How important is it for home chefs to have cooktops with the amount of Btus you’d find in a restaurant kitchen?

Courtesy of Jenn Air

Having a gas cooktop that can deliver plenty of Btu's is never a bad thing.

Chef Matthews: High heat is definitely important, but consistent and controllable heat is almost more important to me.

Chef Selland: On this little four-burner range we have (at home) each burner has 15,000 Btus. I’d like more, but I do think that’s a good number for most people—it’s enough power to cook things and sear things and get things hot really fast.

Chef Subido: At home I don’t think you need as many Btus as pro chefs need. I know companies brag about how many Btus their appliances have, but the things that are cooked at home don’t need to be cooked at the same speed as at restaurants. There isn’t a la carte ordering going on [at home].

Verdict: Having a cooktop that brings more heat and has more Btus than the average cooktop isn’t a bad thing. Most cooktops and ranges now feature a high-heat burner with 11,000 to 16,000 Btus.