The Right Toaster

Toasters may not make the top of the list when looking at equipment purchases for most operations.  But to maintain the level of quality and service that every other area of the operation has established, the toaster needs to fit in and keep up.

Commercial toasters are going to keep up with a high-demand operation.  They are built to deliver consistent results at a higher speed than residential toasters.  Residential toasters will try to keep up; but after prolonged use, they will slow down and eventually burn out.

Residential pop-up toasters run from 600 to 1200 watts and usually take 1 to 3 minutes to toast each piece of bread.  The performance of residential toasters will be compromised by different variables.  If it is cold, the first pieces of toast will be darker.  If the toaster is being used continuously, the heater will run hot and the toast will actually come out too light.  In certain self-service applications like continental breakfasts, the result of a toaster that can’t keep up is a crowd of diners either standing around popping their toast back down for better results or diners settling for toast that really doesn’t meet their expectations.

Commercial toasters range from 1440 watts to 2600 watts and will toast from 300 to 1800 pieces of toast per hour. They are specifically designed to evenly toast a variety of bread products consistently and at faster speeds. The durable housing is built for years of service in a high-demand, high-volume atmosphere.

The type of toaster a commercial kitchen requires depends on the amount of bread toasted per day. Commercial pop-up toasters consistently toast up to 300 slices per hour. They are perfect for self-serve buffet areas and as an addition to a kitchen conveyor toaster for on the spot toast. Commercial conveyor toasters will toast up to 1800 slices of bread per hour, depending on the unit.

In addition to production demands, commercial toasters come with either UL approval or NSF certification. These are vitally important in the complying with local and international fire codes, and insurance. In worst case scenarios where property damage or loss of life occurs due to a fire started because of a malfunction or misuse of a toaster, an operator runs a much higher risk of being held liable in instances where a residential toaster was used. Using a commercial toaster with the necessary credentials significantly reduces any risk for the operator.

Hatco, Waring, Hamilton Beach, Star and Cadco are all recommended manufacturers of commercial toasters.  It’s important to find the right toaster for each application so that neither the bread nor the operator gets burned.