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What Is a Salamander in Cooking?
Salamander ovens are a specialized kitchen appliance that are dedicated to broiling foods at higher temperatures than a traditional oven's broil setting. A salamander uses infrared or radiant heat to push heat down evenly onto food. It is an extremely valuable addition to a restaurant's kitchen, since they allow broiling or finishing to be done in a separate unit, which frees up oven space.
What Is a Salamander Broiler Used For?
A salamander's uses includes melting, broiling, top-browning, and toasting. A salamander allows you to quickly and easily melt cheese, caramelize the sugar on desserts, brown the top of casseroles, toast sandwiches, or even give steaks and other meats a crispy finish. Some salamanders can be adjusted to a lower setting to hold food at a warm, food-safe temperature.
Salamander vs Broiler
A salamander provides more versatility and higher heat capabilities than a standard broiler or cheese melter. This means that salamanders can be used to cook foods in addition to warming them up or finishing them. Additionally, a salamander comes with a cooking grate and a grease pan.
Salamander Oven Purchasing Considerations
To choose the best salamander oven for your needs, you will need to decide which power type, installation type, heating style, and size works best for your kitchen.
1. Power Type
There are two main power types to choose from when selecting your salamander. Electric salamanders are ideal for restaurants that don't have a gas line or for establishments with a low to moderate volume, such as cafes, kiosks, and delis. Gas salamanders, which come in either natural gas or liquid propane, are the preferred power type for high-volume restaurants, such as bars and grills, diners, and steakhouses, that use them frequently throughout the day due to their high output.
- Ideal for establishments that do not have gas lines or proper hookups
- Best suited for low to moderate use
- Come in countertop, range mount, and wall mount options
- Some models must be hardwired by a professional and do not plug into a standard wall outlet
- Typically take more time to heat up
- Typically have higher outputs than electric models to keep up with high demand
- Knobs directly control the intensity of the flame to provide more precise control over the temperature
- Quicker heat up times
- Come in countertop, range mount, and wall mount options
- Requires professional installation
2. Installation Type
Consider your counter space and mounting options when choosing a salamander oven. No matter the installation type, proper ventilation is a necessity.
Countertop Salamander
- Compact design that doesnt crowd countertop space
- Great for operators that need a separate unit for broiling
Range Mounted Salamander
- Frees up floor and counter space
- Actively monitor the progress of meals while on the line
Wall Mounted Salamander
- Finish foods without interrupting the flow of the kitchen
- Ideal for kitchens with miminal space
3. Heating Style
The two main types of heating elements to choose from for a commercial salamander are infrared and radiant.
Infrared salamander broilers provide a more direct, intense heat to foods to finish them quickly, which is ideal for high-volume kitchens. Infrared salamanders also heat up more quickly than radiant salamanders.
Radiant salamander broilers distribute the burner heat more evenly within the unit for optimal cooking results. Radiant salamanders typically feature higher BTUs.
A salamander with a higher BTU can generate more heat over a length of time, which means it can cook food faster than a salamander with a lower BTU.
4. Size
How much space you have in your kitchen and how many food items you will prepare with the unit are two factors to consider when choosing the size of your salamander.
Some salamanders have widths as small as 17 inches and can typically only hold one to two pans at a time. These smaller-sized salamanders will be better for low to moderate volume kitchens that do not need to use their broiler too frequently. We also offer salamanders with widths as large as 60 inches to accommodate large products. These larger-sized salamanders are better suited for kitchens with high volume demand.
Salamander Brands
We have a wide selection of commercial salamander broilers from different brands to ensure you can find the best unit for your menu and price point.
Avantco Salamander
Avantco countertop electric salamanders feature a spacious cooking area and an adjustable cooking clearance that accepts a large variety of pan and plate sizes. They have infinite controls for easy and quick control over the heating cycles.
Cooking Performance Group Salamander
CPG salamanders feature a gas-fired infrared burner with a high BTU output and a standing pilot for instant ignition. The lever controlled rack height allows you to customize the distance of the food from the heating element.
Vulcan Salamander
Vulcan salamanders come in all power and installation types, as well as infrared and radiant heat models, to provide you with a variety of options to choose from. Their units feature dual heat controls for zone cooking and improved temperature control.
Wolf Salamander
Wolf salamanders come in infrared or radiant heating options with high BTU outputs to keep up with the demand in a busy kitchen. Their units feature dual heat controls for zone cooking and improved temperature control.
Garland Salamander
Garland salamanders come in all power and installation types to provide you with a variety of options to choose from. Each unit has multiple temperature controls to provide precise control over the foods you are finishing.
Hatco Salamander
Hatco countertop electric salamanders include independently-controlled infrared heating elements for precise cooking and a hold function with eight different heat levels to accommodate a variety of foods.
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