best restaurant KDS systems show a dish’s ingredients at the touch of a button and text customers when orders are ready.

Most kitchen display systems are built into restaurant POS systems and offered at an additional fee for hardware and software. We examined each kitchen display system and its corresponding POS systems based on price, ease of use, and features to arrive at our top recommendations.

Toast POS is one of our top-rated cloud-based restaurant POS systems, and its KDS offering is likewise a top performer. Toast’s KDS is the most customizable system on this list. You canhighlight individual ingredients and common allergens. Plus, users can choose their font size and how information is arranged on order tickets. This system also sendstext messages to customers when their orders are ready, and alerts servers in the POS app when they have food waiting in the kitchen.

Toast’s KDS operates on industry-grade hardware built to withstand the steam, grease, and hot temperatures of a restaurant kitchen. Toast’s touch-screen KDS tablets are rated at IP-54 for resistance to dust, steam, and water droplets. Apple’s iPads, on the other hand, are not IP-rated at all. iPads can also struggle in temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

All-day count view “All day” is restaurant-speak for “total” or “altogether.” Cooks say “all day” to refer to the total number of an item they need to prepare to fill all open orders. As in “how many burgers all day?” Toast’s All-Day count screen shows your all-day counts at a glance, so your kitchen team is never second-guessing what orders they have on deck.

Automated order-ready messages You can set your Toast KDS to send automated messages when you mark an order as complete on the KDS. Send SMS text messages to customers who ordered online, letting them know their takeout order is ready. Or, send an in-POS alert to your server staff to let them know their table’s order is up. These alerts help keep your kitchen flowing smoothly and keep cooked food from dying in the window.

Epson integration Toast is one of the many POS systems that integrates with the Epson KDS system. If your kitchen prefers a bump bar configuration, you have the option via this integration.

Toast’s KDS software is currently offered at $25 per screen, per month. If you need multiple screens, however, Toast will likely work out a lower per-terminal price for you. To get the best pricing, reach out to the Toast sales team for a custom quote.

Revel Systems’ KDS offers several dynamic viewing options: Expedite, Expedite Tile, Kitchen Screen, Production View, and Order Display, so cooks and expeditors can choose their preferred view. Revel Systems also supports a customer-facing Order Ready screen to display orders by customer name to identify which orders are ready for pick up. Orders on this screen can be further color-coded to separate to-go, drive-thru, and curbside pickups, a massive timesaver for restaurants that rely on multiple third-party delivery platforms.

Like most systems on this list, Revel runs its KDS on iPads. But if you want more rugged hardware or a larger screen, you can opt for a ViewSonic VSD243 smart display instead. Like Toast, Revel users need to purchase their KDS hardware directly through Revel, even if they plan to use iPads. Revel does not support hardware that is purchased through third parties.

Drive-thru tools The Revel POS includes a detailed workflow for drive-thru restaurants it calls Drive Thru XT. This module condenses order and payment screens to reduce button presses and logs vehicle information to ensure the correct orders are given to the correct customers. You can also track drive-thru orders separately from in-house orders on the Revel KDS.

Epson’s KDS is afreestanding hardware solution that partners with several POS brands. Epson is well known for its workhorse receipt and kitchen printers. In addition to their standard printers, Epson also designs and manufactures printers that support a robust KDS system. With printer-driven, ethernet-connected screens, Epson’s KDS does not need an internet connection to work, making this system the best for offline functionality.

Because Epson’s KDS leverages the information routed to your kitchen printers, it functions as more of a hardware than a software solution. In most cases, the only cost to add an Epson KDS to a compatible POS system is the hardware cost. However, your POS provider may charge a separate software fee for adding the KDS integration—so be sure to ask.

KDS screen, wall mounting bracket, bump bar, KDS driver-enabled impact kitchen printerBump bar navigation panelPrices vary by resellerLinerless label printer with built-in KDS driver

Like Toast, Epson’s KDS operates on commercial-grade hardware. Epson monitors are rated IP-54, the exact same level of water and dust protection as Toast’s hardware. Commercial-grade hardware will likely function better than an iPad if your kitchen is particularly hot or steamy—like an Italian spot with a wood-burning oven and lots of boiling pasta water.

Epson’s KDS screens are driven by the printers they are attached to. You can print paper tickets on demand, or even linerless sticker labels—which are ideal for labeling takeout and delivery orders.

Like Lightspeed and Toast, Epson allows your staff to access recipe information directly from the KDS screen so there are never any mistakes from the kitchen. You just need to be sure to attach a recipe to each dish.

Fresh KDS earned a 3.32 out of 5 in our KDS evaluation. This system scored well for price—the seven-day free trial gave it a boost—and number of POS integrations. Advanced features like customer text messaging and an integrated order-ready display also earned points.

