Getting started and running Kitchen Toolkit end-to-end.

Start here

If you are starting from zero, follow this order: create a tenant account, set the admin password, install the crew app, then choose either the hardware path (hubs + nodes) or the manual equipment-only path.

How Kitchen Toolkit works

Kitchen Toolkit has three layers that can be adopted together or in stages: the Crew app for daily work, the admin console for managers, and optional hub/node hardware for automatic temperature collection.

1) Sign up and secure admin access

1. Open /signup.
2. Enter an Account ID (tenant slug) and contact email.
3. Accept Terms of Service and Privacy Notice.
4. If billing is enabled in your deployment, select a plan and auto-renewal, then complete Stripe checkout. In pilot mode, sign-up creates the account immediately.
5. After account creation, open the secure setup link and set your admin password (minimum 8 characters).
6. Sign in at /admin with tenant + password.

The sign-up flow can show deployment progress and a setup link. If deployment is delayed or finishes with issues, use the setup link manually and continue to admin.

2) Install the crew app

The crew app is the main tablet/phone workflow for restaurants, equipment logs, and settings. It supports offline use once installed.

1. Open / directly on the crew device, or open /admin and click 📱 Crew App QR to scan into the app.
2. Install as a PWA:
   • iPhone: Share → Add to Home Screen.
   • Android/Desktop: use Install prompt/icon.
3. Launch the app from the installed icon.
4. On first run, enter Tenant ID and the short-lived enrollment token from /admin → 📱 Crew App QR, then tap Provision & Sync. This self-registers the device and stores Device ID + Device Secret for cloud sync.
5. Confirm that restaurants load and Equipment/Settings tabs are available. On iOS, expect a short offline-prep spinner after first provisioning.

3) Buy hubs and nodes

Hardware ordering lives inside admin so tenant defaults (contact and billing details) stay scoped to your account.

1. In /admin, click 🛒 Hardware Shop (top button or floating bubble).
2. On the Shop tab, add items to cart:
   • Node (wireless temperature sensor)
   • Smart Hub — Wi-Fi
   • Smart Hub — Ethernet
   • Starter Kit (1 hub + 2 nodes, choose Wi-Fi or Ethernet hub variant)
3. Review tenant billing defaults or switch to custom billing fields for this cart.
4. Use the Returns & repairs tab when needed, then click Request return / repair to open a prefilled email with tenant + billing context.

4) Flash hubs/nodes with the guided flasher

Use ⚡️ Flasher in admin for new devices or reflash scenarios. This path supports USB flashing and provisioning in one flow.

1. Open /admin → ⚡️ Flasher (or open /flasher directly).
2. Use Chrome or Microsoft Edge on a computer. USB flashing generally does not work well from Safari or phones.
3. Connect the board with USB-C, keep the antenna attached while it is powered, and if the board is not detected, hold BOOT and tap RST.
4. Step 1: choose Hub or Node.
5. Step 2: choose flash mode:
   • Full flash for brand-new or wiped boards.
   • App only for quicker firmware updates.
6. For hubs, choose connection type:
   • Wi-Fi hub path
   • Ethernet hub path (DHCP, wired backhaul)
7. For Ethernet hubs, attach the W5500 Ethernet module and cable before flashing.
8. Step 3 (provisioning over serial):
   • Connect serial from browser (Chrome/Edge recommended).
   • Set Device ID and Tenant/Restaurant scope.
   • For hubs: enter admin password and Wi-Fi fields when using Wi-Fi mode.
   • Click Send to write provisioning payload.
9. Steps 4 and 5: perform quick checks, then finish or set up another device.

5) Reconfigure deployed hubs with the maintenance AP

Use ⚡️ Flasher for bench USB setup and the hub’s maintenance AP for in-field Wi-Fi or local password changes without a separate Bluetooth pairing tool.

1. For brand-new or bench-prep hardware, open /admin → ⚡️ Flasher (or /flasher) and send the initial hub setup over USB.
2. For field recovery, join the hub’s maintenance Wi-Fi network Hub-<device-id> using the hub local / AP password.
3. Wi-Fi hubs automatically bring up that AP when no SSID is saved or when the saved Wi-Fi network fails. Ethernet hubs keep the maintenance AP available for recovery and fallback Wi-Fi setup.
4. If the setup page does not open automatically, browse to http://192.168.4.1. The maintenance AP uses a temporary HTTP captive-style page so phones and laptops can auto-open it without certificate warnings.
5. Update Wi-Fi details, fallback Wi-Fi if needed, and the hub local / AP password, then save. The hub reboots and reconnects using the new settings.
6. After the reboot, if your phone or laptop rejoins the same LAN successfully, the handoff page may take you to https://<hub-device-id>.local for the full local dashboard.

This is the standard recovery path for Wi-Fi changes, fallback Wi-Fi on Ethernet hubs, or local password changes after the initial USB provisioning step.

6) Map smart nodes to equipment

A node can be powered on and sending readings before it is actually useful in reports. After the hub first hears a node, use the web app to attach it to the right equipment record, choose the type, and decide which hub or hubs should accept that node.

