If you are planning to set up a restaurant or catering business, commercial chargrills can be an excellent investment. They are versatile, efficient, and can cook a wide range of foods to perfection. Here's a guide to help you choose the right commercial chargrill for your business.
Table of Contents
- What is a Chargrill?
- How Does a Chargrill Cook Food?
- Benefits of Chargrills
- Chargrill Power Types
- Chargrill Cooking Zones
- Chargrill Grids
- Placement of Chargrills
- Cleaning a Chargrill
- Key Features to Look Out For
- Commercial Grills & Kitchen Extraction
- Char Grill Brands
- Chargrill Commercial Warranty
- What's the best commercial chargrill?
What is a Chargrill?
Chargrills (sometimes known as a charbroiler) are cooking appliances that use an open flame to cook food. The food is placed directly on the grill grates, which are heated from below by gas, electric or with some older models, lava rock. The heat creates distinctive char marks on the food, giving it a unique flavour and appearance. Similar to charcoal barbecues, chargrills create similar results with the added advantage that they can be used indoors.
How Does a Chargrill Cook Food?
A chargrill uses direct heat to cook food. The flames and the grill grates create intense heat that sears the food from beneath, sealing in the juices and flavours. The open flame also creates smoke, which infuses the food with a smoky flavour. Open cooking grids allow flames and heat to rise through to foods for controlled flaring. Controlled flaring helps to achieve the stereotypical chargrilled appearance, smell and taste, creating distinctive and authentic branding on foods for ultimate visual appeal.
Benefits of Chargrills
Chargrills for commercial catering kitchens have several advantages, including:
- Versatility
Chargrills can cook a wide range of foods, including meat, fish, vegetables, and even fruit.
- Flavour
The open flame and smoke create a unique charred flavour that is hard to replicate with other cooking methods.
- Speed
Chargrills cook food quickly, making them ideal for busy restaurants and catering businesses that require high production output.
- Healthier cooking
Chargrills drain excess fat and grease from the food, making it healthier.
- Aesthetics
The char marks created by a chargrill give food an appealing visual appearance.
Chargrill Power Types
Commercial char-grills can be powered by gas, electric, or lava rack. Each power type has its advantages and disadvantages.
Gas Chargrills
Commercial gas chargrills are the most popular type of commercial char grill. They are easy to use, heat quickly, and offer precise temperature control. Gas chargrills are available with natural and LPG options.
Chargrills like the Lincat OG8403 Gas Chargrill utilise infrared burners for faster heating and quicker response than standard gas burners.
Some gas models, such as the Parry UGC8 Lavaless Rock Chargrill,can imitate the distinctive taste and result of a lava rock chargrill by using a hood to cover the gas flame. Fats and oils spill onto this hood during cooking and carbonise to replicate an authentic BBQ flavour.
Electric Chargrills
Commercial electric chargrills are efficient and easy to clean, but they don't create the same smoky flavour as gas or lava rock chargrills. Single and 3 phase electric power options are available.
Top Tip: make sure your kitchen is set up to accept the appropriate power supply prior to buying equipment. Reconfiguring power requirements can be expensive.
Lava Rock Chargrills
Lava rock chargrills, such as the Chefquip B-50 Gas Lava Rock Tilting Chargrill, combine gas and lava rock to provide a long-lasting burn and even heating. They create a distinct chargrill taste by heating and boiling away or vaporizing drips of fat from food during the cooking process. While producing a similar result to charcoal, they benefit from being able to be used inside.
Chargrill Cooking Zones
Commercial chargrills can have one or more cooking zones. Cooking zones are areas of the grill that can be controlled independently to cook different types of food at different temperatures. Multiple cooking zones can increase efficiency and productivity. Electric elements allow just one section to be used during quiet periods or all zones fired up for busy services. Gas models will have a different number of burners which can be independently controlled.
Chargrill Grids
Chargrill cooking grills or branding grids are typically constructed with heavy duty cast iron.
Cast iron grids:
- retain heat well
- offer even heat distribution for consistent results
- transfer heat directly to food
- are durable and long-lasting
Cast iron is porous without an enamel coating and will require seasoning and correct maintenance. For hints and tips check out our Basic Care for your Cast Iron Cookware guide.
There are differences between branding grills whether on electric or gas pieces of equipment. Electric grids are often static, in a flat position. Gas cooking areas can be separated into sections with each area having the ability to be angled, tilted or positioned at different levels as seen with the Falcon Dominator Plus G3625 Gas Chargrill and Parry PGC6 Chargrill. This raises the height of food above the heat for different cooking results.
New models to the market such as the Lincat OE8414 Electric Chargrill eliminate the need for branding bars or grids instead cooking food directly on the elements.
Placement of Chargrills
Commercial chargrills are typically designed for countertop positioning. Some chargrills, such as the Blue Seal G596-LS Gas Chargrill are supplied with stand however when units don't offer this as standard, additional stands can be purchased to maximise available kitchen countertop work space if required.
