PRODUCTS: November 2014

APP OF THE MONTH
During FER’s Smallwares & Tabletop Awards judging, one of our operator judges mentioned that several of the company’s kitchen managers and chefs were pleased with a humidity-controlling filter they’d installed in their walk-in coolers.

Their food was staying fresh noticeably longer.

“Our filters are filled with organic minerals that were discovered in the western U.S. in the late 1990s,” says Steve Silverman, v.p.-sales, Humidity Control Filters, Detroit. (Note: The product is only available in Michigan, Illinois and Florida at present.) “My father, who founded our company, incorporated them into the filter housings and began distribution.”

According to independent lab tests that the company has conducted—including testing by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Vizon Scitec, Jay Clinical Services and Rockwell Int’l.—each filter can absorb up to 48% of its weight in moisture, 79% of produced ethylene gas (which causes fruit to ripen and deteriorates fruits and vegetables quickly) and 99.7% of acetic acid (reducing acidity, which can erode walk-in components). Absorbing moisture can naturally drop the temperature of a walk-in by 2°F-10°F. “The filters can extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables from 50%-100%, and they keep proteins fresher longer,” Silverman says.

The filters help extend walk-in lifecycle as well, he adds. By pulling the moisture out of the air, evaporator coils and fins won’t ice up, defrost cycles won’t kick in as often and compressor run time is lowered. The company boasts a number of high-profile accounts and invites anyone who’s interested (again, in Michigan, Illinois or Florida) to a free 2-week trial. Humidity Control Filters reps come in to install the filters—which attach to the walk-in ceiling—and change filters regularly. The cost is anywhere from $60-$200 a month depending on the number of filters needed to maintain.

humiditycontrolfilters.com

WIND SHIELD
For indoor or outdoor use, Sterno’s WindGuard Fold-Away Stainless Steel Chafer solves 2 common catering problems: wind and space. The chafer’s unique design makes it highly wind resistant, leading to hotter food and up to 10% less fuel consumption. The unit holds industry-standard water and food pans; it folds flat to 1¾ in. for easy transport and storage.
SternoCandleLamp
sternocandlelamp.com

BROIL UP A STORM
Sierra’s SRS Series commercial, infrared salamander broilers feature gas power for a total of 20,000 or 40,000 Btu. Stainless construction makes the broilers durable and prevents corrosion. Its 2 steel-wire-mesh burners are controlled individually and ignited via standing pilot. Heavy-duty springs counterbalance the assembly while a full-width grease deflector channels hot drippings to a large-capacity drip pan. The broilers have a chrome-plated rack with 3 adjustable positions. The drip pan and rack carriage remove for cleaning.
Sierra Range/MVP Group
mvpgroupcorp.com

PRODUCTS GALORE
FWE’s durable, all-welded, all-stainless Banquet Cabinets can hold 40-200 hot meals. The company’s 60 cabinet versions feature user-friendly controls, built-in heat systems, heavy-duty latches and full bumper protection. NSF-approved Portable Bars are available as well as Clymate IQ Heated Holding Cabinets that can reach set heat and humidity levels in less than 30 minutes. Portable and easy to use, the holding cabinets are great for short-term staging and extended holding times, eliminating hot and cold spots with minimal operator involvement. FWE’s Refrigerators have a forced-air Cold-Temp system that gently circulates cold air evenly throughout the cabinet.
FWE
fwe.com