Fresh tortillas are an increasingly popular menu item in many restaurants. Tortilla machines are appearing even in restaurants that do not regularly feature Mexican cuisine on their menus. One reason that so many restaurants run their own tortilla maker is the difference in taste. Fresh tortillas, even those made on a commercial tortilla machine in a restaurant have a far superior taste and texture than those mass-produced for grocery store chains.
A commercial tortilla maker is a necessity for any restaurant that wants to make a large volume of tortillas. Hand mixing, rolling and cooking tortillas is extremely labor intensive. Tortilla equipment can drastically reduce the time it takes to produce homemade tortillas.
Tortilla machines include:
- Mixers
- Dough dividers
- Tortilla presses
- Tortilla cutters
- Counters
- Tortilla equipment for packaging
Depending on the volume of tortillas a restaurant wants to produce, it may only need a divider and a press. If a restaurateur is looking to introduce his tortillas to a larger market, then he should invest in packaging and labeling equipment.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Decide if you have enough room for a commercial tortilla maker
Few restaurant kitchens have extra room for bulky equipment. In fact, in most restaurant kitchens, extra room is at a premium. So before you start ordering tortilla equipment, first determine how much space you have. If you only have a corner space available, you will have to nix the full-scale assembly line and settle for something a little smaller.
I recommend: e-Torilla.com offers several models of commercial tortilla makers in many sizes. They have a tortilla machine that takes up less than 3 square feet, ideal for a small restaurant kitchen.
Flour tortilla machine or corn tortilla machine?
All tortillas are not created equal. Will you be making flour tortillas or corn? Will you make large tortillas for burritos and enchiladas or smaller ones for asadas and wraps? Look for a tortilla machine that can do both corn and flour and has adjustable sizes and thicknesses.
I recommend: Manufacturas Lenin carries a line of tortilla equipment, including a flour tortilla machine, a corn tortilla machine and several models that can do the job of both. They also carry stone rolling heads, for authentic tasting Mexican tortillas.
Bring your tortillas to the masses
Once you get your tortilla-making skills honed, why not expand your business to include grocery stores and gourmet food shops? After all, what better way to get the word out about your restaurant than with your own line of food. Look for a tortilla machine that includes counting, packaging and labeling.
I recommend: Arr-Tech specializes in tortilla counters and packagers that are easy to maintain, reduce labor and are simple to operate.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- You may be tempted to purchase an electric tortilla maker, sold at department stores and home stores. They look like a flat waffle iron. Be sure to keep the receipt, because they are difficult to work with and not at all suited for the heavy industrial use of a commercial tortilla maker.
The official source of Tortilla Equipment is the Tortilla Equipment page at Business.com
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