Commercial Cooking Equipment: Everything You Need to Know
Quick Summary
- Most versatile: A combi oven covers baking, roasting, steaming, and food regeneration in one unit — the highest-return cooking equipment purchase for most operations.
- High volume frying: Commercial deep fryers are available in gas and electric, floor-standing and benchtop configurations — match oil capacity to your peak frying demand.
- Cooking line: Commercial stoves, char grills, cooktops, salamanders, and hot plates form the core of a full-service restaurant line — buy for your menu, not your floor space.
- Specialist equipment: Wok burners, pizza ovens, convection ovens, teppanyaki plates, and high-speed ovens serve specific menu types — only buy what your menu actually needs.
- Power: Most cooking equipment runs on gas or three-phase electric — confirm your utility supply before purchasing.
- Brands: Unox for combi ovens; Luus, Goldstein, and Cobra for cooking line; Merrychef for high-speed ovens; LKK and Jasper for wok burners.
The cooking line is the heart of any commercial kitchen. Getting it right — the right equipment for your menu, your volume, and your service style — determines how efficiently your kitchen runs from the first service onward. Getting it wrong means expensive workarounds, bottlenecks, and equipment that never quite fits the way your team actually cooks.
This guide covers the full range of commercial cooking equipment available through Snowmaster, organised by equipment type. Browse the complete cooking equipment range.
Combi Ovens
A combi oven is the single most productive piece of cooking equipment in a professional kitchen. It combines three cooking modes — convection (dry heat), steam, and a combination of both — in one unit. That means baking, roasting, steaming, braising, poaching, and food regeneration can all happen in the same machine.
What Combi Ovens Do Well
- Convection mode — fan-forced dry heat for baking bread, roasting meats, and crisping pastry
- Steam mode — gentle, even cooking for vegetables, fish, rice, and delicate proteins
- Combination mode — simultaneous heat and moisture for maximum yield with minimal shrinkage on proteins
- Food regeneration — reheats pre-cooked and blast-chilled food to service temperature without drying it out
- Programmable menus — multi-step cooking programs allow consistent results without constant supervision
Who Needs One
- Any operation producing proteins, baked goods, or vegetables in volume
- Kitchens running a cook-chill system alongside a blast chiller
- Aged care, healthcare, and institutional kitchens where food regeneration is a daily requirement
- Hotels and function venues handling varied menus across different service periods
- Any kitchen where floor space is limited — a combi oven replaces multiple single-function appliances
Snowmaster’s combi oven range is led by Unox — widely regarded as the benchmark brand in Australian commercial kitchens. Browse all combi ovens.
Commercial Convection Ovens
A commercial convection oven circulates hot air via a fan, cooking food more evenly and up to 30% faster than a static oven. It’s the right choice when steam cooking isn’t required — high-volume baking, warming, and roasting without the complexity or cost of a combi oven.
Convection ovens are widely used in bakeries, cafés, and takeaway operations where the menu is primarily baked goods, pies, pastries, or reheated products. For operations that genuinely need steam capability, a combi oven is the better long-term investment. Browse all commercial convection ovens.
The Cooking Line: Stoves, Char Grills, Cooktops, and Salamanders
The cooking line is the set of equipment your chefs cook on during service. What you need depends almost entirely on your menu.
Commercial Stoves
Gas and electric stoves in 4, 6, and 8-burner configurations with integrated oven options. The foundation of most full-service restaurant kitchens. Available in open burner and sealed plate configurations.
Commercial Char Grills
Gas char grills for steaks, chicken, seafood, and vegetables. Produces the distinctive charred flavour and grill marks that can’t be replicated on a flat surface. Available in bench-top and floor-standing configurations.
Commercial Cooktops
Open burner and sealed plate cooktops for kitchens that need flexible cooking positions without a full stove. See also commercial hot plates and induction cookers for specific applications.
Salamander Grills
Overhead radiant heat for finishing dishes, melting cheese, glazing, and browning. A standard fitting above most commercial cooking lines. Gas and electric models available.
Stock Pot Burners
High-output gas burners for large stockpots, industrial-scale boiling, and wok cooking where a dedicated wok burner isn’t required. Floor-standing and bench-top configurations.
Bratt Pans
Tilting braising pans for high-volume braising, searing, frying, and boiling in a single versatile unit. The tilting mechanism simplifies emptying and cleaning. Essential for institutional and production kitchens.
Commercial Deep Fryers
Commercial deep fryers are available in gas and electric, benchtop and floor-standing, single tank and double tank configurations. The right choice depends on your frying volume and your gas or power supply.
| Configuration | Oil Capacity | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Benchtop / Countertop | 8–15L | Low-to-medium volume, supplementary fryer, small cafés and takeaways |
| Floor-Standing Single Tank | 15–25L | Standard restaurant and pub fryer; most common configuration for full-service kitchens |
| Floor-Standing Double Tank | 2 × 15–25L | High-volume frying or kitchens needing separate tanks for different products (e.g. allergen separation) |
Specialist Cooking Equipment
Beyond the core cooking line, several specialist equipment categories serve specific menu types. Only buy specialist equipment your menu genuinely needs — each one requires space, power, and ventilation that adds up fast in a small kitchen.
Commercial Pizza Ovens
Deck ovens with high-temperature stone or refractory bases for authentic pizza cooking. Available in gas and electric, single and multi-deck. If pizza is a core menu item, a dedicated pizza oven delivers results a convection oven can’t match.
