Four Advantages of a Convertible Gas Griddle
If you're shopping for a new commercial gas griddle, there's little doubt that you know which type of fuel connection it should have. It'll either use natural gas from a municipal source or propane from a tank near your building. Whether the equipment you select is a convertible gas grill that can be converted to use the other type of fuel isn't something you're likely to factor into your buying decision, but here are a few reasons that it should be.
Future-proof your kitchen. If you opt to order a convertible gas griddle, you'll be giving yourself more flexibility to rearrange your equipment in the future. Should your kitchen layout change, it may pay to have the option of connecting your equipment to an alternate fuel source, even if it's only until a permanent gas line can be installed. Should a kitchen remodel see a delay in the installation of new natural gas lines, the ability to fuel your griddle with propane may let you continue to serve customers through the setback.
Take the show on the road. Your culinary practice may currently be bound to a brick-and-mortar kitchen, but if there's a chance you'll ever take your menu on the road via a food truck or trailer, the ability to convert your griddle between natural gas and propane can make the transition a cinch. If you're just getting your start, you may choose to equip your permanent kitchen with a convertible countertop griddle for the time being, and when it's time to roll out your mobile operations, you can simply convert that equipment to burn propane, move it into your food truck, and upgrade your permanent kitchen to a heavy-duty grill.
Beat the market. As of 2017, it makes more financial sense to heat with natural gas than with propane or electricity in most parts of the country because it offers the highest amount of heat per dollar. It may not always be that way, though. Fuel prices fluctuate over time and it isn't impossible that propane will one day become the cheaper heat source. If that should ever happen, you'll be prepared to make the switch if you're equipped with a convertible gas griddle.
Have a back-up plan. Being a public utility like the electric grid, your city's natural gas infrastructure is a vast network that's subject to unexpected interruptions. Accidents and natural disasters can interrupt the flow of gas to your facility, and when that happens, you'll be without a source of energy to power the equipment that depends on it. Depending on the severity of the interruption, it can take days for the supply to be restored. If your gas equipment can be converted to use propane and you have a backup supply of fuel to run it, a simple service call may be all that's needed to get your gas-fired equipment up and cooking in the interim.
