PRODUCTS: February 2015

Product Spotlight

Pine Hills Country Club, Sheboygan, Wis., a private, 350-member golf club established in 1905, recently underwent a $5 million renovation. The club’s redo included foodservice amenities, but the cost to ventilate common areas to accommodate action stations—where chefs display-cook meals to-order for members—was prohibitive.

“We’ve really been having a lot of success with our action stations,” says Executive Chef Aaron Kissinger. “They’re very popular for banquets, special dinners and club events.” Stations are used to cook up everything from omelets, shrimp scampi and seared tenderloin to stir-fried specials and pasta. But without proper ventilation, the effluent from display cooking (the staffers were using induction hubs) was beginning to take a toll on furnishings and facilities. Additionally, the culinary staff was concerned about complying with fire codes.

A club member suggested Kissinger take a look at Vollrath Co’s. new Downdraft Vent Module, a front-of-house cooking station with either 1 or 2 energy-efficient induction hubs. It includes a self-contained, downdraft venting system. “The unit included an integrated fire-suppression system and fire-containment food shield,” says Kissinger. “Other display-cooking carts we looked at didn’t have those features.” The induction tops are housed in the operator’s choice of Vollrath V-Class or Signature Server cart bases with an additional choice of stainless, quartz, Corian or laminate countertop. 

“We rewired our event spaces to accommodate the 220V power the carts needed,” Kissinger says. “And our staff electrician created custom, 50-ft. extension cords so that our units—we bought 2—can operate throughout the club, from the dining room to the lounge.” Kissinger says the carts are working out perfectly. “We recently did a vegetable tempura and left the downdraft vent on for a while after we finished serving,” he says. “Within an hour you couldn’t smell any of the food or oil in the room; we were amazed.”

vollrath.com

EXPRESS ESPRESSOS
BUNN Sure Tamp sets your operation up for successful beverage innovation and execution. The Build-A-Drink Touchscreen is an easy-to-use control console that guides consumers through instructions to get a delicious beverage from a full menu of espresso-based selections. To capture the rising popularity of both hot and cold espresso-based beverages, the patented Milk Texturing Fusion function produces excellent milk-based drinks on either end of the temperature spectrum. Two hoppers allow for your choice of fresh espresso beans. The dispense spout accommodates cups up to 20 oz. The Picture Prompted Cleaning is an easy-to-follow daily process with reminder and lockout functions to keep the unit operating at peak performance.
BUNN
bunn.com

FIRE UP THE OVEN
TurboChef’s Fire pizza oven provides an artisan pizza experience for any location. With temperatures of up to 842˚F, the oven can cook 14-in. fresh-dough pizzas in as little as 90 seconds. It uses independently controlled top and bottom convection heat to perfectly crisp and heat pizzas, providing hearth-baked results. The oven features an integral catalytic converter for ventless operation and a removable bottom access panel for easy cleaning.
TurboChef
turbochef.com

FILTERS LOWER COSTS
Accurex’s new Energy Recovery Filter System incorporates energy-recovery technology into kitchen exhaust hoods. Water flowing through the filters heats as waste heat from cooking exhaust hits the filter exterior. The preheated water then flows to a conventional water heater, saving energy and reducing your water-heating costs. Additionally, the water flowing through the filters naturally lowers the temperature in the hood; the result is more grease condenses from the airstream and is captured by the filters. Independent third-party testing shows the system removes 88% of grease particles at 8 microns, resulting in reduced hood and duct cleaning costs, according to the company.
Accurex/Greenheck
accurex.com

REFRIGERATION FOR THE WORLD
Delfield’s new reach-in refrigerator/freezer series is designed to meet global dimensional, electrical and certification standards. The Global Series top-mount, expansion-valve refrigeration systems are designed for optimal performance in the toughest foodservice environments. By having the one-piece, removable refrigeration systems up top and out of the way, interior storage capacity is maximized. New features include standard interior LEDs, integral side-mount door handles, simple stay-open/self-close door hinges and 3 standard interior/exterior metallic finish sets. The refrigerators and freezers will be available as 1-, 2- and 3-section reach-in models with stainless full- and half-door versions.
Delfield
delfield.com

