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In a commercial kitchen, every dish must be prepared and presented with attention to the smallest detail, which is why having the right equipment is essential. The salamander grill is one of those pieces of catering equipment that makes the difference between a very good dish and the same dish at its best. In this article we explore the most interesting facts about commercial salamander grills.
What is a kitchen salamander used for?
To understand what a kitchen salamander is used for, let's start with what it is and how it differs from other kitchen appliances that seem to do similar jobs. It is sometimes called a salamander oven, but it differs in many ways from an ordinary kitchen oven.
A commercial salamander is a piece of kitchen equipment designed to gratinate, toast and reheat food, as well as to keep it hot before service.
Unlike an ordinary oven or a classic grill or toaster, it concentrates heat from the top downwards, giving fast, even cooking so that the surface of the dish reaches just the right degree of browning or toasting without the inside drying out. It is the tool you need to create that golden, crisp crust that enhances flavour and makes dishes look appealing.
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The main functions of a commercial salamander
A salamander is essential in commercial kitchens because it lets chefs give their dishes the finishing touch of a golden, crisp gratin that they could not achieve with other cooking or reheating equipment. A salamander is where you finish a dish previously cooked in the oven, on the grill or on the hob. It is where you keep cooked dishes hot and ready to serve, and it is also useful for reheating pre-cooked food such as lasagne and pizza.
A kitchen salamander is used for:
- Gratinating: gratinating is a cooking technique that creates a golden, crisp crust on the surface of a dish using direct, high-temperature heat. It enhances flavour, adding a crunchy texture and an inviting appearance. Used on dishes such as lasagne, vegetable gratins, meat and fish, it gives a unique finish to both look and taste. It allows quick final cooking without affecting the moisture inside the food.
- Toasting: toasting means exposing food to direct heat to make it crisp on the outside and, in some cases, to warm it through. It is ideal for toasted sandwiches, panini and bruschetta, giving a crunchy texture and an intense flavour, and is perfect for bars and snack bars serving hot sandwiches and snacks. It can also be used to improve the outer texture of desserts or starters.
- Holding food at temperature: this is the ability of a device such as a commercial salamander to keep dishes hot and ready for service without affecting their quality. It keeps food at the ideal temperature so that it is fresh and full of flavour when served, and is widely used in restaurants, hotels and catering to stop food going cold while it waits. It helps you run service efficiently while maintaining high standards for your customers.
The benefits of a salamander in a commercial kitchen
The benefits of a salamander grill depend directly on the functions it performs and on the kind of work your kitchen does. For a restaurant, the main benefit is the ability to gratinate dishes and heat them or keep them warm; for a catering business, it is keeping food hot; and for a pub or bar, the advantages lie in toasting sandwiches and similar snacks or reheating pre-cooked dishes.
Types of commercial salamander
There are several types, depending on the power source and the design.
Electric salamanders
An electric salamander is an electrically powered appliance designed to gratinate, toast and keep food hot. With a powerful grill element, it produces even heat from above, for fast cooking and perfect browning. It is particularly popular in bars, restaurants and snack bars for toasted sandwiches, panini and gratins.
Features:
- Electric power for ease of use.
- Fast heat-up and high energy efficiency.
- Ideal where gas is not available.
Gas salamanders
A gas salamander uses a gas-fired heat source to gratinate, toast and reheat food. This type is valued for its power and is well suited to kitchens with a good gas supply.
Features:
- Gas-fired, ideal for professional kitchens that prefer this energy source.
- More power than electric models, with even cooking over large surfaces.
- Durable and versatile for high-volume kitchens.
Salamanders with a movable head
A salamander with a movable (rise-and-fall) head offers flexible cooking because the height of the heat source can be adjusted. This gives precise control over browning and gratinating.
Features:
- Height-adjustable heating head to suit different kinds of dishes.
- Perfect browning without burning the food.
- Ideal for commercial kitchens that need greater versatility.
Salamanders with an adjustable grid
A salamander with an adjustable grid lets you change the height of the grid to suit the preparation, giving more control over the distance between the food and the heat source. It is particularly useful for gratinating and toasting foods of different sizes.
Features:
- Adjustable chrome-plated grid for greater flexibility.
- Suitable for a wide range of preparations, from gratins to quick reheating.
- Makes it easier to handle delicate or thicker items.
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How to choose the best kitchen salamander for your restaurant
A salamander should be chosen by weighing up a number of factors against the needs it has to meet. The factors to consider are:
- size, which should match the quantity of dishes you want to serve
- power, which affects heat-up speed, the evenness and quality of cooking and the ability to handle different foods and preparations
- materials, which affect several key aspects of durability, functionality and hygiene
- features, which affect operational aspects such as efficiency, versatility in preparing dishes, ease of use, quality of results, how well the unit fits the space, maintenance and longevity.
The salamander: the kitchen tool that makes the difference
In any commercial kitchen, a professional salamander makes a difference to how and how quickly dishes are prepared, reheated and served: the difference between a good dish and an excellent one, between one cooked to perfection and one that is not, between one served at the right temperature and one that is not. Having a salamander, or several if the size of the business requires it, raises your level of professionalism and, as a result, your customers' satisfaction. All that remains is to browse the commercial salamanders in our catalogue and choose yours. Among the top models are the Fimar RS40 salamander (fixed, single-phase) and the Fimar RS70 salamander (fixed, single-phase).