Commercial Cooking Equipment

Buying commercial cooking equipment

The cooking line is where the menu happens, so spec it around what you actually cook, not around a standard package. The core decisions are your heat source and your throughput: gas or electric, and how many covers you need to fire in your busiest hour.

Ranges, ovens and cooktops form the backbone. A combi oven earns its place in most modern kitchens because it does the work of several appliances (steam, convection, and a combination of both) in one footprint, which is why it is usually the first big-ticket buy. Fryers, griddles and chargrills are chosen by the plate: match the pan or plate size to your covers so you are not the bottleneck at eight o’clock.

Two practicalities catch people out. Gas equipment needs a gas-safe connection with enough extraction and interlocking to satisfy your gas safety certificate, so the canopy and the cooking line are one job, not two. And heavy electric equipment often needs three-phase, so confirm your supply before you fall for a spec.

Commercial Cooking Equipment: common questions

Gas or electric, which is better for a commercial kitchen?

It depends on your site and your menu. Gas gives instant, visible heat that chefs like for wok and flame work, and it is often cheaper to run. Electric, especially induction, is cleaner, cooler in the kitchen, faster to heat and easier to control precisely, and it is the only option where you cannot get a gas supply or extraction. Many kitchens mix the two.

What can a combi oven do that a normal oven cannot?

A combi combines convection heat with injected steam, so one cabinet roasts, bakes, steams, poaches, proves and regenerates. It holds humidity precisely, which means less shrinkage on meat and better results on bread and vegetables. For most kitchens it replaces two or three separate appliances, which is why it is usually the first serious investment.

What size fryer do I need?

Size a fryer by output per hour, not just pan litres. A single 8-litre pan handles a small menu; busy sites run twin pans so one can recover while the other fries. If chips are a big seller, oversize slightly: a fryer fighting to recover temperature makes greasy food and burns through oil faster.

Do I need a canopy and extraction over my cooking line?

Almost always. Any serious cooking, and all gas equipment, needs extraction to clear heat, steam and combustion products, and gas appliances need an interlock so they cannot run without the fan. Treat the canopy, gas connection and cooking line as one project, because your gas safety certificate depends on them working together.

What power supply does commercial cooking equipment need?

Light electric equipment runs single-phase, but ovens, ranges and larger fryers frequently need three-phase. Gas equipment needs a commercial gas-safe connection sized to the appliances. Confirm both before ordering: the supply, not the equipment, is usually the long pole in a kitchen fit-out.

Can you help spec a whole cooking line?

Yes. If you are fitting out or refurbishing, our projects team will spec the line around your menu and site, including extraction and services, and handle delivery and install. Ask us before you buy piecemeal, so the parts actually work together.