Oven Rack Care & Maintenance Tips
In a commercial kitchen, oven racks are one of the most important types of equipment. Constantly in use, you and your team expect yours to be there when you need them, day after day. If one should fail, you could potentially lose an entire day’s worth of work and the value of the food that was lost.
Even the highest quality equipment requires regular maintenance and care, if you want it to provide reliable service for years to come.
Oven Rack Cleaning & Care
One of the best ways to keep your oven racks in good shape is to keep them clean.
Cleanliness and sanitation in the commercial kitchen are important for a number of obvious reasons, so this should be an easy task. Make it a part of your daily cleanup routine to wipe down all surfaces of the equipment.
Never clean your racks unless they are cool to the touch. Use a mild detergent of ammonia and water solution for cleaning purposes. Use clean water to rinse and then wipe the surface down to prevent water spots.
Preserving the Life of Oven Racks
Stainless steel is the perfect material for use in a commercial kitchen. It resists bacteria growth as well as corrosion and rust, thanks to an invisible film of chromium oxide on its surface. One that chromium oxide breaks down, however, trouble sets in.
To keep your oven racks in good shape for as long as possible, never use any products that can disturb this protective layer.
- Avoid using sharp implements to scrape or abrade the stainless surface. This includes the use of steel wool, scrapers and wire brushes.
- Hard water spots, when allowed to dry and then heated, can break down the chromium oxide level. Likewise, salt deposits can also damage this protective layer.
- Don’t use any cleaning products that contain chlorides (chlorine bleach, for example). Likewise, oven cleaner and abrasive cleaners will also damage the surface.
- Be careful when using implements made of other metals, particularly zinc, carbon steel and iron. The chemical interaction can lead to corrosion and rust.
And, although they won’t generally harm the surface of your racks, both glass cleaner and alcohol can discolor the stainless steel surface.
Taking Care of Oven Rack Casters
The heat of the commercial kitchen can be hard on casters. Keep them clean and periodically check to ensure that the nuts and bolts (including the mounting bolts) are tight.
You may have to replace your casters periodically, to prevent problems. However, when you purchase high-quality commercial kitchen equipment from a reputable source, you can rest assured that you’ll get the maximum life and use from your investment.
Dough Tech supplies standard and custom sized oven racks for the commercial baking and restaurant industry. Our heavy-duty racks and casters are designed to last. We also have models available with a lifting device. Contact us today to learn more, or to request pricing for oven racks, dough dividers, water meters and chillers or Escher mixers.
