Many people have never heard of this commercial kitchen appliance before, so what is a Bratt Pan? It is an appliance for use in a commercial or industrial catering kitchen which has the requirement to produce a large batch of food in one go – either for immediate consumption or for preparing batches of a particular dish for consumption later.

It is the type of appliance seen in school kitchens or large office canteens: but you are never likely to see a bratt pan in a domestic kitchen.

Capacities can get very large, but a typical Bratt Pan capacity is around 80 litres, and they are usually constructed of steel. Because the weight of up to 80 litres of food can be significant, Bratt pans usually have a hinge along the front of the pan, allowing it to be levered forwards (with either a manual rotary lever, or an electric motor) and the front edge of the pan usually has a spout-type lip on it for easy pouring into a container brought to the front of the appliance.

Bratt pans are available as either gas or electric appliances, but regardless of the source of power, they typically heat up very quickly: some of them have controllable setting allowing for ‘simmer’ settings. They can be used to cook food in many different ways – boiling, braising, stewing, steaming or roasting. They are also frequently used for frying, but for safety reasons, it is not generally recommended that they are used for deep-fat frying (many brands expressly forbid this in their instructions). Shallow-frying, however, is a recommended and useful mode of cooking in a bratt pan.

The time-saving compared to having to make several batches of the same dish with other smaller appliances is obvious, and some models of bratt pan even have a plumbed-in cold water supply so that they can be filled with water (for cooking or cleaning afterwards) via a control on the front of the unit.

So, if you’ve got the requirement for this type of food preparation, then you now know exactly what to buy, and if you don’t – well at least you know what a bratt pan is!  If you need any more information on equipment for your commercial kitchen, feel free to call one of our helpful staff on 01934 253600 - we're always happy to help.