CHICAGO -- With convenience-store menus expanding and a greater number of hot entrees, sides and snacks being rolled out throughout the year, operators are seeking compact, multiuse kitchen equipment that not only cooks quickly, but also delivers on consistency of preparation across mealparts.
Here are a few innovative new equipment introductions that have caught our eye, as well as products that are being recognized for innovation ...
Alto-Shaam recently won a 2017 Kitchen Innovations Award for its Vector Series Multi-Cook Oven. The tool offers up to four ovens in one and features its exclusive Structured Air Technology for evenness and flexibility in cooking. Structured Air Technology delivers high-velocity, vertical upward and downward airflow for faster cooking than traditional convection ovens.
“It’s an honor to receive this early recognition from the National Restaurant Association,” said Steve Maahs, Alto-Shaam president and chief operating officer. “This award and the overwhelming response and demand for Vector help affirm that this product is going to be a game-changer in the industry.”
The Vector Series Multi-Cook Oven was unveiled to the public at the North American Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers Show (NAFEM) in February in Orlando, Fla.; the ovens will be manufactured in the U.S. at the Alto-Shaam factory in Menomonee Falls, Wis.
Antunes, Carol Stream, Ill., recently introduced a new GST-1H Flat Bread Toaster. The Flat Bread Toaster uses Antunes’ award-winning toasting technology to quickly heat pitas, flatbreads and tortillas or cook raw tortillas. With its continuously moving belts, the toaster was developed to deliver product on demand.
The front-loading GST-1H is compact and designed to fit easily into any kitchen configuration. Additionally, the unit’s conveyor guides product along the two high-temperature platens and utilizes a digital control panel, allowing users to quickly adjust the temperature and motor speed to ensure products are properly heated. The integrated heated landing zone keeps product warm until they are ready to be served.
“Whereas other methods of heating flatbreads have some variability, our new Flat Bread Toaster delivers a consistent quality product each time to give operators the quick and efficient solution they need to serve their customers,” said Tony Vassos, director, product management and marketing for Antunes.
The MultiChef high-speed oven from Motion Technology Inc. uses convection, direct infrared and Rotary Air Impingement technology for rapid cooking. Operators can cook, toast, bake, melt and reheat items without sacrificing food quality, the company says. The unit features a small footprint with no hoods or venting. There are two models available: MultiChef 5500 and MultiChef 6500.
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