Determine for what your commercial microwave will be used

Does your establishment only need the microwave for reheating and defrosting, or do you actually cook or steam foods in the microwave?

I recommend: If your primary purpose is heating and reheating, a medium-duty mid-range oven with basic features is likely all you need. These are great for convenience stores, snack bars and waitress stations. If you need a commercial grade microwave for actual cooking, I suggest stepping up both the size and quality with a programmable high-quality restaurant microwave loaded with features and settings.

Decide how much food the commercial grade microwave needs to hold

Industrial microwaves vary greatly in size. Some are made to hold single servings; others can hold entire platters. Your purpose will determine the size that's best for your need.

I recommend: If you're buying a commercial microwave for a convenience store or snack bar, a smaller oven with lower wattage should do the job just fine. If you're buying for a casual restaurant or family dining establishment where the kitchen staff uses the oven, you need a larger-capacity oven that accommodates at least a large dinner plate.

Identify who will use the microwave

The more features a restaurant microwave has, the more complex it is to use. Whether your oven will be used by a variety of people or one primary person has everything to do with how many options you want your new commercial microwave oven to have.

I recommend: If your microwave will have a variety of users, quick, simple and self-explanatory is best. Features to consider include a self-resetting dial, a turntable, an interior light and a grab-and-go handle. If your kitchen has one or a handful of users who will be using your new microwave, feel free to purchase one of the feature-rich industrial microwaves that can do amazing things for those who know which buttons to push.