Kitchen Salamanders

Salamanders are a type of compact grill, which can be used for a number of cooking tasks including cooking from scratch, along with reheating or keeping your food warm before serving. They’re small cooking appliances that you can either mount on the wall, or store in specialised commercial shelving, making them space-efficient and useful.

When it comes to how you’d use it, you’ve got plenty of options. Salamanders are ideal for browning the tops of meals, melting cheese onto burgers, finishing off a lasagna or simply keeping a meal warm. They have variable temperature settings, meaning it’s easy to adjust accordingly to suit the task at hand. 

Salamanders are designed to cook extremely rapidly, making them ideal for finishing off pre-prepared meals or quickly reheating something without the use of a microwave.

If you opt for a gas model, it can remove the need for other benchtop cooking appliances due to how rapid and intense their heat is, meaning you have more space for food prep. A major consideration with any appliance is ongoing maintenance and salamanders are incredibly simple to clean, reducing labour hours required for close of shift duties. 

If you’re looking to add a kitchen salamander to your setup, there are a few key features to look for. The first one is the construction itself, including the materials and power source. We recommend opting for high-grade stainless steel wherever possible. Not only is it easier to clean and corrosion resistant, it’ll also last for significantly longer. Generally speaking, most chefs will prefer cooking with gas, owing to how reliable, quick and efficient it is - along with the fact you can control it very easily. If you’re in a high-capacity or high-turnover kitchen, gas is your best choice. For those using a salamander less frequently, an electric model should be adequate.

Functionally, consider the temperature range and control and look at the kind of shelving the salamander you’re considering has. Having a wider range of temperatures, along with the ability to refine the heat to a precise degree is important. It widens the variety of dishes you can prepare, while also making your kitchen more efficient.

Gas models usually offer higher and more precise temperatures, typically ranging anywhere from 100℃ up to 300℃. When you’re looking at shelving, you can choose between sliding and counterweighted options. Sliding shelves are what you’d expect from a conventional oven range, while counterweighted grills allow for precise control and the ability to adjust how close your food is to the element whenever you want.

Finally, safety and functionality features like plate detection and, if you choose a gas model, flame failure are worth checking for. Plate detection will automatically switch your salamander on when you put food in there, then switch off once you remove it. Flame failure is essential for any gas cooktop, ensuring that if the flame gets blown out for whatever reason, the gas supply will automatically shut off. 

Cleaning kitchen salamanders is very simple, generally only requiring some elbow grease - though some may have parts that are suitable to go in the dishwasher. We recommend checking the manufacturer instructions first and follow those guidelines to ensure you’re doing everything properly.

Typically, all you’ll need to do is wait until it’s cooled fully before removing the shelves. Wipe the interior down with a food-safe cleaner, then wipe down again with a damp cloth to remove any soapy residue. Scrub the shelves to get rid of any residual food or grease, then leave them to dry before putting them back into the salamander. 

Yes, when you shop at Restaurant Equipment Online, you can rest assured that all of our appliances are designed for Australian commercial kitchens. With that in mind, installation is an important part of ensuring that your appliances are safe to use. We recommend getting our installation partner to set it up for you, especially if you’re opting for a gas model kitchen salamander. 

These compact appliances are versatile additions to any busy kitchen, taking up very little space while making it easier to get a number of kitchen jobs done. You can increase the speed at which you serve food, ensuring it’s delivered at the perfect texture and temperature, along with keeping meals warm when you’re preparing multiple meals or dishes for the same table that need to go out at the same time.