Choosing The Best Restaurant Griddle

Whether you’re starting your own restaurant or looking to upgrade your kitchen, you have a big choice ahead of you. Remember that it’s important to weigh your options carefully so we made a complete guide about how to properly choose the commercial griddle that will help you to get the best one.

Important Factors To Choose a Commercial Griddle

There are several factors that need to be considered when choosing a griddle for your restaurant, including:

Types of Griddles

Before you look at any other factor or feature, you need to determine which type of griddle will work best in your restaurant kitchen.

There are three main types of restaurant griddles:

1. Countertop Griddle

A commercial griddle is ideal for restaurants that don’t have designated space for a built-in. They can be placed on any countertop or table that has access to a gas or electrical source.

Countertop griddles have another advantage: they’re portable. If your restaurant offers catering services, you can take your griddles with you to offsite locations.

2. Drop-in Griddle

A built-in countertop griddle is a more permanent solution and it is also more expensive, but it’s worth the cost if you don’t need a portable commercial griddle and need to preserve as much surface space as possible.

3. Teppanyaki Griddle

A Teppanyaki griddle, which is also known as Japanese, is a type of drop-in griddle. It has the heating element is at the center of the griddle, which keeps the edges of the griddle cooler. This allows you to warm foods along the edges of the griddle and cook food at a higher temperature.

The Heat Source

Once you determine what type of griddle to buy, you’ll need to consider fuel source. All commercial kitchens can use an electric griddle, but only some can use gas. If you have the option to choose between gas and electric, consider the following:

1. Electric

A commercial electric griddle is convenient and easy to use. Many newer models come with energy-efficient features to reduce operating costs. There’s also a matter of durability. A heavy-duty electric griddle will last quite a while.

2. Gas

A gas countertop griddle is still the go-to choice for professional chefs. A restaurant gas griddle heats up quickly, and thermostatic controls make it easier to control the heat/temperature.

3. Induction

Induction griddles offer the best of both worlds although they are still new to the market. A commercial induction griddle uses an electric power source, so it can be used in virtually any commercial kitchen.

Size

The size of the griddle is another important parameter. Imagine your restaurant is at full capacity. How many items would you need to put on the griddle at one time to serve customers as efficiently as possible? Use that figure to determine which size griddle you’ll need for your kitchen.

The most common griddle sizes are:

• 24”
• 36”
• 48”
• 60”
• 72”

When choosing a size, you will also need to consider how much available space you have and whether you need a medium-duty or heavy-duty model.

The Material Of The Surface

Remember another important factor that’s easy to overlook is the thickness of the griddle plate. Commercial griddle plates come in three basic thicknesses:

• 1/2"
• 3/4"
• 1”

You should also pay attention to surface material choosing because if you pick up a wrong plate thickness, you may wind up with a needlessly inefficient kitchen.

Control Options

Commercial griddles have two main types of controls:

• Manual controls, which are basic and have just a few main heat settings: low, medium, and high.
• Thermostatic controls, which allow you to choose a precise temperature.

Griddles with thermostatic controls are naturally more expensive, but if you’re cooking items that require precise temperatures, you need thermostatic controls.

Ease of Use

To keep your kitchen running smoothly, choose a griddle that’s easy to use and clean. Carefully analyze each feature to determine whether it will make your staff’s life easier or harder.

It’s worth the extra cost for a griddle that’s easy to use. Otherwise, you may pay for it in the long run if your kitchen staff loses efficiency.

Cost

And the last but not the least factor when choosing a griddle is the cost.

Running a restaurant is expensive, so naturally, you have a set budget. However, it’s worth investing in a griddle that will enhance kitchen efficiency while being easy to maintain and durable.

We hope that this guide will help you choose the most suitable griddle for your restaurant.

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