Commercial Wok Burners
80,000–200,000+ BTU purpose-built for wok cooking and wok hei. Chimney and duckbill burner configurations, 1–4 rings, waterless and water-cooled. Brands: Luus, Goldstein, Jasper, LKK, Cobra. Requires dedicated gas supply assessment and high-capacity exhaust.
High-Speed Ovens
Combines microwave, convection, and impingement heat for cook times up to 15x faster than a standard oven. Merrychef is the leading brand. Suited to cafés and venues needing rapid food-to-order production without a full kitchen setup.
Teppanyaki Plates
Large flat cooking surfaces for teppanyaki-style cooking and high-volume griddle work. Available in gas and electric. Also suitable for eggs, pancakes, burgers, and flat-top cooking where volume justifies a dedicated surface.
Pasta & Noodle Cookers
Dedicated high-capacity boilers for pasta and noodle service at volume. Gas and electric models. Essential for Italian restaurants, Asian noodle bars, and any kitchen producing pasta or noodles continuously through service.
Dim Sum Steamers
High-capacity gas steamers for dim sum and yum cha service. Multiple tier configurations for simultaneous steaming of large volumes. Designed for the pace and volume requirements of a dedicated yum cha operation.
Target Top Ovens and Boiling Plates
Target top ovens combine a solid top cooking surface with an integrated oven below — a compact, high-output solution for kitchens needing both stovetop and oven capability in a single unit. The solid top distributes heat evenly across the entire surface, making it ideal for large pots and pans.
Boiling plates are high-output solid top cooking surfaces without the integrated oven — used for rapid boiling, stock reduction, and high-heat cooking where a standard burner doesn’t provide sufficient surface area.
Installation Requirements
Before You Buy
- Gas supply — most commercial cooking equipment runs on natural gas or LPG; wok burners in particular require a licensed gas fitter to assess supply line pressure and capacity before installation; all gas connections must be made by a licensed gas fitter under AS/NZS 5601
- Three-phase power — large electric cooking equipment including combi ovens, convection ovens, and electric stoves typically require three-phase 415V power; confirm your switchboard capacity before purchasing
- Exhaust ventilation — all cooking equipment producing heat, steam, or combustion gases requires an adequately sized exhaust canopy directly above; wok burners, char grills, and fryers require particularly high-capacity extraction
- Floor clearances — maintain required clearances from combustible surfaces and adjacent equipment; confirm with your equipment supplier and local council requirements
- Landing space — every oven and cooking appliance needs adjacent stainless steel bench space for safe loading and unloading of food; plan this alongside the equipment, not after
Common Buying Mistakes
Avoid These
- Buying specialist equipment before confirming menu direction — a pizza oven, wok burner, or dim sum steamer is a significant investment; confirm your menu is built around that equipment before committing
- Choosing a convection oven when you need a combi — if your menu includes proteins, fish, or vegetables cooked at volume, the steam capability of a combi oven pays for the price difference quickly in better yield and reduced shrinkage
- Undersizing the fryer for peak demand — a fryer running at capacity during service can’t recover oil temperature fast enough between batches; size up and maintain quality through the rush
- Not accounting for gas supply capacity — adding multiple high-BTU appliances (wok burners, char grills, fryers) to an existing kitchen can exceed the gas supply line’s capacity; always have a licensed gas fitter assess before purchasing
- Ignoring ventilation requirements — high-output cooking equipment without adequate exhaust ventilation creates heat, smoke, and condensation problems that affect staff, customers, and building compliance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a combi oven and a convection oven?
A convection oven uses fan-forced dry heat only — ideal for baking, roasting, and warming. A combi oven adds steam capability, allowing it to cook using dry heat, steam, or a combination of both. The combi oven is more versatile and handles a wider range of cooking tasks, including proteins, fish, vegetables, and food regeneration. For most full-service kitchens, a combi oven is the better long-term investment.
What cooking equipment does a new restaurant need?
The essentials depend on your menu, but most full-service restaurant kitchens need: a commercial oven (combi or convection), a cooking line (stove, char grill, or cooktops depending on menu), a salamander for finishing, a commercial fryer if frying is part of the menu, and adequate bench space around each piece of equipment. Specialist equipment like pizza ovens, wok burners, or teppanyaki plates should only be added if genuinely required by the menu.
Is gas or electric better for commercial cooking equipment?
Gas equipment heats faster, offers more responsive temperature control for most cooking techniques, and is generally cheaper to run where gas supply is available. Electric equipment is easier to install (no gas connection required), produces less heat in the kitchen, and is the right choice where gas isn’t available or where induction cooking is preferred. Many kitchens run a combination of gas and electric depending on the specific piece of equipment.
What is a bratt pan used for?
A bratt pan is a large, tilting braising pan used for high-volume braising, searing, frying, and boiling. The tilting mechanism allows the pan to be emptied without manual ladling and simplifies cleaning. Bratt pans are most commonly found in institutional and production kitchens — aged care, hospitals, schools, and central kitchens — where large volumes of stews, soups, and braised dishes are produced daily.
How much ventilation does commercial cooking equipment need?
All commercial cooking equipment producing heat, steam, grease, or combustion gases requires an exhaust canopy positioned directly above it. The required capture velocity and canopy size varies by equipment type — wok burners, char grills, and fryers require significantly higher extraction rates than ovens or cooktops. Consult a licensed mechanical services contractor when planning your kitchen ventilation to ensure it meets AS 1668.2 requirements.
Snowmaster stocks the full range of commercial cooking equipment — combi ovens, convection ovens, stoves, char grills, deep fryers, pizza ovens, wok burners, high-speed ovens, teppanyaki plates, and more. Delivery across Australia. Finance available.
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