Editor
Restaurants with catering capabilities gain the most from the inclusion of portable cookware, but brick-and-mortar enterprises can also profit from cooktops that can be stored away when not in use.
Types of Hot Plates
Hot plates, warming plates, and portable induction cookers are all excellent alternatives for cooking meals on-site at a catering facility or warming food items on-site. Gas-powered hot plates employ burners and portable cartridges, whereas electric hot plates connect to an electrical outlet and cook and reheat dishes on a flat plate surface.
Portable Gas Hot Plate
Gas-powered hot plates may be transported thanks to disposable butane cartridges.
They’re ideal for many short-term catering enterprises, as they have a spark igniter and a burn duration of about 1.5 hours. The name of the game is lightly sauteing work, and the size ranges from 1-8 burners or 12-54 inches in width.
Pros:
Can be heated with disposable gas (in the absence of an electrical hookup).
Larger sizes are available than induction cookers.
Cons:
Surfaces can get very hot
Requires disposable fuel
Heat takes time to adjust
Portable Electric Hot Plates and Warming Plates
Hot Plates are available without the need for disposable gas cartridges, allowing for a quick and easy setup where electrical outlets are available. Similarly, electric hot plates with a flat plate surface rather than an open burner are available.
Electric hot plates with heating components coiled into a burner require about 1,000 to 1,100 watts of power, whereas a cast iron electric hot plate uses about 1,300 to 1,500 watts and heats up much faster. Some electrical outlets require 110 to 120 volts, while others require 220 to 240 volts.
Pros:
Available in larger sizes than induction cookers
Cons:
Surfaces can get very hot
Requires electrical outlet
Heat takes time to adjust
Induction Cookers
Cast iron electric hot plates need roughly 1,300 to 1,500 Watts of power, while electric hot plates with heating components coiled into a burner use only about 1,000-1,100 Watts of power. The voltage required by some electrical outlets is 110 to 120 volts, while other versions require 220 to 240 volts.
A 110 or 120-volt outlet is required in certain cases. The output of these burners can be anywhere from 400 to 6000 Watts, depending on the size of the burner.
Pros:
Instant heat
The energy supplied directly to the cooking vessel (increased efficiency)
Surfaces stay cool to the touch
Cons:
Requires special pans/pots
Need an electrical outlet
What to consider before you buy a hot plate
Purpose
Cookers are replaced by hotplates. To heat metal, they rely on electrical energy. From these dishes, food is prepared and served. Various types of hotplates are available on the market.
Mug burners
Single burners
Multiple burners
Varied varieties of heated metal plates have different surface areas. Larger diameters and surfaces take more energy to operate and hence cost more. To make an informed decision, you need to examine your culinary needs. It’s also debatable between gas and electricity as to which is the more cost-effective. However, this is a complex problem, as it is dependent on the local cost of gas or energy in a given place.
Power Consumption
As a rule of thumb, hotplates need 1,000 to 1,500 watts of electricity.
Warranty
Be sure to check for a warranty before you buy. Whether or not a manufacturer believes in a product is determined by the length of the warranty. Consequently, the manufacturer’s confidence in a durable product increases with the length of the guarantee. Don’t ever purchase an appliance without a warranty! The warranty should be valid if purchased from an authorized retailer.
Materials
Durable materials comprising the cooktop surface itself can determine the speed of heating as well as how evenly the surface transfers heat.
Die-Cast Metal
Fast and even heat transfer can be determined by the cooktop surface’s durable materials.
Electric Heating Element
It takes a few minutes for exposed electric coils to heat up before they cool down.
Stainless Steel
Some variants have a stainless steel cooking top. Heating and cleaning are made simple with stainless steel.
Tempered Glass
Because it heats up so quickly, it may be used for portable induction cooktops that have a heating element below, which cooks food faster than traditional hot plates with conventional elements.
Additional Features
Several versions come with extra features that can help increase the efficiency, cleanliness, and safety of the machine. Consider the following:
Drip Pan:
Burners may be cleaned quickly and easily by placing removable pan inserts beneath them.
Power Indicator:
As soon as the burner reaches the right temperature, certain versions come with a power indicator light.
Power Switch:
Others use a power switch to keep the unit plugged in but not continually ‘on’. Numerous burners will require multiple switches.
Temperature Setting:
It doesn’t matter if the temperature settings are basic (“low, medium, high”) or complex (“precise temps”).
Non-Skid Pads:
A non-skid coating may be applied to the unit’s bottom, making it less prone to slide across a surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Then, what exactly sets induction cooking apart from electric or gas cooking methods? An induction cooker uses a magnetic current to heat food instead of infrared radiation emitted by electric coils or flames emitted by gas stovetops to achieve resistance heating. This results in a flameless cooktop that, unlike a hot plate, does not produce any physical heat. It’s only the pan that generates heat, so the area underneath the cooking pot is kept at a safe temperature, too. A long list of advantages may be found with this type of cooktop.
Safety:
Safer than other types of cooking appliances since there is no exposed flame and no hot cooking surface. As a wheelchair user, you may draw right up to these burners, with your legs tucked beneath the counter, and extend your reach over the range.
Efficiency:
As a result of this, no energy is lost in the process. As a result, you don’t use too much or too little energy to heat your product because the range detects when and where a pan is placed, as well as how large the pan itself is. While it lacks a gas burner’s open flame and massive input, it has the same precision. In addition, it uses less energy than other cooking ranges, making it the most energy-efficient one. On average, an induction cooker uses 84 percent less energy than a smooth-top non-induction electrical device.
Rapid Heating:
Induction burners, which are comparable to coils, give quick, rapid heating. On the plus side, the heating element is limited to the pans and utensils placed on the stovetop.
When food spills over pans, they don’t burn the range itself, which makes cleanup a breeze. This makes cleanup easy at the end of the day because you don’t have to brush scalded food off the range!
