Buying A Commercial Microwave: Is It Worth The Money?
I was reheating my lunch on my day off, started the microwave, and began to wonder, are commercial microwaves really worth the cost and how does it differ from the ones that normal people use from day to day basis.
At this point, I already knew the answer but I wanted to go a little bit deeper and really get that answer in-depth because I can’t be the only one asking this question, so I got to the conclusion.
Commercial microwaves are worth the investment if you intend to use them in a professional environment. Commercial microwaves are built for health policies, more durable constructed, safer to use, and much more powerful than domestic microwaves.
However, there are much more to discover when diving into the world of commercial equipment and especially microwaves. You should stick around and hear them out!
Contents
Are Commercial Microwaves Better
If we start to compare a commercial microwave to a domestic one, there are many things that are so much better than a professional workplace that should definitely use a commercial one.
1. Power
Commercial microwaves are more powerful in fact, a domestic microwave uses regularly power between 800-1200watts and commercial microwaves can get up to 3000watts, however, going this powerful is usually a bit unnecessary for most cases.
2. Speed
Let’s say we have a powerful commercial microwave that uses 1800watts for heating and we compare that to a powerful domestic one that uses 1100watts: 1800will indeed heat faster but the difference really do you want to heat your ingredients quickly or quicker.
However, if you work in a place that a microwave is used a lot then you might want to do speed comparisons more carefully.
3. Durability
This is where the huge differences come in. Commercial microwaves are constructed way more carefully and from more quality, commercial-grade parts so a single commercial microwave will outlast multiple domestic ones! These are really made for consistent and heavy use so they will give even heating without problems, where a domestic microwave would run into problems.
4. Safety
Safety is always a really important factor when talking about the food industry and kitchen equipment. Commercial microwaves, and especially the wiring on them are constructed in such a manner that has designed to withstand heavy and consistent usage, which will reduce the chases of malfunction and fire. Another thing where commercial microwaves are way safer is that they will heat the food more evenly, reducing the risk of food-caused sickness.
5. Easily Programmable
Commercial microwaves are built with easy usage and multiple different programs and adjustment in mind. When it’s busy in a restaurant the microwave should be really easy to use, and the changes between programs like heat, defrost, and multiple temperature options should be easy to choose from, which they are!
6. Health Inspections
The dread day of every restaurant worker is a health inspection and it is of utmost importance to have a commercial-grade microwave because usually, health departments don’t look at domestic microwaves in kitchens with joy.
In addition, some insurance companies won’t compensate damages that a domestic microwave caused if something would have happened in a professional kitchen.
What Makes A Microwaves Commercial Grade
Finding a microwave that can withstand the daily wear-and-tear of being used all the time is not always easy to do. Commercial microwaves have specific features that make them better suited for high-usage such as better performance, hygiene, easier cleanup, and longer service life.
Also, there are big differences between a low-duty commercial microwave and a heavy-duty one, understanding these differences will allow you to pick out the best microwave for your restaurant’s needs without having to suffer through multiple failed purchases.
How Much Does Commercial Microwaves Cost
There are huge differences between commercial microwaves and their costs, you can find one as affordable as $150 but the costs will quickly rise from there and some ultra-quality commercial microwaves can cost up to +$3000!
What Is A Commercial Microwave Convection Oven
There are many kinds of commercial microwaves with some additional options to them and one of them is a convection microwave oven. This means that in addition to the microwaving heating features it haves a built-in convection oven feature as well. However, it’s good to know that the oven isn’t nearly as powerful as an actual oven… Nonetheless, it opens the possibilities for roasting, toasting, crisping, and even baking.
What Kinds Of Commercial Microwaves Are There
There are many kinds of commercial microwaves and as stated above there are also many improvements to them, however below you can find the types of microwave ovens that are available for commercial use.
Low-Duty Commercial Microwave
Low-duty microwaves are powered around 1000 Watts and are the perfect choice for quick reheating and butter melting. It will get through the basics. Low-duty commercial microwaves are built as well as any other type so there aren’t cons in that aspect.
Medium-Duty Commercial Microwave
Medium duty microwaves are powered between1200-2000 Watts and these are designed for really efficient heating for thicker foods such as sauces, soups, baked potatoes, etc.
Heavy-Duty Commercial Microwave
Heavy-duty microwaves are just that, really heavy-duty, and they are powered +2000 Watts which will ensure that you can heat and cook really fast with them.
Convection microwave oven and other special ones are usually heavy-duty constructed and the price tag is in accordance with it.
Commercial Microwave Caring Tips
When handling a commercial microwave there are some things to keep in mind to ensure that it will last a long time, which is will because it is commercial grade and really well built, however neglecting these things won’t do any good for it and eventually, it will break so let’s go through these steps and be sure that your appliance will last much longer.
1. Cleaning
So this doesn’t probably come as a surprise but cleaning your microwave is really important for sanitary, and even performance reasons. It may be hard to remember and really easy to neglect because the door is always closed and what is out of sight is out of mind right?
That’s not the case and if there are a lot of small food bits and splatter it will absorb some of the heating power which will lead to a less efficient performance so remember to clean it atleas once a week if not more!
2. Use Microwaving Domes
I am personally really surprised how many people don’t use a microwaving dome. When a commercial microwave is on almost nonstop, there will be ALOT of splatter from the food and if there’s no dome, the roof of the microwave will soon be covered in disgusting impurities so use a microwaving dome, as a bonus, it will save you a lot of cleaning efforts.
3. Watch What You Microwave
It’s good to remember that metal doesn’t belong into microwaves and in the worst case, it can seriously damage your appliance. The reason for this is that metal has so many electrons that it gets affected by the microwaves and it gets really hot really fast. So no knives & forks in the microwave if you want to preserve it longer.
4. Use Lightly
Yes, commercial microwaves are made for heavy and consistent use but a door is always a door so open and close it lightly, because years of rough treatment dozens of times a day will certainly have an effect.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the choice is your whether you see that your money is worth commercial microwaves but if considering one for professional use, I highly recommend that you choose a commercial one because of all the amazing perks, and it will also save you money through the years.
Leave a comment below if you have a story to share about commercial microwaves and let us talk about it!