Equipment notes from the National Restaurant Association Show

Nation's Restaurant News, June 16, 1997 by Foster Frable, Jr

Everyone I spoke with said that this year's National Restaurant Association Show was one of the most interesting and enjoyable shows in recent memory. With exhibits on one continuous floor, comparison shopping was much easier, and the new South Hall is much more user-friendly than was the old Lake Shore building. The NRA show offered a well-planned exhibit mix, blending new trends in equipment, support systems and food-and-beverage products. If you didn't attend the show because of bad experiences with the old exhibition halls, you should definitely reconsider and mark your calendar to attend next year's show, May 16-20, 1998.

There was a wide range of new equipment and products shown, many of which indicate and support emerging trends. Because it is impossible to cover all the new products at the show in this column, I selected those items that best represented positive reactions to real operator needs and demands.

Cooking Equipment: Vulcan introduced 17-and 35-gallon round braising pans, which define a new product category. It was interesting that those products were developed specifically at the request of a major national restaurant chain. Their chefs found that the rounded sides are easier to clean than are conventional box-style units, and the shape better accommodates the stirring and mixing that normally occurs in a circular movement. Unlike some braising pans, in which the heating elements are cast into a one-piece block, the three elements in these units are field-replaceable. The industry needs more innovative products, such as these, that respond to real operator and chef input.

Blodgett showed off a full-size Combi Oven with a 300,000 BTU (5.2 BHP) gas or electric steam boiler in the base. The boiler is sized to power up to 80 gallons of direct-steam kettles. Boiler bases have been common fixtures of convection and pressure steamers for more than 25 years. Having a Combi oven with a built-in steam boiler allows replacement of older steamers with a more versatile Combi without losing the ability to power existing steam kettles.

Wells introduced European-style black glass-ceramic hot plates that are much more attractive and easier to clean than are traditional electric burners for display cooking areas, buffets, etc. Vollrath expanded their broad range of soup-andfood-warmers to include models with black finishes.

CoBatCo demonstrated a small countertop doughnut maker that bakes six greaseless cake doughnuts in a manner similar to that of a waffle maker. The unit is easy to use and creates a nice aroma. They also offer a corn-dog maker that bakes six fresh corn dogs. Both play on the current interest in fresh food, aroma and activity and are ideal for snack bars and smaller operations with limited space.

Lang introduced the first American-made countertop Panini Sandwich Grill that is fully NSF- and ETL-approved, unlike many of the imported units on the market. These versatile grills, long popular in Europe, also can warm or finish a variety of breakfast items.

South Bend introduced a fully redesigned line of countertop grills and griddles matching the height of refrigerated-drawer base units. They also introduced the first U.S-designed-and-built induction range/oven. The 24-inch-wide unit includes an electric or gas oven mounted below a flush top with two 2,500-watt induction cooking elements and two holding areas. Two- and four-burner induction range/ovens have been available in Europe, but this is the first domestic model with full code approvals.

Sanitation Equipment: In addition to several compact, one-piece pulper/extractors, Joneca introduced a remarkable extractor/press that can be connected remotely to any existing pulper or disposer of up to 2 HP to create a complete foodwaste-management system. In addition to being far less expensive than most traditional pulper/extractor units, this system allows continued use of an existing disposer if local sewer conditions change or if a disposer is installed incorrectly in an area where disposers are not permitted. The unit can extract water from up to 220 pounds of waste per hour, which is a relatively small volume compared with other waste-reduction-system capacities. However, it offers remote waste reduction and transfer in a size and price range previously unavailable.

Hobart and Jackson introduced power-wash pot sinks to compete with MetCrafts's popular PowerSoak units. They should provide price competition in a product category some operators feel is too expensive for the benefits provided. One unique feature Hobart offers is an optional 12-inch-by-12-inch sump with a removable scrap-basket strainer for the main wash tank. Because the wash tank usually accumulates significant food soil, that would seem to be such a basic item that it should be standard with any power wash sink.

Addressing the high cost of electric power in many areas, several firms introduced their second generation of improved gas-fired booster heaters. These included a family of sizes from Hatco, the leader in traditional electric boosters. Based on AGA approvals, these 55,000-BTU units do not require a flue in most areas that will support a single-door or 44-inch, rack-type dishwasher. Larger size boosters will require a flue.