Charbroilers
Charbroilers are commonly used in restaurants across all cuisines and styles offering upscaled grilled and BBQ items on their menus. Using Charbroilers enhances the flavour and the visual presentation of the meal by adding a desired smokey taste as well as appetising grilled marks on the food.
In this post, we will review various models, options, and considerations, so you may purchase the model that best suits your requirements.
Surface Temperature
Charbroilers are known for uneven heating as the burners underneath the grill are spaced out, usually, in intervals of 12” to 15”. While The temperature difference can be utilised during the cooking process, burners in high-end models are usually closer to each other for a more even cooking.
The picture below shows the temperature profile as described above. The hottest section is shown in red and represents the sections that are placed directly above the heat.
Image taken from Wikipedia.
Heat sources
In commercial charbroilers, the burners are not placed directly underneath the grills for two main reasons:
To provide heat more evenly to the surface of the grills
To protect the burners from juice and the oil droppings created during the cooking process.
There are two commonly used types of heat sources in charbroillers.
Radiant Broiler:
A Radiant is an angled metal piece placed on top of the burners. The heat from the burners will heat the metal piece which then subsequently provides heat to the grill.
Image taken from Google
Lava Rock Broiler:
Lava rocks refer to a bed of stones that are placed on top of the burners. Once the lava rocks are heated up, they distribute the heat evenly across the grill. Since the rocks are porous, it holds on to the juices and drippings which creates smoke that gives the dish the smokey flavour desired from barbecued meat.
Image taken from Google.
Main Differences:
Maintenance
Radiant:
The radiant needs to be cleaned with a brush regularly.
Lava Rock:
The rocks need to be cleaned or flipped regularly and replaced as food products might remain on them after cooking.
Temperature Profile
Radiant:
The temperature gradient is created.
Lava Rock:
The Surface is heated evenly.
Grates:
Adjustability:
Some broilers offer adjustable grates which allow the user to change the height of a section of the grill and move it further from the heat. This provides further flexibility in the cooking process.
Material:
In most broilers, the grates are made with cast iron material because it is durable and retains heat well. However, they are extremely prone to oxidation. Therefore, users must purchase products that offer stainless steel or chrome-plated grates.
Size and Spacing:
Grates of different sizes and thicknesses are available in the market based on the needs and type of the food being prepared. For instance, some manufacturers offer “seafood grate”. These grates are placed close to each other to protect flaky or delicate items from falling through.
In conclusion:
As with any equipment, there are many various options available. Hopefully, by reading through the information provided above, you can pick the model that best suits your needs.
For any further questions or for purchasing a broiler contact our team. It would be our pleasure to assist you.