Which steamer would you guys recommend between a Cleveland Counter Top

[fixbear]

Your question is very subjective. Each install has it’s little nuances that have to be factored into a purchase.  Water quality has to be corrected before any steamer is installed.  Kitchen requirements,  parts, service, House steam/power availability, allotted room,  all need to be looked at.  As well as if the also need a steam kettle where you can use one steam generator to supply  both.  Also the cost of energy in your area.

 

Lot’s of pluses and minus’s here.  Good luck

[ectofix]

So, you already have a boiler-less (you said 21cet3.1) and they let it get scaled up ANYWAY?!?!  WOW!

 

I’ve always encouraged customers to go boiler-less because the “out of sight, so out of mind” factor is removed.  I don’t know how many steam generator-type steamers (boiler) I’ve dealt with that were operated to the point of ruination because everyone (users, in-house maintenance) was oblivious of the scale building inside that mysteriously-hidden steam generator.  OTHERWISE, the boiler-LESS ones are designed to boil the water into steam inside the bottom of the cooking compartment.  That way, the user can simply remove a bottom pan and SEE the scale building up…thus motivating them to take actions to remove it before it gets bad.  With vinegar…or whatever the manufacturer recommends.

 

For the boiler-less, electric or gas is up to you.  As a quick comparison of repair challenges:

On the boiler…uh – I mean steam generator types of steamers, I’d always recommend electric ones because they allow greater access inside the generator to chisel out scale through the openings left by removing the heating elements.  I say “chisel” because that’s usually how far they’re pushed in their usage.  Until it QUITS.  Then, someone like ME is called to deal with the rock formation in it that made it FAIL…that they didn’t know about. Gas units?  You don’t have elements to remove.  The heat exchanger tubes for the gas heat are welded in as part of the tank, so you’re more than likely going to have to just replace the steam generator altogether if it gotten “rocked” up.  They’re NOT cheap! On boiler-less units, there’s really no such advantage offered, since the heating elements are simply pinned to the bottom of the cooking compartment with studs and brackets.  THOSE are a PITA to repair, since they gotta be turned upside-down to replace the elements.  If an element happens to have a really BAD blowout, the cooking compartment might be compromised and cause it to leak. Of the few gas units (Groens) I’ve worked on, it sure seemed that the GAS ones are easier to repair since the burners can be dealt with WITHOUT upending the entire oven.

 

As for your dismal water quality?  PLAIN and SIMPLE.  Install a filtration system that the manufacturer recommends…and tell your customer to keep it maintained.  While those filter systems may not keep SCALE out, they DO make the scale more manageable.  Additionally, the carbon filter cartridge removes the chlorine (chloramine? Whatever!)   If left in the water, the chlorine WILL degrade the stainless steel and cause it to rust.

[john]

Chlorine or chloramine depends on where you live and what your local government decides to use. I’d also recommend having that water tested to better understand what filtration systems you need.

 

ectofix is right as usual; you’ve got to sell the customer on why they really do need a filtration system.

 

Hopefully after pulling some heavily scaled units out of service, they now understand the very real cost of ignoring it.

[eritech1]

I really appreciate your in depth answer, 

I hope the customer will be going with the 22cet3.1

Because they do have a good filtration system but they don’t think they will be able to keep up with changing the filters at the right time so they wanna go with this one that has the pan of water on the bottom (no generator or no boiler) so they only need to worry about filling it up and they will have to do the vinegar thing, hopefully they won’t wait till it’s a brick of scale!

thanx all again! 

[fixbear]

I always avoided making recommendations,  because they are going to buy what they want anyway.  I did answer questions asked and would always explain both sides of a issue with any machine.  If they go the pan model, they will at least realize the importance of water quality.

 

I had a customer (smallest rural village in the state on wells) that bought a Hatfield counter top display warmer. After 6 months it stopped working and I was called. The whole top was all minerals to the point the muffin fan was locked up, The terminal block covered, and the pan/heater a block.  The told me that distilled water was to expensive.  I repaired this one.  But he had to buy a new one 8 months later.  Then they started using distilled water.  I never measured their water, but a neighboring building was 80 PPM hardness.