If you work in a kitchen and a standard consumer microwave cannot keep up with your demands, then you may want to take a look at commercial microwaves. Commercial microwaves are extremely powerful microwaves and are useful for someone who is cooking in large quantities, like a restaurant owner, manager of a high volume deli, baker or chef. The fact that commercial microwaves are most commonly found in restaurants is no coincidence. Regardless of your demands, whether it is small or large scale there is are commercial microwaves to get the job done.
It is hard to say exactly what distinguishes commercial microwaves from regular microwaves, but in general, they are more powerful. For example, the Whirlpool WMH2175XCQ microwave is a high end microwave that would be suitable for any family kitchen, and measures in at 1.7 cubic feet and has an impressive 1000 Watts of power. The Panasonic NE-2180 is similar in size (1.6 cubic feet) but manages to pack a whopping 2100 Watts of power into the same dimensions. This particular model helps disperse that power through 4 magnetrons, which are the heating elements that make a microwave work. By comparison, a standard microwave has one, or at most, two magnetrons.
Some of the best manufacturers of commercial microwaves are the same brands that produce high quality regular consumer microwaves. Some of these brands include, but are not limited to, Panasonic and Sharp. Two brands that are less known for their consumer microwaves and better known for their commercial microwaves are Amana and TwinTouch. Both brands have several commercial microwaves on the market.
As expected, commercial microwaves can be much more expensive than a standard consumer microwave. The Amana RFS18MPS Heavy-Duty 1800 Watt Commercial Microwave Oven is one of the best models in the industrial kitchen market and is reasonably priced for by commercial microwave standards at $949. By comparison, the Hobart HM1600 microwave oven is also 1600 Watts and sells for almost $2,700!
It goes without saying that when looking at commercial microwaves to purchase you should do a thorough price comparison. Because they are not as easy to find as a conventional microwave, suppliers of commercial microwaves may feel entitled to charge way more than the product is selling for at other sites. So prior to making a purchase, do your research and find out the going rate for the commercial microwave models you are looking at.
Of course, when purchasing any type of electronic appliance, especially one that cost as much as commercial microwaves can, you should absolutely get a warranty on the product. Many restaurant kitchens are very dependent on commercial microwaves to keep up with heavy demands and defrost foods in short amounts of time. You want to know that the performance of you high end electronic appliance is protected, so be sure that you receive a warranty when you make a purchase. Whether you have it emailed to you or have it printed out, it does not matter, as long as you store it somewhere safe.