When built-in equipment fails, it can be a pain to find a good replacement. Often, the holes left behind are odd sizes, or the counter material is not up to code. Finding something to fill the hole can feel like more trouble than it’s worth, leading to operators purchasing expensive new countertops.

That isn’t to say that new counter-tops don’t have any advantages. If you run a buffet, modernizing your establishment can bring added business by word-of-mouth, especially if you go with a much different or ultra-contemporary design. Incorporating round warmers, frost tops, heated wells, and ice cream freezers may also allow you to expand your current offerings, as well. Even if the design of the counter is classic, the counter material can really make a difference in how your food is perceived; for example, granite or stainless steel counter-tops can add some class. Either way, a new counter offers the ultimate in heated well flexibility – at a cost.

However, if your current counter design works for you, there are more (and often less expensive) options. Hatco’s heated wells, for example, can fill nearly any hole left behind by your old units. Even the controls are designed to more-easily replace the broken equipments’. In addition, if your counter is made of flammable materials (wood covered in faux granite, for example), Hatco offers optional mounting kits that make your operation fire-safe and compatible with most local codes.

If the holes from your old unit or units are extraordinarily oddly sized, it isn’t the end of the world for your old counter. Hiring a professional to widen those counter-top’s holes to accommodate traditionally-sized heated wells may be your best option, especially if you are working with expensive-to-replace granite. If the holes are already too big, talk to a professional carpenter or handy-man to see what your options are. If your counter-top is laminate-covered, depending on local codes, they may be able to add supports and material to make the hole smaller and then re-laminate your counter-top. If it is granite or a synthetic substitute, it may be possible to add a step-up ring that could incorporate a smaller warmer yet be supported by the surrounding counter-top. Again, it is best to consult with a professional who can assess your unique needs.

The take-away lesson is this: broken built-in equipment doesn’t necessarily mean unusable counter-tops. Check out all of your options before spending too much!

Offering More Than Delicious Food from a Truck

Now that I’m a believer, I want to experience everything that Orlando Foodtrucks have to offer- one meal at a time. My experience last week with the Korean BBQ Taco Box (@koreanbbq_2011) was amazing, but I’ve decided to venture out a little bit further (quite literally a block further up University Blvd.) and try some other trucks. Before leaving for lunch last Wednesday, I checked twitter and found that The Crooked Spoon (@TheCrookedSpn) and Mobile Deli (@ilovemobiledeli)were going to be serving at the Citgo on the corner of University Blvd and Metric in the Fullsail area. Perfect. Everything I’ve seen on line so far has given these two trucks nothing but stellar reviews. They were right.

After looking at some pics on The Crooked Spoon’s Facebook page, I was dead set on trying their Mac & Cheese while my coworker Jared wanted a Bistro Ham sandwich. Oh, man were they good. I’m not a food critic or foodie by any means- I don’t even play one on TV- but this was some of the best Macaroni and Cheese I have ever had. You definitely need it in your life.

The Snaps:

Though the food is amazing…

The coolest thing about The Crooked Spoon is how friendly they are and their understanding of social networking. The foodservice industry is plagued with restaurants and manufacturers that just don’t get it when it comes to Facebook or Twitter. I guess that’s why I’ve taken such a liking to the food truck movement; it appreciates and embraces the relationships that social media can build for small businesses. I was thoroughly impressed with The Crooked Spoon when they were willing to just hang out and talk social media/ SMM shop with me while my order was prepared. Like I said before, the food was amazing- but it was their candor and willingness to connect (even in person) that went a long way with me.

Check out The Crooked Spoon on Twitter (@TheCrookedSpn)and get them on Facebook to connect. If you’re looking for their next location or evening foodpod, their twitter is probably your best bet. You won’t be disappointed.

If you own or operate a food truck in Orlando and you’re reading this, get with me on twitter (@REWonline). In the very near future, I would love to come out and talk to you about your food truck operation. We can make a quick video and upload it to youtube, or I can write up an article about your food/story for our blog. No sales pitches, I promise.

So here at REW…

…we’re always looking for the next great product in food prep/ foodservice. Unfortunately, this isn’t it. While this new style of meat tenderizer is pretty to look at, it also seems quite painful and awkward to use. The shift in design that removed the handle traditionally found on other “hammer style” tenderizers means that you have to hold the pointed edges when preparing whatever meat you’re serving. Holding the unit itself and not a traditional handle does two things; 1.) transfers 100% of the energy created when you make contact directly into your hand and 2.) forces you to touch the surface of the tenderizer that has come in contact with the unprepared meat. See the problems here? The potential for injury and cross-contamination in your kitchen just increased.

The pineapple/ air freshener/ gear design would certainly look great displayed on my kitchen counter, but as far as functionality and food safety go, I’ll stick to my roofing hammer when I need to tenderize a large cut of meat. Hmm… I finally understand that whole “form over function” issue.

Ask an employee or family member…

“What do you put into a toaster?” and nine times out of ten, their gut reaction is going to be to say “Toast.” Unfortunately, the truth is that you have to put bread into a toaster, and somewhere in the internals of the machine, the bread has to dry out, absorb heat, and get some nice toasty color. Because toasters take money, time, energy, and space to do their job, choosing the most efficient toaster for your operation that takes all of these areas into account can be difficult.

