A Commercial Oven is the Right Cooking Equipment for a Food Service Kitchen

For many first-timers to food service, it’s a question that’s bound to come up: Why do I need to purchase a new restaurant oven when I can opt for a residential one that is much cheaper? With some of the greatest pricing disparities among kitchen equipment, it’s easy for novices to wonder about the value of a commercial oven. While the initial savings may seem attractive, there are some very good reasons to purchase a commercial model. From increased production to greater customization, learn why restaurant ovens are the way to go in a commercial kitchen.

Why You Should Choose a Commercial Oven

• Commercial ovens are designed to take the demands of a professional kitchen, like being in service for long hours and high-temperature cooking. From heavy-duty insulation to handles designed to stay cool to the touch, food service models are designed for heavy use in restaurants. You’re going to pay a bit more for more durable equipment, but it’s going to be worth it in the long run.
• Because the adjustors and actuaries know the above, they have specific rules when it comes to cooking equipment in restaurants. That’s why they may not pay out on claims for fires that started with an overworked residential oven in a commercial kitchen.
• The folks at the insurance company aren’t alone in disparaging food service operations from getting less than a commercial oven; the manufacturer will, too. In most cases, the maker of that cooking equipment will not honor the warranty if something goes wrong when it has been used in a commercial setting. With the heavy demands of a food service kitchen, it would be hard for there not to be an issue, which could send you out for a new oven in short order. Suddenly, that savings from using a residential oven becomes a big deficit.
• At home, making a pizza, baking a loaf of bread, and finishing a steak all in one oven is no big deal. When it comes to the commercial kitchen, though, producing a quality product means using the right equipment. Restaurant oven manufacturers have spent lots of time and money developing the perfect oven for every application, whether it’s a pizza deck oven or a rotisserie oven. Buying commercial products enable you to get exactly what you need.
• If you need an oven in your food service kitchen, you really need one in addition to the range oven. Assuming you’ve got one, you’re going to have a commercial oven that offers the capacity and, therefore, production you need. A residential oven just can’t compete.
• Speaking of capacity, comparing residential convection ovens to commercial convection ovens, you’re likely to only have room for full food service sheet pans in the commercial unit. Restaurant ovens are designed to accommodate the larger pans and trays used in the commercial kitchen.
• Commercial ovens are designed to provide more heat and provide it more efficiently. If you opt for lesser cooking equipment, you’ll probably find your food is taking considerably longer to cook than your recipes prescribe and it may be quite difficult to cook evenly. If you’re using food service recipes, they’ve been written for a restaurant oven and it’s nearly impossible to scale them down perfectly for a less-capable oven.

• Steam. The single word means something important when it comes to cooking and it’s something that only a commercial oven is really capable of. From proofers to combi ovens to hydrovection ovens, a restaurant oven can provide a cooking element that can help you provide foods faster, healthier, and with more flavor. Bake bread in a residential oven and you’ve got a loaf. Bake it in a commercial oven with steam and you’ve got a perfectly brown-crusted, chewy, delicious treat.

Get the Right Cooking Equipment for Foodservice Settings

You shouldn’t expect a residential oven to do the work of a restaurant oven or to hold up in the food service setting. Commercial ovens offer durability, reliability, capacity, and safety that can’t be matched.

If you need assistance finding the right cooking equipment for your commercial kitchen, please contact one of our customer service representatives at 1-800-541-8683.