Cooking, grilling, browning, but also regenerating foods, finishing and cauterizing cuts of meat of all kinds. Professional electric or gas fry tops can do this and much more, essential catering equipment that can be of many different types. If you are thinking of buying a new fry top, you may have already asked yourself whether the gas fry top or the electric fry top is better for your business, whether the one with a smooth or grooved griddle is more practical, whether it is better to have it in steel or chromed.
There are many variables to consider when buying professional fry tops for your business. Let's see together all the pros and cons of each type in terms of cooking quality, ease of cleaning and durability to make the most informed choice!
The difference between fry tops, plate and grill
Unlike the classic plate or grill, the fry tops do not require water, wood or lava rock under the cooking surface. The food is placed directly on the plate without direct flame and without adding oil and fat. And this allows the preparation of cooked dishes in a homogeneous, natural and healthy way.
Compared to the classic lava stone grill, gas fry tops and electric fry tops also release less fumes. Obviously, considering that we are talking about important and persistent smells, the kitchen that hosts them must be equipped with a good extraction system in accordance with the law and suitable for the use of fry tops and suchlike.
In general, professional gas fry tops and professional electric fry tops can be considered versatile tools, simple to use and to clean and capable of guaranteeing excellent quality results in the preparation of various types of dishes. That is why the fry top is one of the pieces of equipment that cannot be missing in a professional kitchen.
Professional fry tops for perfect cooking: gas fry top or electric fry top?
There are mainly three factors that marks the difference between a professional gas fry top and a professional electric fry top and that lead to a purchase choice based on the specific needs of the kitchen where it will be used: the heating power of the plate, the time of achievement of the right operating temperature and the energy consumption.
In the gas fry top the heating power is high and therefore the desired temperature is reached very quickly. In the electric fry top, the heating power is lower even if the powerful resistances on the plates ensure that the desired temperature is quickly reached. So, the gas fry top expends less energy but its performance is better than the electric one.
Having said that, the choice of a professional fry top must be made thinking of the specific needs of our business: the type of menu offered, the kind and volume of customers and the availability of time to cook. And we have to consider the quality: it is essential to buy professional fry tops produced by specialized companies who know the specific needs of kitchen operators and, in addition to offering precise guarantees in terms of performance, reliability and durability over time, can recommend the best solution for every specific need.
Steel, cast iron, ceramic glass: vices and virtues of the surfaces of professional fry tops
A main factor in the choice of the gas fry top or the electric fry top is the material of which the plate is made because it concerns the type of cooking, the cleaning method and durability.
1.The professional fry tops with mild steel plate (with standard surface in Fe510 or 16Mo3) guarantee homogeneous heat conductivity and are particularly suitable for cooking consistent food, such as meat for example, because they can reach temperatures up to 300°C. Furthermore, they are indestructible and have an excellent quality - price ratio. The surface requires cleaning with antioxidant products and subsequent greasing with a layer of vegetable oil.
The gas fry top or electric fry top with chromed surface are perfect for cooking delicate foods such as fish and vegetables. The pluses: stainless, little radiation in the air and therefore also greater comfort for the operator, very easy to clean with a cloth or a sponge soaked in water and vinegar and rinsing carefully. The use of sharp and pointed tools which can damage the chrome is not recommended.
The professional fry tops with Superchrome surface (CR 40) represent a real top of the range product and certainly is one of the best choices because, compared to a significant cost, they guarantee many important advantages: indestructibility, stainlessness, greater irradiation compared to the plate with chrome mirror, MOCA certification which guarantees compliance with mandatory food hygiene requirements and, last but not least, great ease of cleaning.
2. Due to the characteristics of the material, fry cast iron tops have the advantage of being big heat accumulators and allow you to create perfect grilling lines on foods such as steaks. However, they have disadvantages to be taken into consideration: cast iron, unlike steel, suffers from sudden changes in temperature and is therefore subject to thermal shocks which may damage or break the plate. In addition, they tend to rust easily because cast iron is a porous material that retains moisture a lot.
3. Together with those in chromed steel, -ceramic glass fry tops are among the favourites because they do not modify the organoleptic characteristics of the food and do not produce excessive cooking fumes. Like the former, they are used in quick catering for cooking hamburger, sandwiches, meat or vegetables, but they have the disadvantage of being very delicate and therefore not suitable for massive use.
Professional fry tops with a smooth or grooved griddle? Depends on what you cook!
The difference between a professional gas fry top or a professional electric fry top with a smooth or grooved griddle is not the cooking power or quality, as they both guarantee excellent results, but rather the type of food to be cooked.
The grooved griddle is better for fatty meats and grilled vegetables because these foods need slow cooking, because fat runs off faster and because with this griddle it is possible to obtain, also from a visual point of view, the same effect as cooking on the grill.
The smooth griddle can be used for cooking all kinds of dishes, but it is ideal for cooking delicate foods such as fish or vegetables because it leaves the surface of the food perfectly smooth and evenly cooked. It is also more practical to be used: the gas or electric fry top with a smooth surface is more practical and quicker to clean than the one with a grooved griddle.
Do you want to learn more about the topic and know more about our professional fry tops? Send us a message to lotus@lotuscookers.it or fill out the contact form.