Ask a Tech: Why Are My Pots and Pans Sooting Up on My Range?

Great question! This could be caused by a few different things. Some of them are simple, some of them are not. To be safe, you should have a CPS technician out as soon as possible to take a peek at your commercial kitchen range. What’s happening could potentially be very bad for your equipment.

You must have a gas range. While convection and electric are popular in residences, gas is still the method of choice for commercial kitchens. And only gas could produce sooty bottoms on your pots and pans.

If your burner isn’t heating evenly, this might be an easy fix. Take a look at your flame. Is it blue, yellow, or a little of both? If there’s any yellow, your air intake valve needs to be adjusted. Assuming you know where that is and how to adjust it, good job! Your problem might be fixed. I keep saying might because this could be a recurring problem. If the flame continues to turn yellow on its own, then your range has deeper problems. One of our technicians can check it out in person, though.

If your flame is blue and you’re still getting soot, there may be impurities in your gas. This could either be something that’s happening in your commercial kitchen, or it might be a task for the utility company. Again, a technician could tell you more. This question is a toughie to answer in blog form.

Of course, more often than not, soot can be prevented with preventative maintenance on your range. CPS technicians can stop by once a quarter to check out multiple pieces of commercial kitchen equipment, and your range should be at the top of that list. We’ll check the color of your flame and keep your gas intake finely tuned like a grand piano. Except your range will get more use than a grand piano.