NRA Announces Kitchen Innovations Award Winners

The National Restaurant Association last week unveiled the recipients of its 2011 Kitchen Innovations Award, which honors groundbreaking kitchen equipment in the foodservice market. An independent panel of judges, including internationally recognized food facilities consultants, multiunit executives and design experts, selected award recipients. The awards recognize innovations that provide new solutions to restaurant and foodservice operators. KI products will be showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Pavilion area of the 2011 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place, May 21-24.

“Our Kitchen Innovations Award recipients contribute to the evolution of our industry, and help restaurant operators reduce costs while boosting profitability. As the industry recovers from tough economic times, these products will make a difference in commercial kitchens across the nation,” stated C.W. Reed, NRA Show convention chair.

The 2011 KI Award recipients are:

Cambro Mfg.: Camduction Complete Heat System
An efficient hot-meals delivery system that charges 20 heat retention bases in one unit—allowing for a base to be ready every 12 seconds—with reliable temperature holding for 60 minutes. The system includes drying base cart and transport cart.

CaptiveAire Systems: CORE Protection Fire System
A UL300-approved fire system for commercial kitchen ventilation with electric remote real-time monitoring, supervision, and communication of operational status and specific fault conditions.

Cleveland Range/Manitowoc Foodservice: Mini 2in1 Combi Oven
A mini combi oven-steamer, with two independent cooking chambers in a single body. It allows foods to be prepared simultaneously using different cooking methods, while taking up very limited space.

The Coca-Cola Co.: Coca-Cola Freestyle
A new fountain dispenser that integrates the latest technologies to dispense more than 100 sparkling and still beverages, with web-based consumption reporting to manage inventory, and ordering efficiencies.

Cres Cor: Hot Cube 3
This patent pending tri-powered hybrid hot cabinet, uses 120V indoors, then easily converts to propane heat for 8-hours use outdoors with an optional solar panel to recharge controls.

Ecolab: Apex Conveyor Dishmachine
Designed for spotless ware results with half the utilities usage, the Apex recycles heat, replenishes the wash tank automatically and without interruption, and cleans and thoroughly de-limes itself automatically using an innovative, patent pending process.

Ecolab: Ecolab Cleaning Caddy
A touch-free restroom cleaning caddy with lock-and-key chemical dispensing, spray wand, on-board wet vac, and rechargeable battery in a footprint the size of a mop and bucket.

Franke Foodservice Systems: EcoVent Exhaust Air Cleaner
The first cooking exhaust cleaner that introduces the grease- and odor-reducing effects of ultraviolet light into the airstream above the hood without placing any device directly in the duct. The result is a dramatic reduction in the need for filters and daily cleaning.

Halton Co.-Jet Extraction System (JES)
The extraction-exhaust system is designed for display cooking, and uses a cyclonic aspirating hood featuring tempered safety glass and vortex tubes to provide a quiet cooking process with clean sight lines.

Halton Co.: Proximity Heat Reclaim Hood
This reclaim hood positions a flue bypass to capture the highest clean combustion heat from a gas appliance with an integrated heat exchanger to supply hot water and reduce energy consumption.

Henny Penny: PriMelt Oil Melter
An integrated, on-board oil melter that converts semi-solid oils to a completely clear liquid, and maintains it for normal replenishment, without hot splash, through an automatic top-off system.

Hobart Corp.: Advansys CLeR Energy Recovery
This Energy Star rated conveyor-type warewasher captures heat from exhaust air and ware to preheat inlet water for energy savings while monitoring recovery coil temperatures and automatically adjusting for start-up.

Manitowoc Ice/Manitowoc Foodservice-Indigo Series Ice Machine
Ice machines with intelligent diagnostics and 24/7 monitoring. Operators can program ice production, and monitor all functions, including ice clarity, machine maintenance, and energy/water usage. It also features a unique LuminIce growth inhibitor.

MEIKO, USA: M-iQ Flight-Type Dishwasher
The new M-iQ includes the revolutionary M-Filter/Active Wash filtration system that actively and continuously removes food waste from the wash water. It features a multi-stage filtration process that collects food soil and then flushes it completely in high-pressure cycles.

National Hot Water: Dragon Fire Thermo Recovery Filter
This heat recovery device replaces conventional grease filters within kitchen vent hoods. It combines a heat exchanger with a two-stage grease filter to convert exhaust heat into energy for heating water or make-up air.

Power Soak Systems: Produce Soak with Advanced Washing Technology
Free-flowing water through high volume gentle-wash jets removes soils from hard-to-reach areas, and advanced washing inserts and flexible tank dividers create consistent rotating motions for thorough washing and sanitation.

Star Mfg.: Pro-Max Two Sided Grill with Pro-Lift Hinge System
A new generation of Pro-Max Grills features a newly designed hinge system that transfers loads to compression springs, for longevity, and lifts straight up before rotation, to improve uniform grilling of multiple foods.

Stoveshoes L.L.C. : Stoveshoes
This cost-effective alternative to wheels or casters for commercial kitchen equipment, is non-breakable, chemical resistant, and low friction so one person can slide equipment easily for more thorough cleaning.

Strahman Valves: Kwik Clean 3 Pre-Rinse Spray Nozzle
This all stainless-steel, unique three-tip nozzle is in a rotating nose cone allowing quick spray pattern changes to handle any job. Its ultra-low-flow/high-efficiency design reduces energy, water and wastewater costs while significantly lowering CO2 emissions.

Supreme Metal: Vision Bar Furniture
A line of underbar furniture featuring interchangeable, customizable finishes, hardware, fixtures, storage options and installation configurations, as a cost-effective way to upgrade interior bar functionality and decor integration.

Vitamix Corp.: The Quiet One
The quietest commercial blender available, The Quiet One provides dramatic sound reduction through its exclusive door-seal design and patent-pending floating technology that significantly reduce vibration transmission and improve airflow.

Wells Mfg.: Universal Ventless Hoods
These self-contained hoods, measuring up to 8 ft., have flexibility to mix and match various electric cooking equipment, and feature an innovative air path with 4-stage filtration (including a HEPA filter). The units capture more effluents with 34% less air flow and 30% lower noise.