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If you want to sell hot dogs, you'll need the right equipment to keep your food fresh and selling fast. This is even more important when you've got a hot dog cart or convenience store.
From hot dog merchandisers to grills, you'll need many tools to serve your customers fresh food. Ensure you have everything you need before you can start selling hot dogs!
You can cook the perfect hot dog and boost impulse sales with the right hot dog equipment!
All the Hot Dog Equipment You’ll Ever Need
Grill and sell delicious hot dogs with this essential hot dog equipment!
1. Hot Dog Roller Grills
Source: Plant Based Pros
Also called "hot dog rollers," the roller grill is vital equipment. It has heated wheels that cook the sausages evenly, keeping them nice, crispy, and food-safe.
They can also cook other foods like egg rolls or taquitos. Roller grills can be either customer-facing or back-of-house gear.
Grills are constructed with stainless steel for durability and are available in slanted-top or flat-top models. They also come in different sizes for different businesses.
A roller grill is best paired with bun warmers. Bigger roller grills can hold and cook more hot dogs, making them ideal for stadiums and larger businesses.
Non-Stick Models
Non-stick hot dog grills are great if you want to cook sausages cleanly. They're also more durable, thanks to their coating.
The non-stick coatings are easy to clean and ensure grease doesn't come into contact with the machine's parts.
2. Hot Dog Steamers
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Using steam, a hot dog steamer can cook a hot dog and keep buns nice and moist simultaneously.
Once the sausages are done, the steamer keeps them warm until they're ready to serve.
As you imagine, they require water and can be relatively messy. Hot dog steamers often have built-in drip pans for easy cleaning.
You can also serve hot dogs in style with a European steamer with spikes piercing the buns. However, these can't hold as many sausages.
Larger hot dog steamers can keep more cooked hot dogs warm and ready for the next group of customers.
3. Hot Dog Broilers
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Grills and steam are common ways to cook hot dogs but they can also be broiled.
A broiler cooks the hot dogs and maintains their heat before serving them. This equipment is great for smaller concession stands that lack room for more gear.
Broilers rotate the sausages slowly in a rotisserie cradle, so they cook evenly.
Note
While broilers can be used for self-service hot dog stands, newer customers may have difficulty getting their sausages from the machine!
4. Hot Dog Bun Warmers
Source: Amazon
You'll need a heated compartment for your buns to ensure you don't serve anyone cold buns. That's where bun warmers come in.
Thanks to their built-in temperature controls, hot dog bun warmers provide much-needed heat and ensure you always have warm buns.
Warmers keep your buns hot before they're ready to serve and come in dry or moist types.
Like a steamer, a moist warmer uses steam to keep buns moist. Dry warmers stick to heat to keep buns warm, making them ideal for fast-moving businesses.
5. Hot Dog Merchandisers
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If you need gear to cook hot dogs and have a spot for the buns to sit, the merchandiser is for you. These carts are perfect for hot dog sellers on the go.
Hot dog merchandisers are a cost-effective and fun piece of hot dog equipment, perfect if you need to save space while cooking hot dogs.
This single piece of hot dog equipment can store the franks and hot dog buns and keep them warm simultaneously, thanks to the built-in temperature controls.
6. Hot Dog Bun Cabinets
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Hot dogs aren't complete without the bun, and that's where hot dog bun cabinets come in! Bun cabinets are often the same size as rollers and steamers to save room.
Unlike hot dog bun warmers, cabinets have no electrical components.
Bun cabinets can help keep your power costs low since they don't need energy. They keep fresh buns at room temperature and feature a door or a drawer.
Also called "boxes," cabinets can't keep your buns warm; they're just somewhere for your buns to sit while the hot dogs cook.
What Are the Different Kinds of Hot Dog Rollers?
There are various hot dog roller grills, all with slight differences.
1. Slanted-Top Grills
Source: katom
Slanted-top grills are perfect for concession stands displaying freshly-cooked hot dogs to attract more impulse sales.
They're typically front-of-house gear and can attract more customers, making them ideal for self-serve hot dog carts.
2. Flat-Top Rollers
Source: plantbasedpros
When dealing with many hungry customers, cooking hot dogs in bulk is best. You won't need a slanted top grill. This is where flat-top roller grills come in handy!
This back-of-house piece of hot dog equipment is ideal for cooking large batches of hot dogs before they're ready to serve.
Flat-top rollers typically have removable drip trays to make cleaning easier. Some models have controls that divide their surface in half for combined cooking and holding.
3. Roller Grill With Bun Holder
Source: avantcoequipment
This grill-and-bun holder combo ensures your buns and hot dogs are in the same spot for convenience! It's front-of-house gear that's ideal for business.
These hot dog roller grills are ideal for convenience stores that need to save space for other equipment.
Warmer Drawer
There are also roller grills with a built-in bun warmer. A warm bun is a perfect partner for a juicy hot dog!
Hot Dog Steamers vs. Rollers
Before you can start selling hot dogs, you have to decide whether you want a hot dog steamer or a roller grill. Not everyone likes their hot dogs cooked the same way!
Whether you steam or grill your hot dogs, there's cooking equipment.
Steamers
High-volume businesses typically steam their hot dogs. That's because a hot dog steamer (or food steamer) can cook more hot dogs simultaneously than a roller grill.
A hot dog steamer can cook hot dogs evenly using steam and maintain their warmth until they're ready to eat. Some models have insulated glass sides for customers to see the goods.
Rollers
Rollers are perfect for grilling juicy hot dogs. Instead of grilling them over direct heat and risking the hot dogs splitting, the best hot dog rollers cook the sausages slowly and evenly.
Some models have stronger heating elements to grill hot dogs faster.
These grills can be either customer-facing or kept in the back. If your grills are customer-facing, consider investing in sneeze guards to protect your foods from contaminants.
Other Essential Accessories
Once you've cooked a few hot dogs, you'll need these extras!
- Dividers - Dividers create separate sections in your display to ensure your hot dogs are separated from other foods, like juicy breakfast sausages and taquitos
- Tongs - Handle your sausages safely and reduce the chance of contamination
- Trays and Bags - Help your customers hold their hot dogs and add more condiments
Conclusion
Before spending too much cash on commercial hot dog equipment, learn which equipment you'll need and the kind of business you want to operate.
If you're running a self-serve concession stand, you'll need a hot dog bun warmer, extra space for condiments, and drinks to boost impulse sales.
With the right hot dog equipment, your concession stand will be able to satisfy any customer!