1. Power the hub and node. If you want the node to report right away, hold PRG / BOOT for about 800 ms to force an immediate send. A quick double-tap opens the node menu if you need calibration or turn-off instead.
2. Open /admin and click 🛠 Manage Equipment. This is the preferred control plane because it shows all hubs and saved equipment together in one place.
3. Use the smart equipment table like this:
   • Hub sections show equipment already mapped to that hub.
   • Heard But Unmapped shows new nodes the system has heard but is still ignoring.
   • Saved But Detached shows equipment records you kept but that are not actively attached to a hub right now.
4. For a brand-new smart device, find the row in Heard But Unmapped, enter the real equipment name, choose the type (fridge, freezer, or other), confirm the node and hub selection, then click Create & map.
5. For an existing saved record, edit the name, type, selected node, or hub selection in its row and click Save. That one button applies the rename and mapping change together.
6. Use the row actions carefully:
   • Remove from this hub keeps the node on its other hubs.
   • Detach node keeps the equipment record but removes the active node pairing.
   • Delete record removes the stored equipment entry entirely.
7. If you are on the same LAN and need local recovery, open the hub dashboard at https://<hub-device-id>.local/nodes. If .local does not work on your network, use the hub IP address from the serial log or status screen. Browsers will warn because the hub uses a self-signed local certificate.

7) Verify smart nodes

Smart temperature nodes use factory-calibrated probes, so they are set-and-forget during initial setup and should not be put on a calendar-based recalibration schedule. Factory-fresh replacement probes are also pre-calibrated. Kitchen Toolkit watches for sustained drift automatically, so use the guided ice-bath routine only when Node Status shows Verification needed, after service work, or when a reading still looks wrong in context.

1. In /admin, confirm the node is mapped to the right equipment. Use 🔋 Node Status to review the node name, equipment, and current verification state (Factory calibrated, Verified, or Needs verification).
2. Prepare an ice water slurry for the probe.
3. Wake the node if needed, then quick double-tap PRG / BOOT. The OLED opens Node Menu with Calibration highlighted first. Hold PRG / BOOT to select it.
4. Keep the probe in the slurry while the node waits for stable near-zero readings. The routine gathers 12 valid samples; if readings move outside the expected ice-bath range, the counter resets and the screen prompts you to place the probe back in the ice water slurry.
5. When the run succeeds, the OLED shows Offset saved and Ready to deploy. The node stores the new offset locally and sends a calibration report through the hub.
6. Back in /admin, open 🔋 Node Status again and use the Certificate button for that node to print or save the latest verification record. You can also review manual runs and automatic drift events in 📊 View Logs.

8) Manual equipment path (no sensors required)

If you are not using hubs/nodes yet, crews can still run fully manual temperature workflows from the app.

1. In /admin, click 🛠 Manage Equipment.
2. Add equipment entries (name + type: fridge/freezer/other).
3. Edit or delete entries in the Manual Equipment table as operations change.
4. Install and provision the Crew app on tablets/phones.
5. In Crew app Equipment tab, enter temperatures and tap Save Temp.
6. Use Crew Log Settings to choose output paths:
   • Email Export
   • Save to Device
   • Cloud Sync
   • Clear logs on export

When smart nodes are later mapped to equipment, those records move into the hub-grouped smart sections in the same modal.

9) Provision devices and mint secrets

Device credentials are tenant-scoped. The same tenant must be used consistently for admin login, provisioning, hub setup, and crew cloud sync.

Primary path: device secrets modal

1. Go to /admin → 🔐 Device Secrets.
2. Optionally enter the device name and device ID, then click Generate Secret.
3. Copy the device ID and secret immediately (the secret is shown once).
4. Save them to your target hub/device, then verify heartbeats/logs.
5. Use Save to rename device labels later, or Delete to revoke credentials.

Other supported mint/provision paths

• Crew app self-service: Settings → Cloud Sync → short-lived enrollment token from /admin → 📱 Crew App QR → Redeem token/Rotate secret.
• Flasher auto-mint: during hub serial provisioning with admin password.
• Hub local UI refresh: the local dashboard can request or accept a new device secret after the hub is online.

10) Daily operations

Crew routine

• Open installed Crew app from home screen icon.
• Pick restaurant in Restaurants tab.
• Enter temperatures in Equipment tab and save.
• Export/email based on your log settings.
• Leave Cloud Sync enabled for near-real-time admin visibility.

Manager routine

• In admin, use 📊 View Logs for filters, CSV exports, and stats.
• Use 🔋 Node Status to confirm hub/node health, stale/low-battery counts, and drift-based verification follow-up.
• Use 🧱 Build and 🥙 Manage Restaurants for content/location updates.
• Use 📣 Send Push for urgent operational messages.
• Use ⚙️ Settings for recipients, thresholds, retention, and optional 2FA requirements.

11) Troubleshooting

Need help fast?

• Ask the in-product assistant at /help.
• Review operational answers at /faq.
• Email support: liam@liambendix.com.