Restaurant Range Buying Guide
If you’re looking to add a versatile piece of equipment to your commercial kitchen, look no further than a range. Ranges offer chefs the flexibility to fry, grill, broil, braise, simmer and even bake – on one piece of equipment. Adding the right range to your kitchen allows you to maximize space, create a seamless workflow and produce amazing foods for your customers. Our gas range buying guide is here to help you make the best possible decision for your kitchen.
To start, let’s walk through the different types of ranges that you can choose from.
Understanding the Different Types of Commercial Ranges
With so many options and capabilities on the market, buying a gas range can be difficult. Before you start shopping, here are the two primary forms of commercial ranges that you should consider.
Restaurant Range
Restaurant ranges are staples to most small and medium-sized commercial kitchens – typically occupying around 150 patrons at a time. These ranges are designed to stand alone and are larger than your average residential range. Additionally, restaurant ranges are manufactured with stainless steel for easy cleaning and the burners provide robust BTUs to accomplish a multitude of cooking tasks.
Heavy Duty Range
Heavy duty ranges are designed for larger kitchens that feed more than 150 people at a time. A heavy-duty range is typically constructed with more durable fittings, knobs and accessories and generally allow for flexibility in features and options. Generally speaking, heavy duty standalone ranges usually hold up to six burners while a medium-duty restaurant range may have up to 12 active burners.
These types of ranges are meant to work in tandem or “in battery” with other ranges to extend the output of your kitchen, such as salamander broilers, cheesemelters, charbroilers, griddles and more. Because of their more robust structure, they tend to be more expensive than restaurant ranges but often prove to be a valuable investment for busy food establishments.
Many restaurant owners base their choice of range on price. While a budget is an important aspect of any business, operators should also consider their daily needs. Any restaurant, corporation or company that needs a kitchen running all day can greatly benefit from making the switch to a heavy-duty range. When restaurant ranges are pushed to their limit day after day, they can start to show signs of wear fast, only causing more of a financial burden down the line. These highly versatile and high-performing pieces of equipment are the backbone to commercial kitchens. Making the right decision can significantly impact to daily operations.
Commercial Gas Range Demonstration
Understanding which model is right for your specific needs can be difficult. It can help to see the product in action. Watch Vulcan's Chef Pete Schellenbach walk through the advantages of the modularity of Endurance Range design that allows more than 300 possible configurations tailored to fit your workflow and your menu. He further points out some unique optional features, like Flame Safety Pilot System that senses when a pilot light goes out and shuts off gas only to that module.