Cooking Ranges Explained
The cooking range is the traditional heart of any professional kitchen. From pubs and restaurants to schools, care homes and large-scale catering operations, there's very little that can't be cooked on a range.
Robust, reliable and versatile, cooking ranges remain one of the most important pieces of prime cooking equipment in UK commercial kitchens. There are four main types, each suited to a different style of service and kitchen layout.
1. Open top cooking ranges
Open top ranges feature either gas burners or electric radiant plates, with an oven positioned underneath. They're commonly available with four or six burners, with larger configurations for high-volume kitchens. Direct heat contact allows rapid pan heating, and most of the heat is focused on the pan rather than the kitchen environment, giving good fuel efficiency.
When buying, look for at least one high-powered burner or radiant for fast boiling and large pans, ease of cleaning, rugged commercial build quality, and reliable availability of spare parts and service support in the UK.
2. Solid top cooking ranges
Solid top ranges have a cast iron cooking surface heated from below by gas jets or electric elements, with an oven beneath. They can accommodate more pans than an open burner range of the same size, and pans can be moved from intense heat to cooler zones without lifting, which suits kitchens cooking multiple dishes at once. They can be less energy-efficient if large areas of the plate are heated but left unused, so check whether sections of the top can be switched on independently to save energy, and look for a rapid heat zone for boiling and fast pan recovery.
3. Boiling tables
A boiling table uses the same top configuration as a standard range but has no oven underneath. This gives a lower purchase cost where oven capacity already exists elsewhere, useful pan storage space underneath, and suits production kitchens focused heavily on boiling and pan work.
4. Island suites
Island suites combine a cooking range with other prime cooking appliances, such as salamander grills, deep-fat fryers, pasta boilers, griddles and chargrills, into one integrated unit built to withstand demanding kitchen environments. They save valuable floor space, let chefs run several cooking processes within arm's reach, and can be positioned centrally as a true island or installed against a wall.
There are two main types. Modular island suites are often bespoke-built, with individual cooking modules such as open burner ranges, solid tops, fryers, pasta cookers, griddles, grills, chargrills, induction hobs and ovens bonded together into a seamless unit tailored to your menu and workflow. One-piece island suites are usually factory-built as a complete unit, though bespoke designs are also available; they typically follow traditional island range design, focus on dry heat cooking, and avoid integrating water-based appliances such as fryers or pasta boilers.
Keep it clean
Cooking ranges are engineered for heavy use and simple operation, but there's one golden rule for keeping performance high and maintenance costs low: keep it clean.
Gas cooking ranges: why cleaning matters
Gas burners are designed for maximum energy efficiency, using a star-shaped system of small flame jets. For efficient combustion, gas must mix correctly with air, and air vents and jets must stay clear of debris. In busy kitchens, spillage is inevitable, and when food gets into a gas burner it burns and carbonises, partially or fully blocking the jets and disrupting the gas-to-air balance. The result is slower cooking and higher energy costs.
Best practice: clean major spillages immediately, clean minor spillages at the end of each shift, and consider lining beneath burners with tin foil to make daily cleaning quicker.
Cleaning behind and underneath the range
Hygiene isn't just about visible surfaces. Ranges fitted on castors with flexible gas hoses allow easy access for cleaning underneath and behind, which is worth considering when specifying new equipment.
Oven care and door damage
Most cooking ranges include an oven beneath, and the same cleaning principles apply. Common causes of damage are slamming oven doors and standing on drop-down doors to reach overhead shelves, both of which lead to premature hinge failure, damaged closing mechanisms and higher repair costs. Staff training plays a key role in preventing this kind of damage.
Electric ranges and stainless steel care
Electric cooking ranges are typically built from stainless steel for durability and hygiene. Food spills will burn off the hobs but can drip onto steel surfaces, so avoid wire wool or harsh abrasives and use professional cooker detergents and approved cleaning pads instead. Damaging the stainless steel surface only makes future cleaning harder and more time-consuming.
Servicing and preventative maintenance
During scheduled service visits, engineers inspect burners and oven cavities and remove built-up debris, but this work is far more expensive if routine cleaning has been neglected by kitchen staff. A cooking range may be simple to use, but it needs the same level of operational care as any other piece of prime cooking equipment.
Best practice summary
Do: clean spilt food immediately, keep gas burner jets clear, clean pan supports weekly, use tin foil beneath gas burners to aid cleaning, and clean oven cavities weekly.
Don't: use harsh abrasives on stainless steel, stand on drop-down oven doors, position pans too close to the edge, slam oven doors, or leave gas jets running when not cooking.
Browse our range of commercial range cookers, or call 01304 873469 for advice on the right range for your kitchen.
Reproduced with kind permission of the Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA).