Commercial Range Maintenance 101

Last updated on June 30th, 2022 at 01:12 pm

It’s pretty safe to say that if your Commercial Range stopped working, even for just a few hours, your restaurant would be in serious trouble. Your chef won’t be able to prepare the essential ingredients necessary to make the dishes on your menu which would cause you to turn away customers and lose money. You can prevent this from happening by maintaining your Commercial Range to ensure its long-lasting performance.

Keep it Seasoned! Seasoning is essential to prevent food from sticking to the surface.

• Griddle: Wash griddle with hot water and mild soap first. Apply a thin coat of cooking oil to the surface (1oz per square foot). Spread with a cloth to create a thing film and wipe off access. Light all burners on lowest setting for 15-20 minutes then wipe away oil. Repeat 2-3 times until griddle is slick with a mirror like finish.

**If griddle is overheated, product begins to stick, and after the griddle is cleaned with soap and water you will need to reseason the griddle surface.

• Cast Iron Top Grates: Wash and dry grates thoroughly. Immediately after drying season the tops lightly with vegetable oil or Pam spray. (Never season grates while on the range top) Return grates onto range and turn all burners on low for at least 20 minutes.

**Reseason after each cleaning to prevent rusting.

Clean! We really cannot stress this enough. The #1 way to keep your commercial equipment properly working is to keep them clean. Daily and even hourly cleaning for heavy use equipment is vital. ALWAYS DISCONNECT ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY BEFORE CLEANING!

• Exterior: Immediately wipe down all surfaces when splatter or spills occur to prevent caked on messes using a soap and water mixture. Remember to wipe dry. If the food becomes cooked on and cannot be easily wiped away, clean with a commercial-grade cleanser and sponge or cloth. Rub clean in the direction of the metals polishing lines. If necessary, carefully use a stainless scouring pad. Wipe dry. (Never use steel wool as it will leave particles on the surface that could cause it to rust.)

• Open Top Burners: Grids and trays should be removed daily, cleaned and dried thoroughly before replacing. Clean burner ports with a wire brush. If you have a clogged hole, the burner should be lifted out and brushed inside and out. Clean grease with soap and hot water.

• Cast Iron Top & Grates: Clean with mild soap and warm water. For baked on material, use a wire brush. Lightly coat with oil after cleaning to prevent rust. Do not scouring powder as it is very difficult to completely remove and can damage the range.

• Griddle: For evenly cooked, browned griddle products keep griddle free of carbonized grease which can hinder the transfer of heat from the surface to the food. Clean griddle with a scraper or spatula after each use. Use a grill brick and pad to clean the surface and grease container at the end of the day. To remove discoloration use a non abrasive cleaner. Make sure to re-season the grill before reusing.

• Components: At the end of the day, remove rings/plates, grates, burners, grease traps and drawers and clean these components as well as their area on the Range before replacing. Soak components in soapy water to help release dirt particles.

Use with Care! While the griddle plate may be steel, the surface is still soft and can be dented, scratched and gorged with a spatula if care is not taken. If the griddle is to be shut down for an extended period, put a heavy coat of grease over the griddle plate.

Move It! Inevitably food will fall behind and around your Commercial Range. Make sure you move it and clean around it. Consider using casters on the range to make moving easy for cleaning as well as when maintenance is necessary.

Lubrication: Don’t let range valve knobs get stuck- grease them regularly. If your range has a steel griddle use a light coating of oil to prevent rusting of exposed and uncoated areas.