Choosing A Range Cooker For Your Catering Business

If you are looking for a new range cooker for your catering establishment you may be pleased to know that there are hundreds of models from which to choose. Obviously, you will want to pick one which looks good in your kitchen, but the most important thing is the functions, not the style. Choose the wrong one and you could finish up with a cooker that has inaccurate ovens, hobs that are a nightmare to clean, or a grill that is really too small.

Range cookers can be all gas, all electric, or better still dual fuel with gas hobs and electric ovens. However, if you want to use all gas or dual fuel it is by far the best if you already have gas installed on your premises, because while gas is cheaper to cook with, it will take a long time to recoup having a gas connection installed. You can also get induction range cookers which heat faster than ceramic hobs, but you will need to use the right type of steel-based pans.

The majority of range cookers come in widths of 90cm, 100cm, and 110cm, and they will usually have between five and eight burners or hob rings, two ovens, a grill, and a warming drawer. A 6 burner oven is sufficient for many establishments, but depending on your foot traffic you might consider a 6 burner oven insufficient and opt for an 8 burner one instead.

Here is a point worth considering about ovens: manufacturers often quote the total volume of the oven, which can include the space below the lowest shelf, so what you need to check is the amount of actual cooking space that is available. Some cookers also have space that is not configured as well as it might be, meaning that you may have to use two ovens - and thus more fuel – instead of one.

Most electric cookers have an oven with a fan, and you can also get a 6 burner oven with pyrolytic self-cleaning which incinerates food spills that are burnt on. All you need to do is to sweep up the ash. However, you still have to clean the glass doors and trays by hand.

A Look At Some Commercial Glasswashers

If you are looking for a commercial glasswasher there is a wide choice available on the market. Depending on the sizes and functions, you can pay anywhere from around £700 to over £3,000 for a commercial glasswasher today.

Take the Evolution under counter glass washers for instance. There are several different models in this range, but they are all double skinned so that heat loss is reduced to a minimum and so is noise output. The last thing you want in a pub or bar is a noisy washer unit. The Evolution washers have a breaktank as standard and have low water usage. There are three standard cycle options and an extensive range of special cycle options.

The glass cycle automatically changes parameters to suit glass washing while for an intensive wash or for glass renovation there is the long cycle. There is also a green cycle for economy which lowers the water temperatures and reduces water usage. Then for very dirty glasses there is a very intensive cycle which runs two full cycles one after another. There is also a sanitising cycle that balances water temperature and running time to achieve a standard rating of AO 30. In addition, there is a comprehensive self-cleaning cycle.

These machines have scrap trays as standard and a drain pump as standard. The detergent and rinse aid delivery is by precise peristaltic pumps, while the priming and dosing of chemicals is enabled from the fascia. Each of these commercial glasswashers has a full LCD display and user interface which shows simple machine status updates. The Evolution 501 and 505 WS are supplied with two open cup/glass racks, while the 511 and 515 WS models have one open, one pegged plate rack and cutlery basket. The Evolution range of glass washers are priced from £2,304 to £2,874.

When you are buying a commercial glass washer there are three main things you need to consider. The first is your level of demand: you need a machine that can cope with your demand in peak periods. You also need to consider how much space you have available, and how your machine will drain, either through gravity or a drain pump.