How to Buy a Commercial Barbeque Grill: Insights from a Used Restaurant Equipment Company in Oak Park

July 24th, 2020

Grilling burgers on a barbeque grill at a restaurant in Oak Park, IllinoisAre you planning to serve grilled chicken, smoked meats, burgers, and/or steaks in your restaurant?

Unlike your backyard barbecue grill, your restaurant’s grill won’t be used to occasionally flip burgers over the weekend. Therefore, you’ll want to look for a more robust commercial grill that meets the required standards for professional quality, service, and satisfaction on a consistent basis.

In this post, we’re going to discuss some of the key factors that you’ll want to considered before purchasing a commercial grill for your restaurant in Oak Park:

Grill Size

If you plan on serving a large customer base all at once, you’ll want to make sure that your grill will be able to meet your demands without keeping your customers waiting for too long. In general, an ideal surface area for a production cooking grill is 24” x 60”.

Cooking time is also affected by food preparation technique (raw vs. pre-cooked), cooking level (rare, medium or well done), thickness, and quality of meat (lean or fatty).

Material

The material used in the grill will help give you an idea about its durability and corrosion resistance ability. If you are looking for a basic commercial grill, and if you have a covered storage area to protect the grill from the elements, then a cast iron grill should serve you well for quite a few years. However, if you are looking for a sturdier option that will last for well over a decade, then stainless steel might be the better option.

Heat Requirements

In most cases, the heat requirements of the grill are based on the amount of grilling you will be doing. How many customers will you be serving at once? If output and efficiency are a top priority, then it’s important to consider the amount of time it takes the grill to reach your ideal cooking temperature. The more BTU’s (heating units) that the grill has, the more heat it will produce, thereby allowing you to cook more food, quickly.

Safety

Some commercial grills are not manufactured under strict norms, and they may not be able to withstand the rigorous of regular commercial use. In some cases, you may be tempted to purchase an inferior, non-certified grill due to its low price. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it may not last you for very long, and it may not meet safety protocols. A certification implies that the manufacturer has put in the time, effort, and money for proper quality control and testing to build a grill that meets high standards.

Portability

You might want to consider portability if you’ll need to move or transport the grill to another location. If this is the case, you may want to consider a grill on wheels that provides stability on different terrains and uneven surfaces. Also, check with the manufacturer to see if the grill can be trailer-mounted safely and easily.

Are You Looking for Used Restaurant Equipment in Oak Park, Illinois?

If you’re in the market for any used restaurant equipment — such as a commercial grill — and if you need it in Oak Park, then you’ve come to the right place.

For over 30 years, March Quality has been providing a place for current businesses to sell equipment, while also offering a very viable secondary market for those entering the industry or already in the industry.

We purchase used kitchen equipment and refurbish it until it’s like new, then sell it for a fraction of the price of new equipment.

Contact us today to discuss your needs!

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