# What is the BEST commercial stove for a small cafe?



## bambutea (Mar 5, 2012)

I am trying to get a little coffee/ tea cafe open on a very small budget and I will be buying all used equipment.

What brand do you think is the best?  A chef told me he only likes the Montague.  ONe person said that Imperial is good.. and much less.....but another chef told me they thought it was not so great.

I found a used Montague 6 burner w/ oven used for only 6 months for $1,500.00

and A BRAND NEW IMperial 6 burner with overn for $1,995.00

what do you think?

also.. the same for a

Used Hood?

and also a Grill?

thanks so much for the help!


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

I think you're over-thinking the stove problem. 

Spend the least amount of money possible for something reliable which you can get serviced easily.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with an Imperial.  Whoever said he can't cook on an Imperial but only a Montague has a too intimate relationship with absurd excuses.  

Considering what the recession did to the restaurant business, you should be able to get just about everything used and in great shape.  That said, I'd think twice about used refrigeration equipment; and a used hood might be problematic to fit.   

Good luck with your cafe,

BDL


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

IMHO, the *best stove* is the one that cooks your menu the way you want to and costs the least amount of money.

I'd stick to gas, used, Garland, American, Imperial, whatever, key is what service facilities you have close to you and will they come out Sunday at 5:30 pm to fix whatever you need for service at 6:00 pm!


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

The others have said enough about stoves, it's the used hood that concerns me

Used hoods are fine, it's just a s/s box with removable filters.

But-tumm...uhh, well, the real money is involved in hooking up the box.  You need a registered Mech. engineer to design a shaft route and submit this to City Hall, the drawings will show how the hood is hooked up, and where it exits the building.  You need a fan to remove air, and another to replace the air you've removed.  The sheet metal boys will make the shaft according to the fire rating the fire marshal declares.  Then you need a fire supression system (or ANSUL, as they're called in the States) that has nozzles in the plenum (or cavity) and shaft of the hood, plus one nozzle for each cooking appliance.   

How much $ ?  All depends.  Depends on the length and route of the shaft, the material of the building's walls, and where and how the fans are mounted.

hope this helps.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

I wouldn't get wrapped up in brand if your looking at used equipment. If buying new Imperial would not be at the top of my list however equipment can always be upgraded in the future. It's still wise to price all the major brands as local promotions or vendors wanting your business can lead to better deals on new equipment than you may have initially thought. The cheapest price is not always the best deal. Foodpump hit the nail on the head as to where the real expense lies. An ANSUL system can be a painful venture to price if you haven't factored that in your budget.  If you are buying used from a restaurant supply the value will be in what services they supply such as delivery, hook up etc and what they are including in the price. If there is no warranty on a range that is used and only $500 less than new and you have to start adding delivery, hook ups, repairs etc that savings is going to dissipate quickly.

The more complex question becomes the grill. All to often I hear some one asking about a grill when what they really want is a griddle. You will need to sort out the grill size/type and out put before you can get to the hood as it has to meet code for the equipment you have.


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