Range Finders
When selecting the right range, chefs say durability and easy maintenance are essential.
By Erin J. Shea, Associate Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 2/15/2006
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These are the tenets by which Eric Wissmueller lives and works. For the executive chef of Mitchell’s Fish Market in Glenview, Ill., each factor plays a crucial role in successful execution of his menu. And while quality ingredients and a trained staff separate a thriving operation from its competition, Wissmueller believes proper equipment—such as the right range—supports them both. He’s fortunate, he says, that Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, the Columbus, Ohio-based multiconcept parent company that operates Mitchell’s Fish Market, agrees.
“The kind of equipment we use is a corporate decision,” he says. “I’m lucky that the company understands exactly how important it is to have quality tools to work with.”
One kitchen cornerstone is the range, considered by many chefs to be the lifeblood of their operations. A serious investment of both dollars and kitchen space, selecting a suitable range for an operation is no easy task. Many variables come into play, each important to the end result.
Given the cost of a range and its importance to a kitchen’s overall functionality, the selection process should be rigorous. “You really need to go through a checklist,” advises Christopher Koetke, dean of the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College in Chicago. “What is the kitchen like? How trained is your staff? What is your production like? These are all important questions to ask before buying a big-ticket item such as a range.”
Practical Matters
Clocking hours in the kitchen with his grandmother as a young boy, Gabriel Morales learned many things: patience, traditional cooking methods and most of all, common sense when it comes to equipment. This background serves him well at Republic, the Los Angeles restaurant where he is executive chef.
“When we selected ranges, we approached the decision from a practical perspective,” Morales says. “The range is the heart of the kitchen, and you’re out of luck if it breaks down.”
The 12-burner unit that sits in Morales’ kitchen is the biggest he’s ever used, and one key when choosing it, he says, was the degree and difficulty of the range’s maintenance.
“I needed a range that my cleaning crew could easily break down at the end of the day, clean and put back together so that it’s working the next day,” he explains.
Sum of the (Fewer) Parts
Ease of cleaning is not the only maintenance to consider. When Tony Priolo, executive chef of Chicago’s Coco Pazzo, six months ago started shopping for a new range for the 14-year-old restaurant, he had only one thing on his mind: durability.
“We looked for one with the least number of parts,” Priolo says. “Maintenance on all of those knobs and dials is costly over time.” He estimates that over a range’s lifetime, maintenance costs can more than double the initial outlay.
To best suit the needs of a restaurant specializing in rustic Italian food, Priolo opted for a 48-inch range with eight burners to accommodate two stations, one primarily for pasta and the other for sautéing. He added stainless-steel panels to the sides of the range to prevent rust damage and looked for such features as guarantees on the life of the doors.
“You have to pay attention to the things that see the most wear and tear,” he adds.
Show Time
When Soby’s opened its doors eight years ago, its operators never envisioned the serious volume it was destined to do. For this Greenville, S.C., restaurant featuring a contemporary take on Southern cuisine, growing popularity took a toll on already taxed kitchen equipment.
“We had a tight budget back then,” says Robert McCarthy, executive chef. “The restaurant had medium-grade and refurbished equipment. It got to the point where once a month someone was here to repair something.”
Also problematic was the combination of what McCarthy describes as “dirty-looking” equipment and an open-air kitchen. “It was not the show kitchen we wanted to have,” he says.
Recognizing that the range often is where customers’ eyes lock when peeking into a kitchen, McCarthy opted for a customized unit that not only allows staff to show off but also makes the kitchen function more efficiently.
“When we redesigned the kitchen we knew that it was more than having a range that looked good,” he says. “We also needed to improve how we worked.”
Prior to remodeling, the staff was divided into two prep lines separated by a wall; a range was situated at each. Because the lines were never intended to work in tandem, a lone shelf was used to pass plates back and forth, making the process awkward. The new 12-burner range was installed as an island in the middle of the kitchen, allowing the cumbersome wall to be removed.
“Communication is easier now,” McCarthy says. “You’re not trying to talk to staffers on the other side of a wall where you can’t see them, they can’t hear you and no one knows what’s going on.”
Best Bets
Selecting the most appropriate range isn’t easy, and few know this better than Chris Koetke, dean of Chicago’s Kendall College School of Culinary Arts. When Kendall left its previous home in Evanston, Ill., for its current location in Chicago, the new space was the result of a $50 million renovation.
“We were looking to buy 75 ranges,” Koetke explains. “We had manufacturers send a range, we lined up the equipment and had each company explain everything about their product.”
Understanding that such a luxury is not afforded every operator, Koetke advises creating a checklist before buying a range. “A lot of things don’t always come to mind when you’re shopping,” he says.
- Visit a trade show. Find out about products directly from manufacturers and then compare and contrast with others. “This is a good idea if you’re just starting a restaurant,” he says.
- Understand how your kitchen operates. Consider the level of staff training, the menu and volume of the operation.
- Factor in maintenance and cleaning. “I give high marks to anyone who can make a range that’s easily cleaned,” Koetke says. “Cleaning isn’t always the high point on an operator’s agenda, but it has to be done.”
- Ask about customer service. The chef reminds operators that when the kitchen range breaks down, a repair person is needed as soon as possible. “Being able to get quick and reliable service does matter,” he says. “In some places in the country that can be a problem.”
- Test the equipment’s overall strength. When Koetke selected the ranges for Kendall, he and his team removed trivets, tossed them on the floor and jumped on oven doors. Don’t be afraid to abuse them a bit, he says.
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