A commercial stove is the main focus of most restaurants and other commercial food service operations. The term 'commercial stove' generally refers to the combination of stove top ('range') and the oven/grill.

When looking to buy a commercial stove, there are a number of decisions you'll have to make.

Gas or electric?

If a gas supply is not already available, this will have to be factored into the cost of installing a gas commercial stove. If you choose a gas commercial stove, check if it has electronic (piezo) ignition to eliminate the need to light the burners with matches.

There is the possibility with a gas commercial stove that gas may leak and present the risk of an explosion. Furthermore, if the stove is used in an area that is not sufficiently well ventilated, there can be a build up of noxious gases (e.g. carbon monoxide) which can be extremely dangerous. A carbon monoxide detector can be installed to reduce this risk.

On the plus side, gas provides a very responsive change in temperature on the stove top, however, this responsiveness can also be achieved if the commercial stove has an induction stove top. Induction stove tops provide an almost instant increase or decrease in cooking temperatures, as required..

Stove top elements?

You'll need to determine the number of stove top burners required on your commercial stove. A commercial stove could have anything from a single burner (e.g. a wok burner) right up to a 10 burner stove top. It is also possible to choose to have a griddle top on the commercial stove, in combination with the burners.

The easiest to clean commercial stove top elements would be those on an electric commercial oven which has a ceramic stove top, using either radiant elements or induction elements. This type of stove top has no place for 'gunk' to accumulate so they tend to be more easily maintained. While the ceramic stove top will get hot and can burn food onto the surface, this is much less an issue with the induction type of stove top, as the heat is actually generated in the cooking utensil, not the stove top itself, so it tends not to burn food onto the surface.

Type of oven?

You can purchase a commercial stove with either a gas or electric oven.

Some commercial stove types are self cleaning, which can help reduce the cleaning required, however some 'manual' cleaning is likely to still be needed.

Decide if the commercial oven you select should include a griller (broiler), or if you want a separate grill.

The size of oven required in your commercial stove will depend on the number of meals to be served at once, and the type of meals (e.g. a salad bar is likely to require a smaller commercial stove than a full a la carte restaurant). Depending on its purpose, it may be worth considering a pizza oven.

Lease, rent or buy?

Leasing generally provides the option of buying the commercial stove at the end of the lease, while renting usually means you return the stove at the end of the rental period. Purchasing a commercial stove outright is often not an option when starting a new business.