If you are thinking of buying a commercial charbroiler for your foodservice establishment, ask yourself the following question to make an informed purchasing decision.
1. Why Choose a Charbroiler?
If your foodservice establishment features a menu with burgers, meats, fish, or even vegetables, your kitchen needs a charbroiler. The charbroiler allows you to create a grill effect even if you do not have the actual capability to grill. Charbroilers can cook with either gas or infrared/electric heat. A charbroiler is both an indoor and outdoor cooking method for achieving a signature “grilled style” taste and authentic looking grill lines, in a commercial establishment.
2. How much space do you need for a charbroiler?
Charbroilers are available in floor and countertop models and range in size anywhere from 15” in width to 72” in width or more. It recommended determine how much space you have available to work with before selecting a model. Charbroilers can be either free-standing, or they can sit on a stand or a refrigerated base. Usually made of highly durable stainless steel, charbroilers are not much wider than their grates. For larger volume restaurants, a larger charbroiler will allow you to cook for multiple orders at the same time.
3. Radiant or Lava Rock?
Another distinction between charbroilers is their heat type, which is generally lava rock (also called ceramic rocks or briquettes) or radiant. Each of these materials distribute heat at different levels of evenness. A lava rock heated charbroiler is constructed with a material that evenly distributes heat across the grates surface, while a charbroiler featuring radiant channels will heat up toward the grates, which then become hotter over time.
4. How many burners do you need on your charbroiler?
Different models of charbroilers vary in the number of burners provided to heat the surface area. One burner per foot is typically the standard for light to medium duty models, while one burner per 6 inches is the standard for heavy duty models.
5. How much heat do you need to keep up with demand?
The amount of heat generated by a gas burner is measured in British Thermal Units or BTUs. One BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise one pound of water at maximum density through one degree Fahrenheit. The higher the BTU rating of a burner, the more heat it will generate over any given period. More powerful burners mean you can cook foods quickly in higher volumes. Comparing different equipment's BTU ratings is a good idea to make sure that you are getting one that can keep up with your establishments demand.
