August 2006
EQUIPPING TIJUANA FLATS
By The Editors

PUT THE LID ON WATER GUZZLING
 It used to be that clean, cheap water was as common as, well, water. No more, though. It’s expensive coming in, and it’s expensive going out—and when you’re cleaning pans with dried-on beans or guacamole, you need a sprayer with some oomph. The T&S Brass low-flow spray nozzle, third-party certified, does the job at a miserly 1.2 gals./min. What’s that mean? Figure a very small operation will save a minimum of about $300/yr. in water charges alone, so payback would be in two months or less. Many operators will save more like $1,000/yr. or better.
T&S Brass and Bronze Works
800/476-4103
www.tsbrass.com

FRY, FRY AWAY
What’s not to love about this gas fryer by Frymaster? The GF14 features a 35-lb. frypot with a 30-lb.-minimum and 40-lb.-maximum shortening capacity. Rated at 100,000 Btu/hr., the all-purpose fryer turns out 65 lbs. of French fries per hour, from frozen to golden brown. Master jet burners have no burner tube radiants to burn out, which means you won’t have to clean burners or adjust the air shutter. The open frypot has a large heat transfer area for faster frying, and every inch of the frypot and cold zone can be cleaned and wiped down by hand. And the large cold zone catches crumbs and sediment so they won’t carbonize, contaminate shortening or cling to fried products.
Frymaster/Enodis
800/221-4583
www.frymaster.com

TIJUANA BEANS LOVE A GOOD STEAMER
Nothing beats a good steamer for retherming, and Tijuana kitchen planners chose AccuTemp’s S6 Super-Duty Steam’n’Hold for this task. The 6-pan, connectionless, boilerless steamer features an auto-fill option. Three sensors maintain proper water level in the compartment bottom and protect against low water or over-filling. You can choose to remove and empty the 4”-deep bottom drain pan at day’s end, or order an optional drain pan equipped with a 1/2” flexible drain line for routing directly to the nearest floor sink or drain. The Super-Duty line also features a redesigned and relocated steam vent to reduce operating noise, and comes with an instant-open quick-release door. The S6 is Energy Star rated.
AccuTemp Products
800/210-5907
www.accutemp.net

MEGA TOP, MEGA HIT
Burrito prep goes so much faster when all the ingredients are at hand, held at the right chilly temperature. Which is where True’s Mega Top Sandwich/Salad unit comes into play. This unit holds 24 clear poly pans, each 4” deep. You also get a stainless steel insulated cover, cutting board, 300 s/s top and front with two doors, and an aluminum interior with 33 s/s floor. The front-breathing 1/3-hp motor lets you back the unit up against the wall. NSF-7 certified.
True Mfg. Co.
800/325-6152
www.truemfg.com

SOME LIKE ’EM HOT
Hot, hot, hot—that’s the story with Vollrath’s ServeWell Hot Food Table, Model 38002 in particular. The no-drip wells hold Tijuana Flats’ cooked meats and beans in up to 4”-deep full-sized or fractional pans. At the end of the shift, the wells’ brass drain valves make for easy cleaning. You get a 7 1/2”-wide plate shelf and 8”-wide cutting board, s/s construction legs and shelves. And if you need mobility, order the optional swivel-wheel caster set with two locking wheels. Choose from 480W, 700W or 800W elements.
Vollrath Co.
800/624-2051
www.vollrathco.com

BABY, YOU CAN MELT MY CHEESE
Cheese browns and bubbles when it meets the 1,450°F heat delivered in 10 secs. by the quartz heaters in Lang’s Cheesemelter, a.k.a. MM48W. What’s really neat is, you trigger the on-off switch by putting your plate on the platform—no pre-heating needed. Ideal for finishing, browning, melting and poaching, the unit comes with s/s exterior front, top and sides; aluminized back; chrome-plated adjustable 4-position wire rack; and a large, unrestricted opening for easy access. Available in counter, wall-mount and electric pass-through models.
Lang Mfg. Co.
800/882-6368
www.langworld.com

A FAN AMONG FANS
A too-hot kitchen is an “exhausting” place, so to speak. Which is why the right exhaust fan for your HVAC system makes all the difference. From Greenheck, the roof-mounted CUBE 161-15 unit helps pull smoke and grease out of the air with a belt-drive upblast centrifugal exhaust fan. The fan is strong enough to move 2,925 cfm at 1,349 rpm, all with a 1/2-hp motor. Includes grease trap with drain connection.
Greenheck Fan Co.
715/359-6171
www.greenheck.com

MIX IT UP, GOOD
Nothing beats a good hand-held mixer for liquefying soups, puréeing beans and vegetables and creating salsas and sauces. Robot Coupe’s beefed-up Turbo Range Power Mixer gives you 40% more oomph than the original model, the company says. The MP450 model comes with an 18” s/s shaft, a removable s/s bell and knife assembly for easy cleaning, and an ergonomically shaped handle. The single-speed, 720W machine gives you 12,000 rpm of mixing ability. Mixers are fitted with watertight seals and a splashguard for extra protection. Eight other versions, sizes and speeds of the Turbo Range are also available.
Robot Coupe USA
800/824-1646
www.robotcoupeusa.com

YOU SAY ICE, I SAY FLAKES
The hot Florida climate, where water line temps regularly approach 95°F, led Tijuana planners to spec oversized ice machines to keep up with demand. Scotsman’s FME 1204 Ice Flaker and Bin produces up to 1,200 lbs./day of compacted-style flaked ice. The machine’s AutoSentry monitoring system constantly checks the workload on the gearbox, so if there’s a potential problem, the system shuts down before any damage can occur. The matching bin comes with top-hinged front-opening door and holds 970 lbs. of ice. Construction is s/s exterior, polyethylene liner.
Scotsman Ice Systems/Enodis
800/726-8762
www.scotsman-ice.com

CONDIMENT PUMPS SPICE UP BURRITOS
At Tijuana Flats, some 20 condiment pumps dispense fiery hot sauces to willing victims—er, customers. Those pumps, made by Server Products, can put out up to 1 oz. per stroke, although you can adjust portion control in 1/4-oz. increments. They work for just about any condiment or dressing, even chunky ones such as tartar sauce or Thousand Island dressing. Choose from a standard s/s or plastic fountain jar. Optional colored, engraved knobs identify flavors. Warranty is 2 yrs.
Server Products
800/558-8722
www.server-products.com