Have you ever been inside a large commercial kitchen? It is a place constantly humming with activity - chefs moving rhythmically, ingredients being prepped at an almost frantic pace, and pots and pans being given a rough beating.
Because of this, commercial cookware can't be made of inferior and non-durable materials.
They need to last a long time and serve the user well.
Commercial-grade cookware is usually made with aluminum, which is preferred because it is non-reactive and won't contaminate the food you are cooking.
High-grade commercial cookware is made of several layers of aluminum and some other material such as copper.
It can withstand a lot of banging and washing and is also great for conductivity.
Chefs regard this property highly as speed in cooking matters a lot now when you're running a restaurant.
These days, people tend to eat out not just for socialization but also to have power lunches and dinners, so it would be a great disservice to customers if food, no matter how delicious, would take so much time to cook.
It is also important for commercial cookware to be versatile.
Again, due to the more sophisticated cooking procedures we have today, a dish can very likely go through several cooking processes.
We have seen chefs on TV start with commercial cookware [http://www.
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After this, they would brown a piece of fish or meat, add a few herbs and spices, and put it into the oven without transferring it from one pan to another container.
Sometimes it is even taken to the broiler after oven cooking.
It is therefore also important that handles are ergonomic.
Some commercial cookware have heatproof handles to make life easier for the professional chef.
They also do a lot of "flambes" so commercial cookware must have exterior surfaces that are easy to clean.
Aside from the omnipresent pots and pans, commercial cookware also include the latest appliances and cooking gadgets, all ingeniously designed to make cooking a worthwhile experience.
These include food processors, rotisseries, convection ovens, and a lot more.
Non-stick coating has also been a boon to commercial chefs because they now don't have to worry about food sticking to the pan and ruining the whole dish.
It also accounts for healthier foods because they would only need to use a very small amount of oil.
Teflon, or non-stick surfaces on commercial cookware, are also great in reducing the carcinogens coming from burnt food.