Cooking Equipment

Commercial Cooking Equipment Buying Guide for Seattle Restaurants

Your hot line decides your menu, your ticket times and your gas and power bill. This guide helps you pick the right pieces, explains why new beats used for cooking equipment and links to a detailed buying guide for each category.

Many Seattle owners start by looking for used restaurant equipment, and many found the original Encore Seattle that way when it sold used. Today Encore Seattle sells only new Atosa equipment.

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New vs. Used Cooking Equipment

Cooking equipment works harder than anything else in the kitchen. It runs hot for hours, takes grease and spills every day and is hard to inspect from the outside.

What wears out on used cooking equipment

• Burners and pilots: clogged ports, cracked burners and pilots that won't stay lit.
• Valves and thermostats: worn valves won't hold a simmer, and thermostats drift.
• Griddle plates and grates: warped plates, cracked grates and rust.
• Fry pots: leaks and cracks at the welds.
• Oven fans, elements and controls: worn fans give uneven bakes, and electronics fail from heat and moisture.
• Gas type and power: a used unit may be set up for the wrong gas or the wrong voltage.

The warranty gap

Most used cooking equipment is sold as-is. Every new Atosa unit on this page carries a 1-year parts and labor warranty.

The real cost of used

Each category guide has a detailed checklist of what to inspect if you still buy used.

Plan Your Hot Line

• Start with the menu. List your top sellers and the cooking method each one needs.
• Measure the hood. Your line has to fit under the exhaust hood with the clearance your code requires.
• Mix and match. Countertop griddles, charbroilers and hot plates sit on chef bases or equipment stands, so you can keep cold storage right under the line.
• Add finishing. A salamander or cheese melter mounts above an Atosa 36" range.
• Plan for growth. Adding one more burner or a bigger griddle now costs less than replacing equipment later.

Gas, Power and Ventilation

• Pick natural gas or propane before you order. Most Atosa gas models come in both.
• Add up the BTU. Have your plumber or propane supplier confirm your line or tank can handle the whole line at once.
• Use proper gas connectors. See our gas hose kit.
• Check electrical. Countertop convection ovens run on 120V or 208V, and combi ovens need three-phase power.
• Install under an exhaust hood as local code requires, and use a licensed technician for gas and electrical.

Equipping a Food Truck Kitchen

A food truck line is a small hot line on wheels. Most trucks run on propane, so order LP models.

• Cooking: a countertop griddle, charbroiler or hot plate, plus a fryer if fried food is on the menu.
• Cold storage: a sandwich prep table or undercounter refrigerator keeps ingredients cold right at the line.
• Hand sink: health departments require one. See our sinks.
• Mounting: secure every piece so nothing shifts while driving.
• Approvals: have a licensed gas technician hook up the line and check hood and fire suppression rules with your fire marshal.

Permits and commissary

Before a food truck can sell, it usually needs a business license, a health permit, a fire inspection and a commissary. In Seattle, the health permit comes from Public Health - Seattle & King County. A commissary is a licensed kitchen where you prep and store food, fill fresh water, dump gray water and clean the truck. The health inspector will check your refrigeration temperatures, hand sink and fire safety equipment, so plan the truck around those first.

Pasta cookers

A pasta cooker takes pasta, noodles and blanching off the range. The PCG9 has one 9 gallon tank with a 46,000 BTU burner. The PCG18 has two 9 gallon tanks, 92,000 BTU in total.

Restaurant Kitchen Layout

Start with the flow, not the equipment. Food should move one way: receiving, storage, prep, cooking, plating, then dishwashing, without crossing back.

• Keep cold storage close to prep and prep close to the line.
• Put hand sinks where every cook can reach one.
• Keep the dish area away from food prep.
• Leave aisles wide enough for two people to pass with hot pans.

Restaurant Kitchen Equipment Checklist

• Cooking: ranges, griddles, charbroilers, fryers, convection ovens, salamanders.
• Refrigeration: reach-in refrigerators, freezers, prep tables, ice machines.
• Prep: work tables and prep equipment.
• Hot holding: steam tables, warmers and holding cabinets.
• Sinks: hand sinks and compartment sinks.
• Storage: shelving, dunnage racks and pan racks.

Maintenance and Oven Calibration

How to check your oven temperature

1. Check your oven thermometer in ice water first. It should read 32°F.
2. Put it in the center of the oven and set the oven to 350°F.
3. Once it's preheated, read the thermometer every 5 minutes for 30 minutes and average the readings.
4. If the average is off by more than about 10°F, adjust the thermostat as the manual explains or have a technician calibrate it. Until then, set the dial higher or lower to make up the difference.

Hoods, Ventilation and Fire Suppression

Most gas cooking equipment has to sit under an exhaust hood. Your local building and fire officials have the final say, so bring them your equipment list before you order.

• Makeup air: the hood pulls air out of the kitchen, so the system has to bring fresh air back in.
• Fire suppression: a wet chemical system over the cook line sprays the equipment and shuts off the gas when it trips. Have it inspected every 6 months.
• Cleaning: clean the hood filters often, and have the hood and ducts professionally cleaned on a schedule based on how much grease you cook.
• Ventless hoods: these filter and recirculate the air. They only work with electric equipment that is listed for them, not with gas equipment. Check with your fire marshal before you count on one.

Free Freight to Seattle and the Lower 48: We Handle the Hard Work

When you order new Atosa cooking equipment from Encore Seattle, we handle the freight for you:

• Free freight on orders of $500 and up to business addresses in Seattle and anywhere in the lower 48 states.
• Liftgate service included. The truck lowers your order to the curb or parking lot, so you do not need a loading dock or forklift.
• Fast delivery. We offer 1-3 day delivery from 12 distribution centers.
• Tracking sent to you. We email the PRO tracking number and the freight company's contact information.
• Delivery Damage Promise. If the box is damaged, write "BOX DAMAGED" on the delivery receipt, inspect the unit and contact us within 48 hours. We deal with the freight company for you.

Delivery is curbside. See the Seattle neighborhoods we serve.

Cooking Equipment Questions

Do you sell used cooking equipment?

No. Encore Seattle sells only new Atosa equipment with a 1-year parts and labor warranty.

Can I get gas equipment in propane?

Yes. Most Atosa gas ranges, griddles, charbroilers, hot plates, stock pot ranges, wok ranges, fryers and salamanders come in natural gas or propane.

Do you deliver outside Seattle?

Yes. Orders of $500 and up ship free with liftgate service to business addresses anywhere in the lower 48 states.

Can I convert a natural gas range to propane?

Many Atosa gas models come in both natural gas and propane, so the easiest path is to order the gas type you need. Converting later takes the right orifices and regulator setting and should be done by a licensed gas technician.

Does my cooking equipment need a hood?

Gas equipment that makes grease or smoke, like fryers, griddles, charbroilers and ranges, needs a Type I hood with fire suppression. Check with your local building and fire officials.

Who handles pricing and checkout?

Pricing and checkout are handled by our partner store, The Restaurant Warehouse. Each product page has a button that takes you to the matching listing.

Keeping food cold next to the line? See our commercial refrigeration.

Questions about the right cooking equipment for your kitchen? Call or text +1 (206) 419-5801.