October 2006
FEATURE PRODUCTS:
Tracking the Cutting Edge
 

HOT PASTA MACHINE, AT YOUR SERVICE

Here’s something cool out of Europe: A German-designed vending machine serving up hot, fresh spaghetti and sauce in 90 seconds flat. The Twirl Cucina was created for any operation that wants to serve hot food but lacks the kitchen or storage space, such as c-stores, sports clubs, healthcare settings or colleges. The uncooked spaghetti—fast-cooking hollow pasta imported from Italy—is stored atop the machine in an attractive see-through display. When you push the order button, noodles are dropped into boiling water, cooked, drained and dispensed into a waiting bowl. Heated sauce (three flavor options) arrives in a small vacuum-packed package. The machine covers a footprint of about 28”x 28”, depending on the model; is available as a countertop or freestanding model; and requires a dedicated water line and drain. It holds approximately 35 10-oz. servings of spaghetti with sauce.

Boston Showcase Co.
www.bostonshowcase.com
800/422-5290

MEET THE EINSTEIN OF ICE MACHINES

Finally, a really smart ice machine. Introduced in August, the new Prodigy from Scotsman Ice/Enodis not only helps maintain itself, it also saves electricity and water, says the company. For starters, Prodigy’s self-monitoring system gives you up-to-the-minute reporting on performance and maintenance needs. Prodigy’s SmartBoard streamlines preventative maintenance and repairs using a diagnostic code display that lets technicians quickly pinpoint any operating issues. And Prodigy is energy efficient; it’s one of the first cubers to exceed the 2008 California Energy Commission and 2010 Federal Energy Efficiency regulations. And on the water efficiency front, check out Prodigy’s WaterSense purge control. This minimizes scale build-up by automatically adjusting purge water amount to water conditions. Not too much, not too little, but just right.

Scotsman Ice/Enodis
www.scotsman-ice.com
888/423-2823 

WARM STONE FOR HOT DISPLAY

Jazz up your hot food display with some heated stone platforms. Hatco’s new Glo-Ray Heated Stone Shelves add an extra shot of the “wow” factor to any buffet spread. The stylish shelves are made of Swanstone and come in four designer colors: Sawgrass, Gray Granite, Night Sky or Bermuda Sand. The Glo-Ray warmers feature a thermostatically controlled heated base to extend hot-food holding times. Temperatures range from 100°F to 200°F. You can buy the stone shelves as portable or built-in models, in six widths: 24”, 30”, 36”, 48”, 60” and 72”. The built-in models include a remote box with a 3’ conduit and 6’ cord and plug.

Hatco Corp.
www.hatcocorp.com.
800/558-0607

SHAKE, BAKE AND GRILL IN YOUR OVEN

Here’s high-efficiency grilling, at its smartest. CombiGrill, the newest accessory for Rational’s SelfCooking Center, lets you grill up to 108 steaks or fish fillets simultaneously, without ever having to turn the food. Meat and vegetables emerge perfectly cooked, and with perfect grill marks, says Rational. To use the CombiGrill, all you have to do is place the raw or frozen food onto the cold grids, choose the Grill option for steaks and vegetables or the Baked Fish option for fish fillets, and load them into the oven. Push start and walk away. When the oven dings—voila!—the food is ready for plating. The Rational SelfCooking Center comes in gas and electric models and in six different sizes.

Rational USA
www.rationalusa.com
888/320-7274