December 2006
FEATURE PRODUCTS:
Tracking the Cutting Edge

AN OVEN THAT TRAVELS

Combi ovens are generally thought to be stationary creatures, parked in one spot permanently. Enter Rational USA, which has unveiled its first mobile floor unit. The combi, part of the company’s international, award-winning SelfCooking Center Series, rolls on stainless steel casters and makes life easier for banquet facilities. You can use the unit in the pre-production area and then relocate it to the serving kitchen to assist with plating. And if you’re serving off site, the oven can go with you. Its requires 240V service with varying amperage requirements based on size, plus a water hook-up and drain. Model 201 holds 20 half-size sheet pans, while the 202 holds 20 full-size or 40 half-size pans. Rational USA is a subsidiary of Rational AG, based in Germany.

U.S. contact: Rational USA
|888/320-7274
www.rationalusa.com

MINI OVEN, MAXI PERFORMANCE

Big things sometimes come in small packages, and that’s the story with the new Convotherm Mini convection oven-steamer. The Mini—which was recently launched in Europe and will be available in the United States through Cleveland Range in spring 2007—lets you manage small batch cooking with the same quality you’d get from a full-size oven. And with a footprint of 0.31 sq. m—or 3 sq. ft.—you can tuck the unit just about anywhere. Like its big brother Convotherm ovens, the Mini features a built-in Advanced Closed System to automatically match moisture levels to the product. Minis can be stacked.

Europe contact: Convotherm/Enodis
www.convotherm.de
U.S. contact: Convotherm by Cleveland/Enodis
rgehring@clevelandrange.com

CUSTOM WAREWASHING IS HERE

The latest release from German company Winterhalter is a modular, customizable warewasher series with bells and whistles galore. The new Multi-Tank Series, which is currently only available in Europe, comes as the flight-type Model MTF and the rack conveyor Model MTR. Using what Winterhalter calls an intelligent building-block system, the MT Series allows the user to adjust the machine for different kinds of dishes and for the degree of washing needed. Features include an OptiWash equipment package that offers constant rinsing regardless of incoming water pressure; a SelfControl function that documents and archives all washing data required for HACCP tracking; and an AutoClean self-cleaning system that rinses the machine with fresh hot water while rotating nozzles clean the interior roof panel.

Europe contact: Winterhalter
www.winterhalter.biz
info@winterhalter.biz 

THIS ROTISSERIE PUTS ON A SHOW

From Netherlands-based Fri-Jado comes the electric Multisserie Self-Cleaning Rotisserie, honored as a Kitchen Innovations recipient at this year’s National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. The unit features a unique vertical carousel arrangement that gives you 270[deg] of visibility through curved, double-pane glass. The machine uses steam and convected air to roast, bake, rethermalize and display up to 60 birds at a time. Its non-stick interior coating gets self-cleaning oomph from internal rinse sprinklers, which you can set to work overnight. And grease disposal is a breeze thanks to the built-in, disposable collection bag.

U.S. contact: Fri-Jado
www.frijado.com
877/374-5236