Buying Guide to Commercial Steamers

Steamers have long been a staple for those who require quick cooking or reheating of all type of vegetables. A steamer ensures that these foods will retain a higher nutrient level, more natural colorings, and even flavor. Steaming vegetables is also the fastest way to cook them. This means increased productivity in your commercial or industrial kitchen.
It’s clear that if you are cooking veggies often, a commercial steamer is the way to go. With that in mind, let’s have a look at some of the important decisions you will have to make before buying one:
Choosing between Convection and Convection-less Steamers
Just like an oven, a steamer can use convection (which is a fancy way of saying that it uses a fan) to help evenly distribute the heat for more even cooking throughout. Also like an oven, there is a cost difference between the two types of commercial steamers. I have found that if you have proper pre-heating, there is little difference between the overall cooking qualities of these two types of steamers.
Should I go Broiler-less?
In the past, the steam maker of a commercial steamer was a generator (or broiler). These units tended to be harder to clean (i.e. de-liming), but provide the most productivity. Today you can find broiler-less models which use an element as the heat source. Because you pour the water right into the chamber with the element, these units are easier to clean and tend to have a longer lifespan as a commercial appliance. The main drawback is productivity as broiler-less steamers take longer to steam. Your vegetable cooking needs will dictate which model is right for your commercial or industrial kitchen.
Choosing between Gas and Electric?
Like most appliances that have a heat source, the energy can either come from natural gas or electric. In a steamer it is almost impossible to tell the difference in food quality. Generally speaking however, gas models tend to be more energy efficient.
Assessing the Quality of a Commercial Steamer
In my opinion, and in the opinion of those who create the price tags, polished stainless models are the highest quality. Of those who make full lines of commercial steamers, Groen is one of the industry leaders that I have come to trust. Other companies which also make high quality steamers in a variety of sizes are Vulcan and Cleveland.
Buying the Right Steamer for Your Needs
The last step in choosing the right commercial steamer for your kitchen is to understand how much steaming your kitchen does on its busiest nights (Friday or Saturday typically). Use these numbers, and not a weekly average, to rate your production needs. This will ensure that your steamer is up to the workload every night.

Article found at http://www.pricemykitchen.com/