Different cooktop configurations
Different commercial gas stoves come with different configurations. When it comes to deciding for a cooktop configuration, the first thing you need to consider is the food you offer and how much you serve daily. Here are the different types of configurations you can choose from.
Burners
Burners are where most of the cooking is done. It’s what you see in movies with flames rising out of it and blazing huge in flambes. Different rangetops come with different numbers and sizes of burners. Depending on the size of your restaurant, you might need a burner that can accommodate four to six pans and pots at the same time, and each burner size matters too: do you cook a lot of solo servings or tiny batches of sauce, or do you need bigger burners for big pots and pans?
Griddle
If you serve breakfast, you need a griddle, where most of the breakfast and sandwiches go: bacon, pancakes, French toast and eggs.
This is a flat surface you usually see in burger shops where patties are cooked. Griddles are perfect for small to large operations and can be seen in most professional kitchens.
Charbroiler
A charbroiler is a configuration you use for cooking juicy steaks and burgers cooked in direct flame. This is a great way to give your dishes a smokey flavor while leaving a satisfying grill mark.
French Top
A French top is the one lying flatly to your cooking area and placed directly over the gas burner. It comes with a center ring that produces high heat which is suitable for bringing soups to boil. From there, you can slide the pot to the outer surface for simmering in low heat to avoid overcooking. It’s perfect for rapid boiling of pasta and cooking your restaurant’s signature soup.
Hot Top
Just like the French top, a hot top is also a flat cooking surface that looks similar to griddles. The difference is that it brings the whole area into heat and is perfect for your kitchen if you serve small orders at the same time. However, it has a slow heating feature so it might take a while before it can reach the maximum heat output.
Salamander
A salamander grill is a common configuration you can see in professional kitchens. This is perfect for toasting and keeping the dishes at a certain temperature. And if you’re offering creme brulee, you can use this to achieve a perfectly browned crust.
Oven bases for your commercial cooktop
An oven base is the most common base restaurant owners usually go for. Many chefs use the oven to cook, roast, bake, so this is an essential base for your commercial cooktop. Before deciding, you must consider which type of oven you prefer.
Conventional Ovens
Standard or conventional oven is the most common type of oven which heats the product from the bottom and broils through the heat coming from the top. You can use this type of oven for your products that need to rise like cakes and macaroons.
Convection Ovens
Unlike the conventional oven, a convection oven has a fan and exhaust to help blow the heat and spread it throughout the entire surface. This helps products to cook more evenly and quickly. Convection ovens are perfect for cookies, roasted and toasted goods, and casserole dishes.
Space-saver Ovens
A space-saver oven is smaller than the standard oven. It’s perfect for small and compact kitchens and recommended for baking small quantities of goods. Full-sized pans can’t fit inside of this type of oven.
Different types of commercial cooktops
Your commercial cooktop is the heart of your restaurant. This is where you craft different amazing dishes that go out to your customers. With so many options available in the market, how do you choose the perfect cooktop for your kitchen? Here are the most common types of commercial cooktops to help you decide.
Restaurant Range
A restaurant range is the type of cooktop recommended for restaurants accommodating less than a hundred seats per day. It’s perfect for cafes, food stands and fine dining restaurants. This is one of the cheapest options for commercial ranges and can easily be installed in the kitchen.
Specialty Range
A wok burner is one of the most common ranges for specialty use. It’s a high pressure cooking range that produces flame directly upwards. This burner is designed to heat pots and pans more quickly, allowing you to use different cooking methods you can’t usually do using a standard cooking range. This is perfect for searing steak, stir frying, steaming and smoking.
Another specialty range you can use is a stock pot range. This is designed for heating large pots of liquid and is perfect for cooking soups, stocks and broth. It comes with a low height to make sure you can lift the large pots easily and avoid spillage.
Heavy Duty
In contrast to the restaurant range, heavy duty commercial range is the one used in establishments with a high volume of customers like cafeterias and hospitals. Ranges like these share a common gas source and they’re recommended if you’re using a gas range non-stop daily.
Tips before buying a commercial gas stove
Commercial cooktops have a wide range of varieties and choosing the right one saves you money in the long run. Here are some tips you need to know before getting a commercial gas stove for your kitchen.
Know your preferred configurations.
The first thing you need to consider when looking for a commercial gas stove is your preferred configuration and it all depends on the type of food you usually offer. For example, if your restaurant serves breakfast meals, you must pick those models with griddle tops.
And if you offer steaks, you might need a salamander broiler placed just above your range. Make sure you select a commercial range that’s tailored to your restaurant’s menu.
Assess which type of power supply you need.
With all the options and different configurations you can select, your desired power supply is also one of the most important factors to consider. Basically, there are two types of commercial cooktops: the electric and gas ranges.
Electric ranges are made with tubular metal with resistance wires. This is the one that lies flat to your cooktop. Electric commercial ranges are also easier to install and cheaper compared to other power sources.
On the other hand, gas ranges are those with open burners. Compared to electric ranges, these use natural gas that makes it more efficient and can cost you lower operational expenses. However, installation of gas stove models can be quite expensive.
The type of food you offer and your budget will play an important role to help you select the best type of commercial cooktop. Before deciding, it’s important to consider the factors mentioned above to make sure you choose the one that perfectly suits your restaurant’s needs.
Consider your desired size for your commercial kitchen.
Commercial cooktop sizes range from 24-72 inches with various numbers of burners and ovens. Depending on your restaurant, you might need a specific size that will suit your needs.
First factor to consider is the size of the kitchen itself. If you have a compact commercial kitchen, you might want to go for at least 24 inches with a single oven and six burners. In this way, you can maintain a comfortable mobility for your kitchen staff without any obstructions.
And of course, you also need to consider the number of customers you usually serve everyday. If your daily customer volume is high, you must invest on a large-sized commercial cooktop. It’s always better to shift on a larger one than trying to fit everything in a small commercial range to keep your kitchen safe.
Assess which type of base you need.
The range base is the one that’s placed below the cooktop. To help you maximize your commercial kitchen’s space, different bases are provided for your ranges. Select the one that’s most useful for your restaurant.
Do you offer pastries and other dishes that need baking? Then you can go for a commercial range that comes with an oven base. But if you already have a separate oven, you can pick those with a cabinet base instead. You can use it as an extra storage for your pots, pans and other kitchen equipment.
Another option is a refrigerator base where you can store your food items more conveniently. In this way, your chef or cook can easily pull out ingredients just below the cooktop.
Key Takeaways
Selecting the perfect commercial range is a crucial step. Before deciding, take a look at your menu and evaluate your kitchen’s needs so you can ensure you’ll pick just the right one. Are you now ready to look up for a new commercial cooktop? With the right combination of burners and bases, you can achieve perfectly crafted dishes for your customers.
