Are you thinking about purchasing a new commercial flat-top griddle for your restaurant's kitchen? Look no further! Whether you're considering purchasing a gas or electric unit, a grill, griddle, or combination top or are still weighing your options, Eleven36 has got you covered. We offer top-of-the-line commercial flat-top grills that won't break down after just a few months. Plus, all our flat-tops have countertop griddle options to help save space in your busy commercial kitchen. So which flat top is the best one? Let's dive deep into all of the available options so you can make the best choice for your kitchen!
You Grill Haven't Found What You're Looking For?
The type of commercial flat top you choose will depend on the kind of food you want to cook and the volume of food you serve. Are you running a diner with an extensive breakfast menu? A local burger joint? A seafood restaurant? Do you run a low-volume or high-volume kitchen?
Traditional Griddles
Traditional commercial griddles are large flat tops that heat evenly across the entire surface. The advantage of this type of cooktop is that you can fill the surface with large quantities of food (and different batches) at the same time without dirtying multiple dishes. Standard flat tops are perfect for preparing many different foods with consistent cooking results, including rows of pancakes, burgers, eggs, stir-fries, or anything that needs to be pan-fried or sauted. The flat surface also allows you to use large spatulas/utensils to flip the food around without the limited space of a pot or pan. The standard large cooking surfaces are called griddle plates and can come in thicknesses between _" to 1". The thicker the cook plate, the more heat it can retain. Griddle plates are often made of materials like stainless steel or cast iron. The griddle plate is also often sloped slightly downward toward a small grease trough in the front of the unit to allow grease and liquid to flow down and drain away, which is excellent for preventing mess, splatters, and overly greasy food.
Griddle/Burner Combos
Griddle/burner combo tops are a great choice when a griddle top just won't cut it. If you need to make sauces or simmer a few components and fry others at the same time, a griddle/burner combo might be for you! A combination griddle/burner flat top combines the versatility of a flat top with the traditional burner top kitchen range, which means the options for your menu are limitless.
Griddle/Broiler Combos
A griddle/broiler combo is similar to the griddle/burner, except there is a full broiler beneath the griddle plate instead of burners on the side. The broiler is similar to a commercial salamander or cheese melter but with even more heat! These combo tops are perfect for grilling up steaks or charring those veggies without losing the functionality of a griddle top.
Grill at Ease: Gas vs Electric Grills and Griddles
Just like standard commercial kitchen ranges, you'll have to decide whether a gas or electric unit is right for you.
Gas Griddles
A gas griddle has open flame burners beneath the flat top surface. This configuration means that most of the time, a gas flat top will heat up and cool down faster than their electric counterparts. Since there is a direct flame beneath the griddle plate, the flat cooking surface will have different heat zones for you to use. This may be a disadvantage for preparing large batches of pancakes but could work well for lightly toasting buns and quickly searing burgers at the same time. Gas flat tops must be hooked into a gas line so they are not easily movable. However, direct gas access means they respond more quickly when you turn the heat up or down, which is a massive plus in a fast-moving restaurant kitchen.
Electric Griddles
Electric flat tops take longer to heat up and cool down but maintain heat better and have more consistent heat distribution. Since they only need to be plugged in to work, they can be used in many different locations and are an excellent option for catering, outdoor kitchens, concession stands, and your commercial kitchen. Electric flat tops are also much more energy efficient, cheaper to operate, more affordable, and don't require professional installation. You can even find Energy Star-certified griddles!
Griddle Me This: What Size & Capacity Do You Need?
The griddle size you need will depend on the size of your kitchen, what you need to cook, and how many people you need to feed at a time. They are generally sized in foot-long increments between 12" and 72", with gas units using anywhere from one to seven individual burners underneath. The more burners, the larger the flat top. Makes sense, right? Knowing how many burners you need and how large of a surface you would like to work with is essential since more burners and a larger cooking surface mean more production. More production means faster turnaround time, which means happier customers! But remember, more isn't always better. You don't want to pay to heat more surface area if you're not going to need it all, so knowing your menu items and kitchen needs will save you heaps of money in the long run.
Durable, Reliable, and High-Quality You Go Grill!
All of Eleven36's flat-top models are made with durable stainless steel and come with either a polished steel or stainless steel cooking surface. These materials are long-lasting, super tough, and can really take a beating! What does this mean for you? It means that your new flat top is built to last. You won't need to worry about constant repairs or replacements after just a few months of use. Our high-quality stainless steel is reliable and highly heat-responsive for precise temperature control. Plus, maintaining and cleaning your unit is easy since it will never rust. All of this adds to improved kitchen efficiency, increased production, happier customers, and more income to build your business. At Eleven36, we care about bringing you the highest quality cookware we can so you can keep your doors open and your orders coming out quickly!
Brand Recommendations from Our Grill Instructors
Here at Eleven36, we are committed to providing our customers with high-quality, long-term solutions for their commercial kitchen needs, which is precisely why we're proud to carry excellent brands like Southbend, American Range, and Vulcan. All three of these top brands are highly respected in the industry for their high-quality and high-performance commercial kitchen equipment. You honestly couldn't go wrong with any of them! But if you're still pondering which commercial flat-top unit is right for you, here are a few of our commercial flat-top recommendations to get you started:
- This 48" counterline unit is part of Southbend's HDG line. The entire range of heavy-duty gas griddles are engineered for durability under heavy use and come in sizes between 18" and 72", with anywhere from one to seven burners. There are also liquid propane and natural gas options!
- Look no further than this American Range 24" Griddle/Burner combo for versatile and multi-functional cooking capabilities. This countertop unit combines a 12" griddle with two 32,000 BTU gas burners on the side.
What Are You Waiting For? Be a Grill Seeker!
When it comes to choosing a commercial flat top for your restaurant kitchen, we recommend going with quality over price every time! The better your new griddle performs, the better your food comes out, the faster your orders will turn over, and the happier your customers will be! So, head over to the Eleven36 store now for a high-quality flat-top grill or griddlethe perfect long-term solution to your kitchen line's needs!