When it comes to preparing food in a commercial food business or restaurant, besides frying, deep frying, roasting, or baking in the oven, steaming is a very tantalizing option too. Understanding the different types of commercial food steamers will allow you to find the right match and also take care of it with the help of commercial kitchen appliance repair services. So, here is everything you need to know about commercial food steamers.

Commercial Food Steamers

Commercial food steamers are an innovative addition to your food business or restaurant. It is a device that can steam, cook, and prepare a variety of food, and the results are amazing. Steamers are also very versatile, and they can thaw and cook not only meat but also different vegetables and other ingredients.

Steamed food might sound boring, but when prepared correctly, it is one of the best ways to enjoy food. It is also guilt-free and makes you go for seconds and thirds and that’s why steamed food is popular in restaurants and cafes.

Generally, steamers work by evaporating water. Steam is produced by raising the water temperature to the boiling point and beyond. This causes the liquid water to evaporate, producing steam, which in turn steams or cooks the food.

Water-based steamers are amazing because they keep all the food and goods tender and moist, so every bite will make you want to eat more. But there are other options available too, so if that’s what you prefer, then you can go ahead with those.

Types Of Commercial Food Steamers

So, if you don’t have a commercial food steamer yet or want to add another to your growing kitchen needs, then here are some different types of steamers that you can choose from.

Convection Steamer

Convection food steamers work on the mechanism of convection. They use heat, usually generated by a fan and a heating element to quickly and evenly spread it around the steamer assembly. This also cooks, steams, or reheats the food evenly.

It is especially amazing for harder-to-cook items like thicker cuts of meat that take a huge amount of time to cook and even those stalky and hard vegetables like broccoli, green beans, and other things.

Pressure Steamer

Pressure steamers are like pressure cookers but a bit different in assembly and looks. Steam can usually reach up to a maximum temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit in convection steamers, but a pressure steamer can reach up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and it can cook all sorts of foods to perfection. Another plus point of pressure steamers is the fact that they cook food quickly too.

The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you can’t open the steamer during the cooking process. You need to give it time and then open the steamer. If you constantly open and close it, then the built-up steam will escape and it will ruin the whole process of you trying to cook food.

High Volume Steamer

A high-volume food steamer is exactly what it sounds like. It is used to hold a lot of food and cook it simultaneously. It is used in big food businesses and restaurants where you need to pull out food pan after food pan.

It is larger and it either uses pressure or convection technology to cook the food. It also allows the food to be of equal temperature from every side, so you know that when you pull the food out, it will be evenly cooked and heated on all sides.

Portion Steamer

A portion steamer is amazing for a cloud kitchen or a pop-up kitchen. If you have a small food business establishment, then you can go for a portion steamer. It will have a small capacity and it can be used to either cook/steam or reheat things that you want to serve.

Because of its small size, the food is cooked and reheated quickly and as it’s a steamer, it also incorporates a lot of moist air in the food, making it very juicy and succulent. These steamers can also be used as tools for reheating prepared baked goods.

Convection-Less Steamer

Convection-less steamers are very efficient as use a lot less water. Usually, traditional steamers use anywhere between 40 to 50 gallons of water per hour, but convection-less steamers work with 1 to 3 gallons of water per hour. Yes, it does mean that the cooking time will be longer but it is very sustainable and if you don’t mind the time, then you can use a convection-less steamer for proper cooking.

It is an amazing option if you want to get a steamer that is efficient a bit slow, and doesn’t use gallons upon gallons of water.

Combi Steamer

As the name suggests, a combi steamer is a type of streamer that uses both steam as well as convection to steam and prepare foods and meats. This is probably the newest addition to the world of food steamers and it is gaining a lot of popularity among chefs and restaurant operators.

It’s an all-in-one steamer that cuts the need for all other steamers and makes it an amazing addition to the kitchen. It gets the work done without having to invest in a lot of equipment that will crowd the kitchen.

Picking The Right Commercial Food Steamer

Now that you know the different types of food steamer for food businesses, here are three things that you need to keep in mind when selecting the right steamer for your needs.

Capacity

You need to think about the size of the steamer and subsequently, the budget. Bigger steamers have a lot of capacity but they’re also expensive and you don’t always need a full-sized steamer for your food business.

So, always keep the capacity in mind. You don’t want to go for something too big or small for your needs. You need to get the perfect size.

Gas Vs. Electric

This is another very important decision you need to make. Do you need an electricity-powered steamer or a gas-powered one? Well, you will be able to tell which one is good for you if you can evaluate which agent is more readily available for your use.

Keep in mind that steamers will use a decent amount of electricity or gas to power up and steam the food, so you need to decide which thing you can use with a heavy hand. If you work in an area where gas is scarce, then getting a gas-powered steamer won’t be the smartest of decisions. So, you need to think things through and then make a decision.

Water Supply

Aside from gas and electricity, you will also need water – a lot of it – to ensure that the steamer runs smoothly. Water is the heart of the steamer and you need to get a steamer that either uses its reservoir that you have to refill or you can get one that is attached to your supply of water. So, this is also another thing to keep in mind.

Conclusion

A commercial food steamer is a great and useful addition to your restaurant kitchen and you will be surprised at how efficiently it works. However, to keep it efficient and improve its longevity, schedule regular commercial steamer repair Fairfax.