However, Fresh KDS could have scored higher if it offered recipe lookup tools (like Toast, Revel, and Epson) or had the ability to operate without an internet connection (like Toast, Revel, and Epson). Currently, like Lightspeed Kitchen and Square KDS, Fresh KDS needs a strong internet connection to function.

Like Revel, Fresh KDS includes an optional customer-facing order tracking screen. This is ideal for counter-service restaurants or those that do a high volume of takeout orders. When your kitchen marks a KDS ticket as completed, the order status on the tracking screen automatically updates to show customers their food is ready.

Fresh KDS offers three subscription tiers: Basic, Advanced, and Enterprise. Basic starts at $19 per month, Advanced comes in at $35 per month, and Enterprise requires a custom quote. Each subscription includes software for two KDS screens, though the system can support up to 10 screens at a single location.

Countertop iPad POS terminal with built-in card reader*Countertop or wall mounting bracket for iPad in Square Stand case*POS terminal with built-in card reader and customer-facing display

Every other KDS on this list processes voided items as separate tickets. These tickets will typically be marked with the same ticket or table number as the original ticket, but this can still lead to over-prepped food on a busy night. Square displays voided items in red directly on the original ticket. So, if table 25 cancels their soup order, your cooks will see it in real time.

Customizable views On each Square KDS, you can individually adjust the text size, the number of tickets displayed per page, and notification settings for new orders. This way, your cooks can view orders the way they prefer.

Free online ordering All of the systems on this list display online orders in the KDS. But Square for Restaurants is the only POS that includes a free online ordering site. In addition to receiving online orders directly in your KDS order stream, Square users have the comfort of knowing they aren’t paying any extra fees for those orders.

Lightspeed POS is a cloud-based POS that operates on iPads. Like the underlying POS, Lightspeed’s KDS module—called Lightspeed Kitchen—also runs on iPads. Pricing for Lightspeed Restaurant’s POS starts at $39 per month. The KDS software is an additional custom-quoted price. In the past, the KDS was available for just $12 per screen, per month.

Lightspeed Kitchen earned a 3.19 out of 5.00on our KDS ranking, putting it right on Square’s heels. It earned points for its recipe lookup “Show and Tell” functions and for its affordability. But Lightspeed Kitchen is not quite as customizable as Toast and Revel’s KDS (though restaurants looking for a simplified solution might prefer this).

Since Lightspeed Kitchen operates via a browser-hosted app, it needs an internet connection to work (unlike Toast, Revel, and Epson). Overall, however, the streamlined nature of Lightspeed Kitchen is excellent for keeping quick service restaurants and small, independent restaurants organized.

From the top left corner of the Lightspeed Kitchen screen, you can filter tickets by active, new, preparing, done, or archived status. Tickets can be moved from one order phase to the next with single or double taps.

Show and Tell function Lightspeed Kitchen’s KDS includes a Show and Tell function that shows a detailed image and item description on the KDS screen when a cook clicks on the menu item. This stops short of the recipe look-up function supported by Epson and Toast, but ensures your cooks are reminded how to plate a dish and review a list of its ingredients.

Lightspeed Kitchen is a paid add-on to the Lightspeed Restaurant POS. The software is offered at a custom-quoted price from Lightspeed. Contact their sales department for full pricing.

See why we recommend Lightspeed Restaurant for cafes and as the best available iPad POS for restaurants. Plus, explore Lightspeed Kitchen’s POS features in our full Lightspeed Restaurant review.

We compared 10 of the most popular kitchen monitoring systems based on the most frequently cited kitchen pain points. We weighed each KDS’s available hardware, offline functionality, ticket layout, and customization options. We also considered each system’s overall price. Based on these criteria, Toast emerged as the clear winner, with an overall score of 4.48 out of 5.00.

We prioritized tools that send automated text updates to customers when their orders are ready or support multiple hardware types. We also looked for kitchen monitoring systems that include recipe lookups and menu images at the click of a button.

We looked for systems that log preparation times and provide reports that measure your kitchen’s productivity. We also awarded points for KDS screens that work during an internet outage in offline mode.

Toast POS has our favorite KDS module. With options like text message notifications, customizable alerts, and kitchen-specific features like all-day counts, Toast’s KDS supports the widest range of restaurant styles. Combined with Toast’s excellent online ordering, delivery management, team management, and reporting functions, the Toast KDS creates a full spectrum restaurant management solution at a competitive price. Visit Toast for a demo, or to get started for free today.

The kitchen display system replaces old printer and paper-based systems, which eliminates the costs for printer consumables while improving the communication between the kitchen and the front house staff. As result, KDS provides quicker turnaround time, less mistakes, and more satisfied customers.

At its core, Fresh KDS is a tablet-based kitchen display system. Orders from your POS instantly display on the screen. But we"ve taken it a step further by adding dozens of direct integrations, from point of sale (POS) systems such as Square, Clover, and Talech to e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.

Displaying orders is awesome, but what if you want to do more? We"ve got you covered with features that empower you to route the orders to different screens, send SMS notifications to your guests, and improve your restaurant operations.

