When you think of essential pieces of equipment in a commercial kitchen, the microwave isn’t typically one of the first things that spring to mind. But the microwave is usually one of the most frequently used and under-appreciated pieces of equipment a kitchen has.

Because it is so under-appreciated many restaurant owners think that using a residential microwave in their commercial kitchen is fine. It seems harmless enough, right? Why can’t a professional food service operation use a residential microwave?

We’re here to tell you that using a microwave built for residential use in a food service environment can be very costly. It can also create serious safety hazards as it tries to keep up with the busy restaurant environment.

Residential microwaves in a high-demand environment can cook unevenly and leave cold spots. This can be very dangerous to patrons and potentially the operator.

As a result of the differences in food safety standards in a food service environment, residential microwaves don’t meet the requirements of health inspectors and insurance policies.

Courtesy of Amana Commercial Products

Simply put, your kitchen deserves a commercial microwave. Here’s why:

1) Commercial Microwaves Meet the Criteria for Commercial Insurance Policies and Health Inspections

As a restaurant owner, you know the importance of insurance and health inspections all too well. Using a residential microwave puts you at risk for running afoul of your insurance company or the board of health. When running a business, it is of the utmost importance to make sure you are meeting the requirements laid out by these kind of organizations. In order to do that you need to be using a commercial microwave.

2) Commercial Microwaves Are Safer

The safety of your customers is your responsibility. If you’re a successful business owner we have no doubt that you take that responsibility seriously. Commercial Microwaves are safer in two ways. First, they cook food more evenly, thus reducing the risk of food-borne illness. Second, manufacturers put commercial microwaves through more rigorous safety testing. When you’re using a microwave with such a high frequency that kind of testing is important for ensuring it is safe to use over an extended period of time.

3) Commercial Microwaves are Built Better

Again, commercial microwaves a designed to be used at a much higher frequency than residential microwaves. This means that the components that go into them are designed to be higher quality. They can withstand more heavy use. A commercial microwave has cooling fans, transformers, control panels, heavy-duty power cords, and commercial quality relays. Your commercial microwave will last quite a bit longer than a residential microwave.

4) Commercial Microwaves are Easier to Program

Consistency and speed. These are two things that are important in any commercial kitchen. You need to be able to produce high quality meals that are consistent with your customer’s expectations. Not only that, but you need to do it quickly. For this, programming your microwave for specific needs is an essential requirement for a commercial kitchen. Commercial microwaves are going to come with an easy-to-use programming menu that will allow to you provide a consistently cooked product every time.

5) Commercial Microwaves are more Powerful

Power is important in your kitchen. When you need to cook a lot of food quickly, you’re not going to want to wait around for a residential microwave. You’re want something that can provide you with faster heating so that you can get your food out to your customers as soon as possible.

6) Commercial Microwaves are Easier to Service

The unfortunate reality of technology is that sometimes things break. This is especially true when you use it as often as 200 times a day. So, when something does break, you want it to be as easy to fix as possible, right? Your commercial microwave will have a wiring diagram and be easier to service and repair if something breaks down. If you need to repair a residential microwave, you’re usually better off just buying a new one. Not only will this be more costly over time, it could also severely hinder the productivity of your kitchen.

Need a new microwave? Or do you have any questions about the other equipment in your kitchen? PJP is here to help! We have been in the food service industry for 55 years and we want to lend you our expertise. Just fill out the form below with your questions and we’ll get back to you!