Microwaves

There is a widely held opinion among owner-operators who are spending their own money and not the company's that when it comes to microwave ovens, it makes more commercial sense to buy a domestic model for £100 than a commercial one costing £500.

The argument is that the few seconds extra it takes to heat up food in a domestic model doesn't justify the huge difference in price. "If domestic models didn't work, Comet wouldn't sell them, would it? When the machine breaks down, we'll simply throw it away and buy another one for £100 - we'll still be quids in."

Built to last

That is an argument that manufacturers of professional performance microwave ovens battle with constantly. It is difficult to say domestic microwave ovens don't work because, used properly, most do. But performance is not just measured in the time taken to heat up one frozen pizza. The high price of a commercial-standard microwave oven compared with a domestic model can be justified on more than just speed.

Sturdiness of construction is the most obvious physical difference. The catering models usually have a casing of tough and easy-clean stainless steel instead of painted mild steel and plastic that will chip. Door panels are built to withstand slamming and, most importantly, will stay firmly shut after prolonged and heavy use, preventing dangerous microwave leakage. Even with a professional model, an engineer should carry out an annual check for leakage.

The power output of lightweight domestic microwave ovens may be as low as 600W, while professional models are usually double that and can be as high as 20,000W. Not only are the magnetrons (the device in the oven for generating the microwaves) bigger in professional ovens and, therefore, faster, they are built to a higher specification than domestic units.

There are also likely to be at least two magnetrons in a professional oven, sometimes as many as four. This creates much more even heating of a product, which is particularly important if the oven is being loaded to full capacity. Uneven heating is the biggest complaint about domestic ovens used for reheating chilled food and it is positively dangerous in a commercial environment if chilled foods are not fully heated through before serving.

Control panels are another area where construction quality differs between professional and domestic ovens. If a kitchen is reheating a lot of different foods, both chilled and frozen, then a programmable machine is essential. Deskilled kitchens should not rely on guesswork when it comes to the time needed to regenerate a single-portion lasagne from frozen. Too little and it will be cool in parts; too much regeneration time and it will dry out.

The best system has a range of preprogrammed buttons. A chilled or frozen product to be introduced to the menu can be tested for regeneration time and, when the exact power and time setting is reached, this can be locked into the program button, giving consistent results every time that dish is cooked.

Preprogrammed buttons also eliminate mistakes made by hurried kitchen staff.

Combination microwaves, which have a secondary cooking process, usually browning, are a quick way of achieving the appearance of conventional oven-baking, but programming times have to be spot-on.

Combination microwave ovens have their uses, but before paying the premium they command, be certain that your kitchen requires that facility from a microwave oven.