There isn’t a cure-all, but the process can be broken down. There are three basic types of toasters used in foodservice operations; pop-ups, contact toasters, and conveyor toasters. Each is fundamentally different, and none are perfect for every operation. Proper application is the single-most important thing to consider when purchasing a toaster.

So, if how you use your toaster determines which you should buy…how do you use your toaster? Pop-up toasters are great for smaller breakfast operations that get the occasional toast or bagel order, or for full-service operations where toasted items aren’t a main attraction. If you are running a larger operation, especially one that experiences a substantial rush, conveyor-type toasters may be right for you.

Thankfully, there is more choice within each of those categories – pop-up toasters generally come in 2 and 4 slot configurations (like Hatco’s TPT series), and typical conveyor toasters can range from 300 to 1,800 pieces of toast an hour (like Hatco’s conveyor toasters). Generally speaking, you want to overestimate your operations needs if you plan on expanding in the future.

So, what about contact toasters? Whereas the heating elements on radiant toasters (as both conveyor and pop-up toasters are) do not touch the product, on a contact toaster, it is all about convection heat. This is generally beneficial when toasting buns and other products that cook equally well on the griddle.

Once you choose a toaster that fits your needs, turning bread into toast becomes a piece of cake. Or, toast.

Carving stations are often the focal point of buffets of all shapes and sizes, and they often are required to be functional behind the scenes as well. Whatever your operation’s needs, Hatco is making great strides in improving the functionality and design of carving stations.

As noted in the video above, traditional carving stations come with flexible gooseneck designs that, although work well on desk lamps, leave some room for improvement in a foodservice environment. Hatco decided to address these issues. Besides improving the neck of the design to eliminate issues with cleanliness, they have also improved the look of the carving station, as well.

Some models feature a heated base to compliment the power of the 250 watt carving station bulb. They come with a removable Swanstone decorative carving boards and base, perfect for operations that switch between lunch appetizers and dinner entrees. Their flexible, functional, and eye-pleasing design could compliment any operation.

When choosing a heat lamp for your quick-serve or to-go operation, there is much to consider. Here’s one more to add to the list: how you wrap or contain what you put under the lamp can make a huge difference on hold times, as well. Should you use paper wrappers, aluminum foil, or boxes? If your desired hold time is only a few minutes, you can decide on looks or cost. However, if there is a possibility of holding your food under a heat lamp for more than that, the wrapping material makes a huge difference.

As it turns out, paper is the reigning champion of wrapping material – that is, if you are using a heat lamp (like Hatco’s decorative heat lamps,) and if it is practical for your restaurant’s fare (I’ve never seen paper-wrapped soup in a successful operation.)

So what were the other contender’s downfalls? Foil reflects radiant heat, so putting the food under a heat lamp is much less effective. Boxes contain heat and moisture, which is great, but a heat lamp will not contribute to this very much. If your food requires a box or aluminum foil, convection heating is the best method to keep it warm.

In short, if you use a heat lamp, try wrapping your food in paper whenever possible.

This is absolutely amazing. While I can see this having more successful application in a research lab where mixtures need to be moved from one surface to another in the pursuit of science, it is cool to think of equipping your busboy with one of these in the pursuit of clean tables. I know that a wet rag is more user friendly- and probably more effective- but the wow factor of scooping up a ketchup spill without disturbing its shape is enough for me to consider the more high-tech option.

A side note: if your restaurant is serving processed meat that looks like a pink folded towel (in the production line portion of the video) you may have bigger problems than ketchup spills that need to be cleaned in a fancy, technological way.

If you weren’t able to go to the NRA show this year in Chicago to see all the new products and services that were unveiled to the foodservice industry, we’ve got the skinny on a great new piece of equipment from Frymaster that you almost have to see to believe.

Quoted from Frymaster’s website:

The 1814 large capacity fryers have a 63-lb (31 liter) frypot oil capacity with an 18” x 14” cooking area that can be combined in a two frypot battery or additionally with an HD50G, which has a 50-lb (25 liter) frypot oil capacity. The ability to cook three baskets of food in an 18” x 14” cooking area allows for footprint, oil use, and energy use reductions over standard 50-lb fryers. Two 1814 Fryers can do the work of three standard fryers and two 1814 fryers combined with an HD50 fryer allows three fryers to do the work of four standard fryers. The savings adds up quickly using 11-14% less space and 12-16% less oil while using upwards of 50% less energy.

Frymaster’s Thermo-Tube heat transfer system with 6” vs. 4” diameter tubes provides superior heat-to-oil transfer that saves energy and extends oil life. The tubes have high-heat, stainless steel alloy flow baffles that efficiently transfer the fryers’ energy input to the surrounding oil. The durable baffles and reliable, built-to-last, high-efficiency burners keep maintenance to a minimum.

Additionally, the Thermo-Tube heating system provides for rapid and controlled attainment of the desired cooking temperatures, which minimizes oil breakdown, reduces idle costs, and lowers gas consumption per pound of product cooked.

