Pasta Cooker

Restaurant Pasta Cookers: What You Need to Know

Water capacity is one of the most critical considerations when purchasing an industrial pasta cooker as it'll dictate how much food you can cook at once. Smaller venues or ones offering limited pasta dishes may prefer a countertop model that holds around 2 to 3 gallons of water, while larger restaurants that yield a large amount of pasta dishes may prefer a floor model that can hold approximately 12 gallons.

Common Questions About Commercial Pasta Cookers

How does a commercial pasta cooker work?

Baskets of product, from noodles to vegetables, are lowered into the vat to cook, with the boiling water providing relatively hands-off cooking. While they look very much like deep fryers and even use a similar cooking process, pasta cookers use water where fryers use oil. Some have computerized controls that give the operator precise control over time and temperature. Some industrial pasta cookers even have an automatic water fill option that helps ensure your pasta is cooked perfectly every time.

Small countertop pasta cookers can add additional cooking power to establishments that need help but don't have the room for a full-size unit. Small electric pasta cookers are easy to set up or put away, depending on what menu items you're offering at any given time.

How many pasta cooking vats should I get?

The number of vats you'll need depends on how you plan on using the machine. Whether you're boiling huge amounts of pasta or cooking various types of vegetables, having more than one vat can be crucial to a busy establishment because it enables you to cook more than one product at once without the risk of flavor transfer. You might also consider purchasing a two-vat pasta cooker that provides one vat for cooking pasta and a second for reheating pasta that's already cooked.

What commercial pasta cooker features are available?

A number of specialty options are available for your commercial pasta cooker, many of which automate common tasks to free up labor.

• Down draft systems can help address ventilation requirements. Grease, fumes, and odors are pulled down and away from the cooker, eliminating the need for an additional vent hood in most areas. Check local codes to ensure these can be used without ventilation in your area.
• An auto drain feature lets water overflow the vat into a separate container, causing the used water to go down the drain.
• Units with the auto fill option enable excess starch to drain out of the tank by automatically topping off the tank. That means your pasta cooks in fresh water all the time and shouldn't become gummy.
• Basket lifts ensure proper cook times without constant monitoring by pulling the food up and out of the hot water after a cook time you set. This frees up employees to work on other tasks and saves you money by preventing product loss from overcooking.
• A rinse station is available on many units. This enables the operator to rinse the pasta quickly, cooling it and stopping the cooking process.