From grade-school cafeterias to fine-dining operations, burgers are a staple menu item. To speed their production, many operations rely on a cheese melter to finish the item. These are generally small units, but it’s nevertheless important to properly maintain them.

• Cheese melters (and their cousins, salamanders) see a lot of action over the course of a day. It’s important to wipe them down at least daily to prevent excessive buildup of grease and food particles. Be sure to use nonabrasive cleaning solutions and pads.
• With their open profile, it would be easy clean a cheese melter by hosing them down. Easy isn’t right, though. Spraying a cheese melter with water can result in water leaking into the components and damaging the unit.
• Cheese melters can be either gas or electric. If electric, keep an eye out for damage to the cord. If gas, make sure the burners are cleaned regularly.
• Some operators place aluminum foil on the bottom of the unit or on the rack itself for easy cleaning. This can reflect too much heat upward and end up damaging components.