Professional gas or electric technology is the key element of a high-performance plancha, delivering impeccable cooking quality.
On gas models, the burner must offer wide coverage and built-in safety.
The technology of a quality gas plancha is characterised by star burners with 6 or 8 branches fitted with safety thermocouples. Thanks to its long branches arranged in a star pattern, the burner covers the entire cooking zone and ensures perfectly even cooking. The thermocouple positioned near the burner is a mandatory safety feature: in the event of a fault or gas leak, the safety thermocouple is triggered and cuts off the plancha’s heat as a precaution. The ignition of the gas plancha should be via an electronic Piezo, which is safer and more effective than reaching in with a long match. Choosing the right gas plancha therefore means opting for a star burner, a safety thermocouple and Piezo ignition for each heating zone.
On electric models, the shape of the heating element is just as crucial for cooking quality.
An electric plancha must be fitted with an Incoloy heating element for each cooking zone. The sheathed element is controlled by a precise thermostat. This coiled element ensures good heat distribution across the whole cooking plate. To choose the right electric plancha, you should therefore check the shape and type of sheathed heating element as well as the accuracy of the control thermostat.
Whether electric or gas, high appliance power is essential for rapid heat-up and quality contact cooking.
In professional catering, a power rating of 3 kW per heating zone is recommended for rapid heat-up and better heat transfer to the food being cooked. In private homes, as households are very rarely fitted with a three-phase installation for high power ratings, a domestic electric plancha cannot exceed 3.5 kW on a 220-240V connection. The Roller Grill brand, made in France and born in the professional catering sector, favours maximum heating power wherever possible, even for its plancha line at the top of the range designed for home users. Thus, a single plancha such as the PL 400 E reaches 3 kW and the double plancha PL 600 E has a power rating of 3.5 kW. For cooking enthusiasts who want to equip themselves like a pro, Roller Grill also manufactures a PSR pro Collection: this plancha line applies the same technologies as in professional kitchens: 3 kW per heating zone, but with one single-phase cable per element, i.e. 2 cables 220-240 V for a double model and 3 cables 220-240V for a triple model.
With gas, the cooking plate operates completely independently as soon as it is connected to a gas bottle via a regulator. This also brings a considerable gain in freedom of use and power for anyone wishing to cook like a Chef. Depending on the gas used and the pressure, power can vary between 2.5 and 3 kW per heating zone. With such heating power, the gas plancha, renowned for being highly responsive to the slightest temperature adjustment, is particularly popular with cooks.
Plate thickness is an important selection criterion, depending on how often the plancha is used and the type of cooking.
For occasional use, a thin cooking plate is enough.
If the plancha is used occasionally for evenings with friends or family gatherings, opt for a relatively thin cooking plate: 5 mm for an enamelled plancha and 4 mm for an all stainless steel plancha. These cooking plates are press-formed and made in a single piece. Stylish, ergonomic and easy to clean, this type of plancha, such as the Roller Grill PL plancha Collection, fully meets the expectations of outdoor cooking enthusiasts.
Those who want to cook like a Chef will choose a thicker cooking plate.
For weekly plancha cooking, it is advisable to go for a 10 mm thick cooking plate, worthy of a restaurant-style griddle plate. This sufficiently thick enamelled steel plate allows intensive cooking of all types of food, and even large cuts of meat such as rib of beef. The Roller Grill PSR plancha collection perfectly matches the expectations of cooking enthusiasts in search of a professional plancha.
Cleaning should never spoil a good convivial meal: choose a plancha that is very easy to clean!
A removable collection tray is essential for draining away cooking juices.
An electric or gas plancha must be fitted with a removable stainless steel drawer. This stainless steel tray drains away fat and residual juices from the cooking plate. Dishwasher safe, it is extremely easy to clean.
A plancha fitted with a one-piece plate is very easy to look after.
A plancha press-formed in a single piece, such as the models in the Roller Grill PL plancha collection, makes it possible to clean the cooking plate easily, right into every corner. Cooking juices are channelled towards the drainage hole and flow into the fat collection drawer. These enamelled or all stainless steel planchas withstand rubbing and the use of abrasive sponges or metal utensils. These plates, with their highly resistant coating, are therefore very easy to clean.
If the plancha is not made in a single piece, the plate must be thick enough to withstand a hot/cold thermal shock when the surface is very dirty.
Thicker planchas are made in 2 parts: a cooking plate and a stainless steel frame. The cooking surface must be thick enough (10 mm minimum) not to warp when cold water is used on a still-hot plate . This thermal shock makes it possible to scour a plancha after intensive cooking or cooking with plenty of fat. After this initial scouring, the plate then becomes easier to clean. Regular care of the cooking plate ensures the plancha’s long-term durability.
Remember to check the installation options for a plancha outdoors or at home!
For home users, the plancha is first and foremost a piece of outdoor cooking equipment.
Synonymous with cooking for pleasure and often associated with the summer months, the plancha is perfectly at home on a terrace or by a swimming pool. In its gas version, this fashionable cooking plate easily replaces the garden gas barbecue. The gas plancha is also an integral part of any fitted outdoor kitchen. Tenants and owners of flats with a balcony have nothing to envy of houses with gardens: they too can treat themselves to a plancha — an electric plancha this time, with an extension lead — for their plancha evenings on the balcony!
A plancha can also be installed and used indoors under certain conditions.
In the kitchen, under an extractor hood, it is entirely possible to use an electric plancha alongside a gas cooker, electric hobs or induction hobs, after checking the available electrical circuits. The conservatory and the summer kitchen fitted out in the garage also lend themselves to plancha cooking, as long as ventilation is provided by opening a window or a door to the outside. The occasional electric barbecue is now a distant memory!
Choosing the right plancha also means taking into account the space available and the installation at home, as well as the number of people at the table.
Today, plancha dimensions follow the standards of professional kitchens in the catering and hotel sector: around 40 x 40 cm for 1 cooking zone, 60 x 40 cm for 2 independent cooking zones and a large cooking surface of 90 x 40 cm for 3 independent cooking zones. The small electric model fits easily into compact spaces such as an indoor kitchen or on a balcony. The gas plancha is preferred for large outdoor areas such as the garden, the terrace or beside the swimming pool. Thanks to the gas bottle connected to the plancha via a regulator, the gas plancha can be used anywhere. So you can cook completely independently at the bottom of the garden! The 40 x 40 cm plate lets you cook for up to 5 people. The double plancha is designed for a table of 6 to 10 guests. Allow 10-12 covers for the cooking plate fitted with 3 heating zones.
Finally, think about accessories to customise your plancha!
Accessories let you vary your plancha cooking
The plancha is not just for simple healthy grilling. It is possible to vary the pleasures with simmering, steam-braising, keeping food warm and so on. To do this, take the time to consider which plancha accessories to choose to multiply the cooking methods. That way, everything can be cooked on the plancha!
For greater mobility, the plancha can be fitted onto a trolley
There is nothing better than being able to move your plancha around the garden or across the terrace to gain mobility! The Roller Grill wood and stainless steel trolleys are particularly well suited to Roller Grill planchas and are available in 3 different sizes. These mobile serving trolleys are fitted with 2 fold-down side shelves. A wide choice of accessories lets you equip your plancha trolley and turn your plancha into a genuine cooking island!