Cleaning a Chargrill
Proper cleaning and maintenance is crucial to the longevity of a commercial chargrill. While a little smoke is great for infusing that distinctive taste, improper cleaning can result in a build-up of grease that will lead to excess smoke and an uncomfortable work environment.
Chargrill Cleaning Top Tips
- Grill grates should be scraped and cleaned after each use to avoid burnt-on food or unsafe splatters due to grease buildup.
- For cleaning tips for cast iron grids take a look at our guide to Caring For Cast Iron Cookware (link above).
- With stainless steel grids, and chargrill surrounds/splashguards, remove, clean and dry each piece thoroughly as with any other stainless steel equipment.
- Electric elements beneath grill plates are hinged for easy access to the base of the grill. Gas radiants and heating elements should be scraped to remove ash and food particles.
- Make sure to scrape between burners knocking any debris to the collection tray below before emptying and cleaning.
- Gently scour surfaces and then use a soft cloth to wipe.
- Rinse and dry everything thoroughly before reassembling.
- Put clean water in the water bath (where applicable) ready for next use to help retain the moisture of foods.
- The grease tray should regularly be emptied for safety and hygiene.
Top Tip: Rotate branding irons after each clean. This allows heat to be distributed on both sides of the grid alternatively to help keep grids clean and also extend the life of the branding plates.
Always follow manufacturers recommendations for cleaning which should be found in the product manual. If you don't have access to a manual we have downloads available where possible on our website product pages. Alternatively get in touch with a member of our team, and we can sort out a copy for you.
Key Features to Look Out For
When choosing the best commercial grill for restaurants and catering kitchens, consider the following features:
Size
The size of the chargrill should match your business's needs. Assess whether the size of cooking grid can accommodate all the ingredients required during your busiest service. Also make sure to measure external dimensions to guarantee that equipment will fit into the allocated kitchen slot.
Temperature control
The char grill should offer precise temperature control to cook different types of food to perfection.
Build quality
The chargrill should be made of high-quality materials that can withstand heavy use. Commercial kitchens are notoriously tough working environments and durability will ensure equipment longevity. Chargrills are typically manufactured using quality stainless steel for strength and easy cleaning.
Efficiency
As char-grills offer superfast heating and cooking they are considered to be quite efficient. To increase efficiency further Lincat have joined forces with acclaimed Synergy Grill to incorporate Synergy's patented award winning technology into their Opus 800 series of equipment. The Lincat OG8411 Synergy Gas Chargrill allows kitchens to benefit from an average 59% less gas use than with a standard grill while suiting chargrills together with other Opus 800 equipment.
Design
Consider the height of splash guards/surrounds. It is this simple stainless steel protection that can help to prevent splatters on surrounding areas. Removable splashguards are also ideal for easy cleaning. Also look out for removable tank liners to aid cleaning.
If maintaining humidity of foods, increasing moisture content and reducing shrinkage is a priority then look for a chargrill that has a water bath or tray. While this is standard with many models, it is optional on some.
Easy to access grease trays or fat drainage and collection drawers are also ideal as this will need to be emptied and cleaned regularly.
What's included
Chargrills may be supplied with additional items such as chargrill stands, branding grid scrapers, grid lifting tools or cleaning spatulas etc. to enhance use and cleaning.
Commercial Grills & Kitchen Extraction
All catering kitchens should have a quality extraction and ventilation system. Extraction is recommended for use with all types of equipment, both electric and gas as it creates a safer, more comfortable working environment. Extraction removes grease and fumes from the air and maintains safe levels of carbon dioxide and other potentially harmful fumes. While only advised with electric equipment, a commercial extraction system is required by law when gas appliances are being used.
Read more about 'Kitchen Extraction; Getting It Right'.
Char Grill Brands
We have products from a number of well known catering equipment brands including British manufactured Parry, Lincat, Falcon and Chefquip with Fimar and Blue Seal produced elsewhere in the world. Each brand offers chargrills in a range of sizes, with power options and different features. These brands are well recognised within the catering industry with strong reputations for using high quality materials and expert craftsmanship to deliver professional results.
Chargrill Commercial Warranty
All char-grills come with commercial manufacturers warranty. Some are parts only as standard however there are often options to add labour to complete your level of cover. Other char grills have a full manufacturers warranty as standard.
We always recommend having full warranty cover for peace of mind that support is available should you experience any issues.
Top Tip: Warranty cover may be affected by the intended position and use for your chargrill. If used in a mobile catering setting, some manufacturers may only offer a parts only warranty as standard.
What's the best commercial chargrill?
All chargrills that we supply are designed and manufactured by leading brands and are used in catering kitchens around the country. As long as you consider size, cooking capacity, power and efficiency as well as the level of warranty cover before your buy, you will have found your best commercial chargrill.
Need help choosing the perfect chargrill for your individual business requirements? Our team have years of experience matching customers to a product that meets their demands so get in touch for some free impartial advice on which chargrill is best for you.