The fryers’ 3000 controller has 20 programmable cook buttons and features that monitor and help control food and oil quality, oil life, and equipment performance.

Crumbs/sediment from the frying area are trapped in the wide cold zone where they do not carbonize and contaminate the oil or cling to fried foods. The bottom of the frypots are sloped toward the front and are equipped with a large drain line so crew members can quickly flush out sediment and remove old oil.

Built-in filtration for battery models makes it easy to preserve oil life and maintain food quality. The built-in filter utilizes an 8 GPM (30 LPM) pump and is equipped with a 1-1/4” (3.175 cm) drain valve and a 3” (7.61 cm) drain line, making filtering fast, safe, and easy. The “built-in” feature puts filtration within the fryer battery where it’s most convenient to use.

For even MORE information about Frymaster’s 1814 Fryer, follow the link

Customers learning about the benifits of the 1814

For more information on other products or NRA features, follow us on Twitter!

Or at least they have been for a little while now….

Restaurant Equipment World, a proud sponsor of the 2011 Orlando Magazine Best Dining Awards and the BEST restaurants in Orlando, wants to congratulate all winners on their achievements.

Once a year, the very best restaurants that call The City Beautiful home come together and compete for coveted titles in many different categories. While only the top restaurants in each category will win, many Orlando establishments and their delicious fare will receive honorable mention.

This year’s winners represent the very best that Orlando has to offer in terms of food and culture. Many visitors to our area rarely get a glimpse of what life in Orlando is like beyond the borders of The Mouse, leaving much of our local flavor unnoticed and untouched. Those of us who are lucky enough to call Central Florida home have access to fine restaurants and unbelievable food that embody our way of life year-round.

If you’re one of the fortunate few who can be called a “local,” pick up a copy of Orlando Magazine and rediscover our great city, one dish at a time.

Here’s a short release from REW’s Vice President Patty Nuzzo:

On Sunday, May 15th, Orlando Magazine’s 2011 dining awards were
held at the historic ballroom at Dubsdread Country Club in Orlando. REW was a proud sponsor of this event for the 2nd year in a row. Our President Brad Pierce and Vice President Patty Nuzzo and their spouses attended the event to show their support of all of the winners and runners up.  Winners were chosen by readers of Orlando Magazine who voted on their top dining choices in 60 categories. Many REW customers were among the winners. In addition, Orlando Magazine honored several 2011 Hall of Fame winners during the event.

For a complete list of this year’s winners, check out Orlando Magazine’s webpage.

REW is a proud sponsor of the 2011 Orlando Magazine Dining Awards

For more information on this year’s sponsors, visit their pages listed below:

Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on industry insights and local restaurant news.

Scotsman Ice: Join the Nugget Nation

From Our Friends at SEFA and Scotsman-Ice

Ice-chewing fanatics love nugget ice, The Original Chewable Ice^TM invented by Scotsman Ice Systems in 1981, and the company is celebrating with a new “Luv the Nug^TM” campaign, a digital community that unites passionate ice chewers everywhere.  Found online at LuvtheNug.com, on the Luv the Nug Facebook page and on Twitter @LuvtheNug, this interactive program invites “nug” lovers to join the “Nugget Nation,” where they can interact with others who share their passion for ice chewing.   A few elements of The Luv the Nug website are:

• Visitors with a craving for nugget ice can “Find the Nug,” a feature that enables them to input their zip code and find the nearest restaurants, convenience stores or other locations with a Scotsman nugget ice machine.
• Customers can request nugget ice at their favorite eateries using the “Demand the Nug” feature. Users simply print out the Luv the Nug petition, sign and drop off at their favorite establishments. Owners can then contact Scotsman for information about purchasing a nugget ice machine.

A Scotsman Prodigy Nugget Ice Machine will offer customers a preferred beverage ingredient/ice form that provides a competitive advantage.

• 85% of customers “prefer” soft chewable ice to cube ice

• Prodigy Nugget ice machines use up to 50% less water and 17% less energy than cube ice machines
• Lower costs and increased profits! (higher liquid displacement with nugget ice equals lower costs per cup compared to cube varieties)
• AutoAlert™ external indicator lights constantly communicate the machine’s operating status, enabling the operator to know when power is on, the machine is making ice, or when normal maintenance is required, which is critical to ensuring customers get the ice they need.

In recent years, Scotsman has earned special recognition from some of the most prestigious organizations in the world.

• 2011 Energy Star® Award for Excellence in Energy-Efficient Product Design
• 2010 Foodservice Equipment and Supplies awarded Scotsman ice makers the award for Best in Class, both in the overall and dealer-voted categories.
• 2007, the Prodigy Cuber was presented with the Kitchen Innovations Award by the National Restaurant Association and was also named a finalist for the Product of the Year Award from the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) in 2006 and 2007 (Prodigy Cuber) and 2010 (Prodigy Nugget).

Scotsman, The Broadest Choice In Ice Machines in the World.  To learn more, visit www.scotsman-ice.com.

From our friends at SEFA.

For more info on Scotsman Nugget Ice and Luv The Nug, visit the links supplies above and make sure to check out their YouTube account for cool videos and demonstrations!