Grills, Griddles, Char-Broilers, Hot Plates & Accessories

Salamander Broilers (8 Products)

Hot Plates (39 Products)

Char-Broilers & Outdoor Grills (3 Sub-Categories)

• Char-Rock Char-Broilers (42 Products)
• Radiant Char-Broilers (69 Products)
• Outdoor Grills (17 Products)

Griddles (2 Sub-Categories)

• Heavy Duty Griddles (121 Products)
• Medium Duty Griddles (41 Products)

Grill Accessories (28 Products)

Panini & Sandwich Grills (3 Sub-Categories)

• Grooved Panini Grills (26 Products)
• Grooved / Smooth Combo Grills (5 Products)
• Smooth Panini Grills (27 Products)

Grills, Griddles, Char-Broilers, & Hot Plates Buying Guide

In any food service business, or any application where cooking food is necessary, how it is prepared can make all the difference. There are many different ways to prepare the food you need other than the conventional oven. Grills, griddles, char broilers, and hot plates are just a few wonderful ways to prepare hot, delicious food for any occasion. Choosing the best piece of cooking equipment for your business is important, so you will want to make an informed decision. This guide will help you make that decision by examining each cooking method. After reading this guide, examine your menu and determine while method will best suite your businesses needs.

Panini & Sandwich Grills

The panini grill is a grilling machine that uses the press method to prepare special panini bread sandwiches. Commercial panini grills come in either smooth or grilled surfaces. This decision can be made by choosing whether you want your food to be served with grill marks or without. The grilling surface of the Panini grill is another criteria to consider. The surfaces of the grills generally come in either aluminum or iron. Aluminum cooking surfaces heat up quickly and are ideal for fast food type establishments. Iron cooking surfaces take longer to heat up, but will retain the heat for a longer period of time to keep food heated or for continuous use. Panini grills are also great for grilling meat, burgers, hot dogs, sausages, and vegetables.

Griddles

Griddles are the perfect choice for any commercial kitchen that wants a home-cooked taste quickly. The commercial griddle consists of a flat metal plate of steel or iron that conducts heat directly from the surface of the griddle to the food. Griddles typically have a splash guard to prevent grease from splattering into the cooking area. Griddles come in either manual or thermostat controlled heat varieties. Manually controlled griddles do not offer a specific heating temperature, but are great for the experienced chef who is familiar with this type of cooking surface. Thermostat controlled griddles allow you to set a certain temperature and allow the surface to heat to this temperature.

Griddles also give you the choice of either gas or electric powered models. Gas griddles preheat quicker than electric griddles and may help save money depending on the amount of fuel used. Electric griddles provide a basic, uniform temperature across the surface of the griddle allowing your food to heat and cooking quickly and evenly, minimizing burning or cold spots.

Charbroilers also offer the home-cooked taste with the speed and convenience needed in a restaurant style setting. Commercial char broilers are either powered by liquid propane, natural gas, or electricity and come in either lava rock or radiant heat varieties. The difference in these cooking styles is that radiant heat char broilers transfer heat directly from the burner into the cooking area. Lava rock char broilers transfer heat from the burner to briquettes and then that transfers to the cooking area. Lava rock style char-broilers require changing the briquettes on occasion, but is an overall cheaper initial investment for your business. Radiant heat charbroilers are a more expensive option, but require little maintenance time and expense once it is purchased.

Heavy-duty char broilers are designed to be the main piece of cooking equipment in your kitchen and can withstand high-volume cooking. Medium-duty cookers should be used mainly for smaller businesses that do not require constant use of their char broiler. Outdoor char-broilers are also available and can withstand high-volume cooking for any establishment with an outdoor cooking area. Electric charbroilers can withstand heavy-duty cooking and may be a less expensive investment for your business.

Hot plate cooking is ideal for entertaining, traveling, camping, office areas, and dorm rooms. Commercial hot plates are portable and are a minimal fire risk, making them an excellent choice for cooking when you are on the move or have limited space. Most hot plates are electric, but gas varieties can also be purchased. Gas hot plates are good for outdoor cooking, such as camping or for use when entertaining outdoors. Hot plates also have the ability to keep food warm until it is ready to be served.