You can physically put a commercial range in a home, but it is rarely a good idea and it is not your decision alone. A restaurant range is built for a commercial kitchen with a hood, a large gas supply and noncombustible surroundings, and your building department, gas utility and insurer all have a say before one goes into a house.
How a commercial range differs from a home range
The commercial ranges and stoves we sell are made for restaurant lines. Compared with a home range, common differences are:
- Much more heat. On our product pages a 24 inch four burner range with an oven is rated at 153,000 BTU, a 36 inch six burner at 213,000 BTU and a 60 inch ten burner at 366,000 BTU.
- Less insulation. The sides, back and oven door get hot, because the range is expected to stand on a noncombustible floor away from cabinets.
- No home safety features. There are no child locks, and many models have standing pilots that burn all the time.
- A bigger gas connection than a house line usually provides for one appliance.
- Depth. A restaurant range is deeper than a home counter, so it stands proud of the cabinets.
What it needs around it
One of the range lines we carry states the requirement directly on its product pages: the range requires a gas connection and a Type I hood. A Type I hood is the commercial grease hood with filters, a fan and normally a fire suppression system. A home range hood is not the same thing.
Every range also has clearance distances to combustible surfaces set by its manufacturer and printed on the rating plate and in the manual. Wood cabinets, drywall and a wood floor are combustible. In a restaurant the range backs onto a tiled or stainless wall with open space around it. In a house it would sit between cabinets.
Who decides
Building, fire and gas rules are local, and we cannot tell you a commercial range will be approved in your home. Before you buy, ask:
- Your local building department, whether it will permit the installation and what hood and clearances it wants.
- Your gas utility or a licensed gas fitter, whether your meter and line can supply the range.
- Your home insurer, whether the policy still covers the house with commercial cooking equipment installed.
Warranty
Our warranty page says residential use voids coverage on most brands. A range bought for a home kitchen may have no manufacturer warranty from the day it is installed. Our return window for powered equipment is 7 days, so settle the approvals before you order, not after.
Better choices for a home
- A residential range sold as professional style. It has the look and strong burners but is built and listed for a house.
- For a second cooking station, a countertop unit. We list 120 volt electric hot plates and a 120 volt induction cooktop that plug into a standard outlet. The residential warranty limit still applies.
- If you cook for sale from home, talk to your health department first. It decides whether a home kitchen can be licensed at all and what equipment it must have.
When a commercial range is the right call
Churches, community halls, catering kitchens and small restaurants in converted houses are commercial kitchens, even when the building looks like a home. With a proper hood and an approved gas line, a restaurant range is exactly what belongs there. Our gas ranges run from 24 to 60 inches wide in natural gas and propane, and our electric ranges come in 24 and 36 inch widths for 208 or 240 volt supply.
What to buy
For a licensed kitchen, start with our commercial ranges and choose the width and burner layout, or see the commercial electric ranges if you have no gas. Smaller setups can use commercial hot plates, and the rest of the line is under cooking equipment. Freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price.