SWEETEN YOUR JOE
Sweet innovation earned top marks for Server Products’ SweetStation, one of the winners of FER’s 2014 Smallwares & Tabletop Awards. The wall-mounted bulk dispenser, designed with drive-through windows in mind, will speed coffee and tea service by allowing single-handed dispensing of sugar or sweeteners. Color-coded portion triggers make it easy to spot brand identification, and the portion calibrations match those of sugar packets. SweetStation is available with 24-oz. or low-profile 14-oz. dispensers.
Server Products
server-products.com

HOT AND COLD
Evo’s Affinity 30Ge gas display-cooking station with refrigeration lets you prepare almost any food you can cook on a stovetop. From delicate to demanding preparations, Evo’s circular flattop cooking surface and fast temperature recovery lets you manage a range of versatile cooking techniques from a single platform. The station features 2 refrigerated drawers with plastic bin liners and a refrigerated top pan compartment along with seismic feet or locking casters. Dimensions are 72-in.W x 35½-in.H x 36-in.D.
Evo Inc.
evoamerica.com

TOAST FAST AND ACCURATELY
The Dual Continuous Feed Toaster from Prince Castle toasts and caramelizes up to 3,000 buns per hour in a small 22-in.L x 8½-in.W footprint. Designed for barrel-run toasting, the unit features a patented continuous Infinity Belt that never needs replacing. A replaceable Teflon sheet eliminates sticking and is easy to access and clean. The unit features adjustable toasting time from 12-36 seconds and adjustable platen temperature up to 550˚F. Five heel- and crown-bun crush-control settings accommodate various bread types and bun sizes. The toaster features a 1-year parts and labor warranty.
Prince Castle
princecastle.com

LESS TRASH, LESS LABOR
Compaction Technologies offers a solution to your trash-collection needs in areas where customers deposit their own trash. For food courts, quick-serve dining areas, dining halls, hospitals and cafeterias, the trash cans compact at a rate of 8:1, meaning your employees would pull out 8 traditional trash bags to 1 Compaction Technologies compacted trash bag. Using fewer trash bags reduces labor and is more economical and environmentally friendly. The trash cans come with or without tray rails and in a variety of colors, such as honey maple, brown and black. They also are customizable with your choice of paint color, wood-grain, laminate and solid-surface options; graphics and door signs also can be customized to meet your specifications.
Compaction Technologies Inc.
compactiontechnologies.com

CARVING COUTURE
The Counter Mount Decorative Carving Station Lamp from Hatco Corp. is elegantly and specially designed to permanently mount to any appropriate carving counter or shelf. Providing proper food serving temperatures, the DCS lamp features a patented telescoping decorative lamp shade that pivots 30˚ to direct heat to assorted food products. Decorative lamps and posts are available in plated finishes including Bright Brass, Bright Nickel (standard) and Antique Bronze to match your décor. Unit comes standard with a clear-coated, 250W bulb.
Hatco Corp.
www.hatcocorp.com

STEAM + MICROWAVE=FAST COOKING
The Sonic Steamer is a combination steamer/microwave that quickly cooks or reheats a wide variety of foods with no internal water-management system. Because of its microwave technology, high-heat plastic pans with solid covers replace metal pans. The steaming process, completely self-contained within the pans, uses foods’ natural moisture or added liquids such as water, stock or wine. The Sonic Steamer is more powerful, has a larger capacity, uses less energy and cooks significantly faster (4 times) than traditional steamers. At 25 9/16-in.W x 20¾-in.D x 18 9/16-in.H, the unit is the only microwave-based steamer that can accommodate 2 full-size, 4-in.D, covered steam-table pans, up to 4 half-pans or 4 12-in.-diameter plates.
Panasonic
panasonic.com/business/commercial-food-services/