What To Look For When Choosing A Commercial Range

What to Look for When Choosing a Commercial Range

by

Morgan Ambrose

Few pieces of equipment are more important to the success of a restaurant than the range. This appliance is the centerpiece of the kitchen and arguably plays the most crucial role in modern food preparation. If you are in the market for restaurant supplies, you need to get familiar with the variety of commercial ranges currently available and choose the one that best suits your establishment’s needs. Regardless of what type of cuisine you serve, the range is the piece of equipment that must provide reliable service on an ongoing basis. You will not make a profit if your chef cannot rely on the range to be in good working condition at all times.

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When choosing a range, the first thing to consider is kitchen design. These appliances come in a range of sizes and in different configurations to suit any available space. If you are buying a replacement range, you already have some experience with major appliances and probably have a good idea of what you need, especially if you want an appliance to fit in the same spot as the old one. You have the option of choosing a different layout to increase efficiency and productivity. If you are relocating or opening a new restaurant, you will have to analyze the available space to choose a workable layout for food preparation. Some restaurant owners will start by choosing a range and then design the rest of the kitchen around it. This is a good way to approach this project if your chefs will use the range to prepare the majority of items on your menu. Set up the range as the focal point of the kitchen and arrange the work flow around it. You will need to pay special attention to range size and figure out precisely how much space is available in the kitchen area of your restaurant. It is usually best to buy the biggest appliance your space can accommodate. It is better to have a range that turns out to be a little too big for your needs than one that is too small and will not allow your chefs to keep up with demand. All new restaurants experience wide fluctuations in customer volumes during the early months. It may be difficult to guess what you might need down the road, but if you buy something that is a little too big, you can accommodate future growth. If your range is too small, you will be playing catch up from the beginning and need to purchase a larger one. By that time, the depreciation on your existing range will make it worth very little to you. The configuration of your range is just as crucial as the size. Careful analysis of your menu will help you decide exactly how many burners you need. You may or may not need an extra large griddle, depending on what types of foods you feature. Frying pans are useful but a griddle may be more appropriate for cooking large volumes of fried foods. You also need to factor in the number of cooks you have working for you and how many will be working on the range at the same time. There must be enough room for everyone to work comfortably if the kitchen is to run smoothly. You can choose a range that has ovens or one with open cabinets underneath the burners. The best choice will depend on what your chefs need. If the ovens are not used very often, a range with an oven below the burners will be adequate and will save you from having to purchase separate appliances. If your chefs are doing large volume baking, a range with a built-in oven may not be practical because the interior of the oven is relatively small. There is also an issue getting access to the ovens when the chefs are cooking on the range top. Built-in ovens are the right choice for a kitchen that has only an occasional need to bake. Some ranges feature open shelving underneath the burners. This is a good option for kitchens with limited storage area. Kitchen supplies can be stored on the shelves keeping them within easy reach of the workers.

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What to Look for When Choosing a Commercial Range