CompliChef Now Supports Dedicated Hardware — Here's What's Available and Who It Suits
Running a compliant kitchen means keeping on top of labelling, temperature checks, and records — every shift, every day. The paperwork side of that can quietly eat into your team's time, and manual processes leave room for error when service is busy.
CompliChef is built to make food safety simpler for independent restaurants, cafés, pubs, takeaways, care kitchens and multi-site operators. We've now expanded the platform to support a range of hardware options that fit common kitchen workflows — from printing compliant date labels to logging fridge temperatures without a clipboard.
This post covers every device currently available, what it costs, what job it does, and who it's most likely to suit. Before purchasing, we'd always recommend confirming compatibility with your current CompliChef setup and thinking through how each device fits your specific operation.
The Hardware Lineup
Sunmi V3 Label Printer — Rental Option
Cost: £30/month, plus a £250 sign-up fee per device (£150 onboarding + £100 refundable deposit)
The Sunmi V3 is a compact label printer designed for busy kitchen environments. Paired with CompliChef, it supports the production of compliant food labels — including use-by and date labels for prepped items, allergen information, and rotation labels.
Label printing is one of those tasks that sounds simple but takes real time when it's done by hand. A dedicated printer means staff can produce accurate, legible labels quickly without writing anything out — reducing the risk of illegible dates or missing information during a busy prep session.
The monthly rental model means no large upfront hardware cost, and the £100 deposit is refundable. The onboarding fee covers getting the device set up correctly for your kitchen.
Best suited to: Kitchens with regular prep labelling needs who prefer a manageable monthly cost over a lump-sum purchase.
Sunmi Cloud Printer — Buy Outright
Cost: £100 outright; labels sold separately
The Sunmi Cloud Printer is the purchase option for operators who'd rather own their hardware outright. It handles the same core job as the V3 — printing food labels to support date and use-by compliance — without the ongoing monthly fee.
Labels are sold separately, so factor that into your ongoing costs when comparing this against the rental model.
Best suited to: Operators who prefer a one-off purchase, or those adding a second printer to an existing setup without wanting another monthly line on the accounts.
Sunmi M3 Handheld — Buy Outright
Cost: £250 outright
The Sunmi M3 is a handheld device designed to give kitchen teams a dedicated unit for working through CompliChef workflows — without needing to share a tablet or move to a fixed terminal.
During service or prep, having a handheld means checks, records and tasks can be completed at the point of work. That reduces the lag between doing a job and logging it, which is where records often fall apart in practice.
Best suited to: Larger kitchens, care kitchens, and multi-site operators where team members need their own device, or any operation where a shared tablet creates bottlenecks.
INKBIRD IBS-TH2 Bluetooth Thermometer — £25
Cost: £25, free UK shipping, tested before dispatch
The INKBIRD IBS-TH2 is a Bluetooth ambient thermometer suitable for monitoring temperatures in fridges, cold rooms or storage areas. Every unit is tested before it's dispatched.
Ambient temperature monitoring is a core part of due diligence for food businesses. Rather than relying on a staff member to check and manually record temperatures at set intervals, a Bluetooth thermometer can support more consistent monitoring — though it's worth being clear that the device itself is a tool, not a guarantee of compliance. Your team still needs to act on what they see.
Best suited to: Any food business needing to monitor cold storage temperatures — particularly useful for care kitchens and operators where consistent fridge monitoring is part of their food safety management system.
INKBIRD Bluetooth Food Probe — £35
Cost: £35, free UK shipping, tested before dispatch
The INKBIRD food probe is designed for checking core cooking and holding temperatures. Like the ambient thermometer, each unit is tested before it ships.
Checking that food has reached a safe core temperature is a fundamental step in most kitchens, and having a reliable probe that pairs with your compliance platform means temperature readings can feed directly into records rather than being scrawled on a checklist.
Best suited to: Any kitchen cooking from raw — particularly useful for care kitchens, pub kitchens, and takeaways where consistent temperature records are expected by EHOs.
Which Option Suits Which Operation?
| Business Type | Likely Hardware Priorities | |---|---| | Independent restaurant or café | V3 or Cloud Printer for labels; food probe | | Takeaway | Cloud Printer (buy outright); food probe | | Pub kitchen | Cloud Printer or V3; food probe; ambient thermometer | | Care kitchen | M3 handheld; ambient thermometer; food probe | | Multi-site operator | M3 per site; V3 rental per kitchen; thermometers |
This is a guide, not a prescription. The right combination depends on your team size, volume, and how your kitchen currently handles compliance tasks.
Before You Buy: A Quick Checklist
- Confirm compatibility with your CompliChef subscription and current setup before ordering
- Assess your label volume — high-volume kitchens may find the rental model works out better over time
- Consider your team size — a handheld device adds value where a shared tablet creates delays
- Factor in consumables — the Cloud Printer requires labels purchased separately
- Think about EHO expectations — if ambient temperature records are part of your food safety management system, the thermometer supports that without replacing the obligation to act on readings
- Don't over-specify — a small café with one prep session daily may not need the full hardware stack
Hardware Supports Good Practice — It Doesn't Replace It
It's worth saying clearly: the right hardware makes compliance tasks quicker, more consistent and easier to review. It reduces repeated manual entry, helps records stay accurate during service, and gives your team the tools to do things properly at the point of work.
But hardware alone doesn't make a kitchen compliant. The processes, training and culture in your kitchen still matter. These devices are tools that support a well-run food safety system — not a substitute for one.
View the Full Hardware Range
All five devices are available now through CompliChef. If you're already a subscriber, log in and head to the hardware section to confirm compatibility and place an order.
If you're not yet using CompliChef, you can start a free trial and explore how the platform works alongside these tools before committing to any hardware.
