PRODUCTS: September 2013

APP OF THE MONTH

During the NRA Show a few years back, Peter Fulgenzi, executive chef, food & nutrition at 200-bed Indiana University Health North Hospital, Carmel, Ind., came across Sealed Air’s Vision Safety Solution. Comprised of cameras in the kitchen (at doors and sinks), RFID-embedded employee badges and sensors and reporting software, the system records how often employees wash hands, how long they spend washing hands (the department requires 30 sec. minimum) and whether or not they use soap. A digital marquee in the kitchen reports the group’s compliance rate throughout the day; the percentage is usually in the 90s, but if it dips, associates can see in real time that they’re slipping.

“Prior to getting this system, we talked and talked about hand washing—we put up signs, held in-services to stress the importance of hand hygiene,” he says. “Despite all the effort, when we really took a look at how often employees wash their hands, we found that we were not as good as we thought.”

With the idea that you can only master what you measure, Sealed Air set up sensors not only by each hand sink, but, at Fulgenzi’s request, above the kitchen entry/exit doors, as well. This way, when an associate leaves and re-enters the kitchen (to deliver a room-service cart, for example), the system can verify that the worker washes his or her hands within 3 min. “If they’ve been out delivering meals, they’ve pushed elevator buttons and moved through patient floors,” Fulgenzi explains. “They need to start new tasks with clean hands.”

The system has changed workers’ behavior. “People really want to do the right thing,” he says. “Now that employees know their hand washing is monitored, the behavior has become habit and they’re very proud of it.” Associates understand that compliance is part of their work.

visionsafetysolutions.com

FRESH COFFEE ALERT

Available only on Curtis Alpha GT brewers from Wilbur Curtis, the FreshTrac digital freshness indicator ensures you get a quality cup of coffee with every pour. The flashing visual indicator tracks coffee freshness right from the point of brewing, alerting you when coffee is no longer at its peak and a new brew is needed. Freshness settings, which can range from 10 to 120 min., are transmitted to the FreshTrac receiver that conveniently snaps onto any Curtis decanter handle. Once the desired freshness time has expired, the indicator will flash red every 5 sec. until a new pot of coffee is brewed. Fully automatic and dishwasher safe.

Wilbur Curtis Co.
wilburcurtis.com

PORTABLE, DURABLE BARS

FWE portable bars feature stainless frames combined with base-frame bumpers that absorb shock during transport between storage and venue. Top and bottom precision-welded steel frames prevent sagging and twisting. The portable bars also offer cost savings by accommodating bag-in-box post-mix. Reduce your costs from 24 cents per conventional 6-oz. poured serving to 6 cents per 6-oz. bag-in-box serving. With 5 series to choose from, FWE offers 15 solid wood bars and 20 laminate bars. All are NSF certified.

FWE
fwe.com

MONSTER FRIES

Hesitant to cut giant fries? The Monster FryKutter from Nemco takes the scare out of even the biggest prize-winning potatoes. Applying heavier-duty engineering to the durable Easy FryKutter, the new Monster version uses fulcrum leverage on the handle to drive spuds through a stainless blade assembly. One motion turns a massive potato into a pile of ¼-, 3/8- or ½-in.-square-cut fries with minimal effort. The unit can be mounted on a wall or countertop. It’s capable of cutting other vegetables, too!

Nemco
nemcofoodequip.com

ACCURATE PRICING

Detecto’s new D series price-computing scales offer up to 99 easy-to-add PLUs for fast reference. The scales display weight, unit price and total price on front and rear backlit LCDs for you and the customer to view simultaneously. A Pre-Pack key saves time by retaining the unit price and tare for repetitive price computing. The scales offer a dual power source: a rechargeable battery pack or a 110/120 V AC, 50/60 Hz adapter. Auto shut-off, sleep and backlight off modes extend battery life. Adjustable nonskid feet and internal bubble level ensure steady and accurate weighing; a beep provides confirmation of key strokes. Weighing capacities range from 15 lb. x 0.005 lb. to 60 lb. x 0.02 lb.

Detecto
detecto.com

CHILL & POUR

The Tempour from Soiréehome is a 4-in-1 system for ultimate beverage control. Serving as a bottle chiller, filter, pourer and stopper, the Tempour keeps any wine or spirit at optimal temperature. Simply store the gel-filled removable chiller in the freezer, then insert into any bottle to perfectly serve any beverage without sediment. The sleek 100% stainless design guarantees purity of taste and quality. Drip free and easy to clean.

Soiréehome
soireehome.com

ELECTRIC SALAMANDER

With Hatco’s new electric salamander, you can grill, reheat and keep food hot until you’re ready to serve. The unit includes instant-on heating, an adjustable hood and 8 programmable heat levels on the hold function. With a touch control panel and stainless construction, the salamander is versatile, efficient and easy to operate.

Hatco Corp.
hatcocorp.com

RAZOR SHARP

State-of-the-art lasers at Wüsthof’s German facilities ensure uniformity and precision of the company’s new PRO series razor-sharp blades, which are made of high-carbon, stain-free steel. Ergonomically shaped, soft-ply handles provide exceptional comfort during prolonged use. The PRO series includes 17 open-stock knives; also available is a PRO series 7-piece professional set featuring a 3½-in. paring knife, 6-in. utility knife, 9-in. bread knife, 11-in. slicing knife with wavy edge, 6-in. boning knife and 8-in. cook’s knife inside a durable, black carrying case. The knives are NSF certified to withstand years of rigorous use.

Wüsthof
wusthof-foodservice.com

OMELETS MADE EASY

From cafés, hotels and coffee shops to full-service restaurants, Star has the perfect omelet maker for any foodservice application. With the new Eggstar, customers can make their own omelet at any time by adding eggs and their choice of ingredients, closing the lid and waiting for the indicator light. A floating-hinge design, non-stick, cast-aluminum plates and tubular elements on the top and bottom grids ensure an evenly cooked omelet in less than 2 min. A digital electronic timer and temperature controls from 250˚F to 425˚F take the guesswork out of preparing omelets.

Star Mfg./Middleby
star-mfg.com

CLAY COOKER

The VitaClay Multicooker fuses the time-honored clay pot with a modern electronic dual slow cooker and rice cooker, offering a new way to accomplish both tasks. The Multicooker utilizes a mineral-rich liner made from all-natural, hand-selected Zisha clay that retains and enhances the fresh, wholesome flavor of food and preserves its natural juices and nutrients. The chemical-free clay liner is removable and dishwasher and microwave safe. Its microcomputer and precision built-in thermostat enable it to self-adjust the heat up or down based on the ingredients in the pot, volume and set time. Cooking times range from 30-min. boil to 20-hr. slow cook.

VitaClay
vitaclaychef.com

HANDS-FREE DISPENSING

As restaurants upgrade and renovate, Georgia-Pacific Professional’s stainless bundle of washroom accessories can help elevate your facility’s image and operations. The bundle includes a Compact Side-by-Side tissue dispenser, which can dispense 3,000 sheets of coreless, 2-ply bath tissue to help minimize roll changes. The tissue dispenser combines with the enMotion touchless towel dispenser and enMotion touchless soap or sanitizer dispenser, which have adjustable 0.4- or 0.7-ml supply settings for portion control.

Georgia-Pacific Professional
gppro.com