Multifunction equipment handles breakdowns, peak demand

Nation's Restaurant News, Dec 23, 1996 by Foster Frable, Jr.

Limited kitchen space and budgets no longer can support providing secondary equipment to accommodate peak volume periods or provide backup when primary equipment is out of service. A variety of new equipment and accessories has developed that can perform more than one function or accommodate a variety of service requirements. In smaller facilities those items can be used to provide two primary cooking or holding functions at different times during the meal preparation. In larger facilities they offer backup capable of keeping a kitchen operating until the primary piece of equipment is back in service. Popular multifunction or equipment that can adjust to changes in demand includes.

Charbroilers. Operations serving three meals a day are often short on griddle capacity at breakfast but can't support a second griddle, since the space is needed for lunch and dinner cooking equipment, like charbroilers. Lift-off griddle tops for charbroilers have been available from Magikitch'n and Vulcan, but they are often too heavy to lift off and on and therefore receive limited use. Bakers Pride just introduced a new charbroiler with a hinged griddle top that stores in a vertical position, making it much easier to change from griddle to broiler. Some heavy-duty charbroilers can double as stockpot ranges during prep or breakfast times. That requires that the cooking surface rest in a horizontal position.

Combi Oven Steamers. These popular units provide the function of a convection oven and convection steamer in one unit that combines to become a distinctly different piece of equipment - a combi using both steam and hot air simultaneously. If you plan to use a combi as a primary steamer, make sure the model you select has the same boiler capacity as an equivalent convection steamer. Some combi ovens have undersized steam boilers that render them almost useless as a primary steamer even if just for backup purposes.

Microwave Ovens. High-power, large-cavity microwave ovens like the ones offered by Panasonic also can function as a basic vegetable steamer, using the water vapor in the food pan to make steam. Combination convection/microwave ovens from Amana can accommodate menus requiring both applications in the same space. Expect to see commercial microwave ovens in bulk with built-in browning elements in the future.

Braising Pans: One of the best examples of multifunction equipment is braising pans or tilting skillets, which are one of the most useful and versatile pieces of equipment almost any operation can have. While their primary function is to serve as a giant frying or saute pan, a braising pan easily can be used as a fryer, griddle, steamer, roaster, stock kettle or bain marie. The recent addition of optional drain valves on the front of a braising pan adds to their function as a stock kettle. An interesting variant of the basic braising pan is Legion's "Skittle," which turns the braising pan into a real convection steamer through a lid that captures steam vapor from a water bath under the food pans. The lid also allows this unit to be used as a moist holding cabinet. In Europe braising pans are also available with lids that can be sealed to create a pressure steamer or pressure cooker.

Oven capacity can be expanded for peak periods or backup by including one of the new high-technology humidity-controlled ovens available from C-VaP - Winston-Alto-Shaam and others. The multifunction units can be used as slow cooking ovens and convection ovens as well as for product holding in a controlled moisture environment. They are also ideal for rethermalizing chilled foods prepared in advance or off-site. These mobile units do not require hoods or fire protection systems in most applications, so they, are easily added to facilities with limited ventilation capacity. If your primary purpose is for holding and proofing, purchasing a unit with baking and roasting capability will provide redundancy and extra oven capacity for peak periods for a modest investment.

Sanitation. Hobart recently introduced a new single tank combination pot-washing and dishwashing machine that is a very small increase in cost above a standard dishwasher. Larger rack or flight-type dishwashing machines can be made more versatile by ordering them with extra clearance that allows sheet pan and large mixer bowls to be washed along with standard racks and china.

Refrigeration: APW offers refrigerated drawers that can be changed from a refrigerator to a freezer with a Single switch. Some blast chillers are available with controls that allow them to function as blast freezers or blast chillers, depending on menu demand. Universal pan slides in refrigerators are much more flexible than standard wire shelves.

There is storage and transport equipment such, as racks and rolling carts with "universal" pan slides that can accommodate 12-by-0 or 18-by-26 sheet pans. New shelving systems for coolers and dry storage areas provide Much easier adjustment of individual shelves to accommodate changes in product size. New shelving cantilevered over dunnage storage at the bottom will accommodate almost any change in storage demand with minimal effort