Send different items to different screens. For example, send food to the prep screen, beverages to the bar, and completed orders to expo (100% customizable)

"Fresh KDS is absolutely critical to our operation. Kitchen staff appreciate the intuitive interface, and our guests love staying in the loop with text notifications."

With the TicknCook Kitchen Display System (KDS), improve your restaurant’s productivity and profitability by automating the administration of your kitchen order tickets.

TicknCook is connected to Deliverect and HubRise, allowing you to see real-time orders from your delivery platforms, Click & Collect websites, kiosks, etc., on a screen in the kitchen and at the counter.

A KDS (Kitchen Display System) solution replaces paper order tickets with digital tickets. It receives all of your orders and centralize them on different screens in the kitchen, at the counter or in the dining room, which communicate with each other. Its goal is to increase productivity and reduce stress on your teams.

Everything is going well in the kitchen! By equipping your restaurant with a Kitchen Display System (KDS), new, on-going, and ready orders display instantly at the counter. You have direct knowledge of what is happening in the kitchen and can keep your customers informed.

Everything is going well in the kitchen! By equipping your restaurant with a Kitchen Display System (KDS), new, on-going, and ready orders appear instantly at the counter. You know directly what is going on in the kitchen and you can inform your customers.

No more illegible, lost or incomplete tickets! Digital is taking hold in the kitchen. On your touchscreen, view your tickets, cook, click, and presto, it’s done! Reduce errors and serve faster and more efficiently.

“We needed a solution that would allow us toeasily manage the distribution of orders in the kitchen as well as the management of the entire process, from receiving an order to our customers’ tables. TicknCook is a simple and efficient application that allows us to be faster and make fewer mistakes. A tool that we highly recommend for multi-kitchen concepts. Developed by an attentive and super responsive team. “

“TicknCook allows us to drastically reduce the risk of error because our operator must validate all the items of the order one by one and the display is more readable than on paper. As the orders are ordered automatically, they are prepared in the correct order and our production is more fluid. As a result, we have a better rating on the platforms! Our customers tell us “Ah, my order is already ready? ” Moreover, the interface is simple and clear. TicknCook is exactly what we needed, it’s great! “

“TicknCook allows us to save a lot of time, to anticipate our deliveries, and to save paper. It’s a lot less stress in the kitchen for us. Since we have TicknCook, we see the difference compared to before!”

Never miss an order due to the rush, as orders will appear automatically, and on a specified display. This makes managing the kitchen far easier for your expo or head chef.

Improve communication and reduce errors. Group the menu items you send to your kitchen staff by type (appetizer, entrée, salad, dessert) and route to a specific display, for quicker and easier order distribution.

Orders sent to your kitchen will appear instantly on the Kitchen Display System and will alert the members of your kitchen with a loud, accompanying chime. Don’t miss another order ever again.

Orders sent to your kitchen will appear instantly on the Kitchen Display System and will alert the members of your kitchen with a loud, accompanying chime. Don’t miss another order ever again.

Help staff manage incoming orders effectively, with a system that classifies incoming orders by item and stage they are in. Configure it to send the food orders to the kitchen, drink orders to the bar, and more.

Designed to improve productivity of high-volume restaurant kitchens, We offer Android, Windows and Linux based touch screen PC solutions ranging in screen size from 7” to 32”. These touch screen displays are purpose built for Point of Sale (POS) and Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) for order processing. Geekland’s reliable and durable line of POE touch screen monitors, tablets and AIO computers are specifically designed to withstand the high temperature and smokey environments of kitchens. The touch screen displays support both POE and wireless ( WIFI ) capability that offer flexibility in installation and support.

With the GoTab KDS, your kitchen managers and expeditors get to identify and address issues at the source, and follow up with guests to ensure the order is accurate, right from the start.

Food aside, rather than establishing a restaurant’s brand on atmosphere, services, and overall dining experiences, in the last few years ghost kitchens have revolutionized the food service landscape with a heightened emphasis on superior food quality and customer services. These food service businesses are designed for and rely solely on remote orders, processing ordering and payments remotely before preparing, cooking, and packaging customers’ food and drinks for pick-up or delivery. With no front-of-house costs for service, maintenance, and overhead, ghost kitchens collect revenue from a completely digital customer base, utilizing online ordering, payment, and

In addition to fewer recurring costs, maintenance, and slow-downs, smart kitchen display systems (KDS) benefit ghost kitchens and traditional restaurants by seamlessly integrating all online orders directly to the kitchen environment. This includes orders placed online through integrated native and/or third-party solutions.

Smart kitchen display systems also help kitchen operations produce meals consistent in presentation and taste by allowing staff to pull up and view plating images and recipes on the KDS screen.

Your back-of-house communication and timing is essential to producing a quick, consistent experience for your customers. With our custom Kitchen Display System, you will literally be able to see an increase in orders and a decrease in average ticket times.