Commercial standard microwaves have more power to cook and reheat foods faster and is designed for continuous usage through the day. They are also made of material that hold up better to the hot and harsh commercial environment. This equipment serves quickserve kiosks, convenience stores and small cafes very well although larger operations can use them to cook to a certain extent. In choosing the suitable model for your operation, take note of the microwave wattage and usage level; weighing them against the volumes you need to prepare. A few types to select from include:
Light duty (1000 watts)
Suitable for coffee shops, small restaurants or convenience stores that occasionally use a microwave for small jobs like warming a muffin, bread rolls, dessert, frozen meals, beverages or soup that usually do not exceed 50 times a day. Think of it as upgrading from a residential level microwave for better durability and power.
Medium Duty (1200-2000 watts)
A higher wattage means it can be used more frequently, up to 150 times per day. If an outlet has been using a light duty model and if volumes are increasing, this level of duty would provide you with better efficiency.
Heavy Duty (2000-3000+ watts)
Faster and made to last, this unit matches the need of quick-serve restaurants where fast turnaround times and high volume heating are required. Its flexibility allows the back-of-house to use it for simple cooking methods like steaming vegetables, shrimps without losing its moisture, colour or nutrients; defrosting, reheating and even melting cheese.
Look into a microwave’s physical size as well checking that the interior cavity can accomodate the largest piece of item on your menu. The size of an unit often increases in tandem with its wattage. Most entry level models fall between 0.6 and 1.5 cubic feet in size. Do you want a dial or push button? The former is made for the budget-conscious with time increments clearly marked but you won’t be able to pre-program any settings. Some users might also feel a dial is less prone to faultiness. Push button allows programming if you need all
processes to be foolproof and fast. Traditionally, metal items should not go inside a microwave as it could cause a fire but there are premium models built to handle metal.
