Two-in-One Technology Meets the Modern Commercial Kitchen │ Hobart Combi Ovens

Hobart Combi Ovens at Rapids Wholesale

Technology constantly advances as we find ways to combine our gadgets. Those who stay on the cutting-edge carry their phones, high-resolution cameras, high-speed internet, music, and videos all in a single, pocket-size device. This works when it comes to entertainment — so why not apply the same concept to your kitchen? Combining technologies is a great way to save time and money while enhancing the quality of your products.  And adding a Hobart combi oven from Rapids Wholesale is a great place to start.

Commercial combi ovens combine the mechanics of a convection oven and a steamer, allowing users to benefit from both cooking methods in a single dish. Luke Green, a Rapids Contract and Design specialist familiar with Hobart combi ovens — he’s used one to cook mac-and-cheese, twice-baked potatoes, chicken on the bone and other yummy dishes from scratch in Rapids’ own test kitchen — sees French fries as a great example of steam/convention oven cooking.  Green described how you can forego a fryer and fatty oils by using steam to create a humid cooking environment. Then, in the last few minutes of cook-time, you switch the oven to convection mode. This crisps your fries on the outside, Green said. Using this technique, you can offer a healthy side dish without sacrificing taste, texture, and appearance.

“It’s how you go about cooking your product in a combi oven that sets them apart from a standard oven,” Green said. “To achieve the same results in a standard oven, you have extra steps and multiple pieces of equipment needed.” 

Check out this Rapids Exclusive video series with Hobart's "Combi Guy" David Sager, CFSP and Combi Oven Product Line Manager - Hobart Corporation

Rapids can set you up with either a full-size or half-size Hobart combi oven, with 6, 10, or 20 levels. In addition to setting the temperature on these ovens, you can also customize the level of moisture in all 5 models by adjusting the humidity at percentage points between 0% and 100%. On top of that, you can change the airflow in the cabinet by setting the speed of the combi oven’s fan. This comes in handy for delicate recipes, like meringue pies and pastries. Technology like this gives you greater control over a wide variety of recipes.

These models even let you program up to 100 recipes at time. And, as Green explained, Hobart’s combi oven design is the only one with a bar code scanner that works in conjunction with recipe-programming. After setting the recipe for a particular product, you just scan its barcode, and the oven will remember how to prepare the product. Hobart combi ovens are self-cleaning, as well, which will definitely save time in your kitchen!

Almost all food service establishments stand to benefit from using a combi oven. Green said catering businesses, educational institutions, and upscale restaurants might feel the need most. Any venue that calls for hassle-free, consistent bulk-cooking will likely see a big difference after installing a commercial combi oven.

Green said although adding a Hobart steam/convection oven won’t eliminate your need for other cooking equipment, Rapids can provide you with a quote to help meet your needs efficiently. Green and others on the Rapids contract team can assist you in determining which equipment to have on hand with your commercial combi oven, and which items you can skip. Contractors can also go over the possible energy-savings benefits of choosing a combi oven. To modernize your kitchen, get in touch with a Rapids contractor or sales rep, give us a call at 1-800-472-7431!

Written by Holly Hines

Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Chemicals for Tough Grease Problems and Carbon Buildup

Commercial Kitchen Cleaning Supplies at RapidsWholesale.com

You may already come to Rapids for your restaurant and bar supplies. But what about commercial kitchen and restaurant cleaning supplies? Turns out, Rapids has that covered too!

When it comes to built-up grease and residue on bake-ware, pots and pans, stainless steel, fryers, and more, our sales reps have several solutions to offer. Take a look at some of our featured options:

Carbon-Off! Aerosol and Liquid Gel

Baked-on carbon that sticks to pans, muffin tins, Panini presses and other items can cost businesses. It can result in premature replacement of equipment, misspent labor, and inconsistently-prepared products.  Carbon-Off!— available in both an aerosol can for regular maintenance, and a gel solution for tougher jobs — makes carbon removal surprisingly simple, according to Patty Russell, National Sales Manager at Discovery Products, the company that makes Carbon-Off!

Carbon-Off! contains a thick, waxy paraffin that easily picks up residue. Russell demonstrated how it combats carbon for Rapids sales reps at the Marion, Iowa location this week.

Russell advises users to apply Carbon-Off! and then leave it to cool and dry. After only an hour, its job is done. At this point, users can literally peel or brush it away from the surface of pots and pans, taking layers of carbon with it.

See it action, check out this video . . .

Fryer Puck

During her visit, Russell described a tale of wasted labor that may be familiar to business owners serving fried food. It goes like this:

The fryer — where profit-boosting French fries and other snacks are cooked — needs cleaning. So, you send an employee away from the storefront, prep, or cooking duties to start the cleaning process — and to babysit the machine in case the cleaner boils over.

Perhaps the employee gets bored, or distracted, or tired. For whatever reason, his attention drifts. The cleaning solution in the fryer comes bubbling to the top and spills over the edge. It’s back to step one. Meanwhile, you’re one employee down.

The solution? Take advantage of Fryer Puck’s low-foaming formula. It keeps the cleaner from boiling over, works on a variety of fryer types, and spares you wasted labor and a mess.

Russell explains how is works in this video . . .

Brite Shine

If stainless steel equipment in your kitchen is visible to customers, it’s on display — and subject to customers’ scrutiny. To keep your reputation squeaky clean, you need to keep your equipment clean, too.

For jobs like this, we offer Brite Shine, a product that strips away grease and allows users to buff surfaces until they gleam. The website for Brite Shine states the cleaners contains only “food grade or other high quality” ingredients.

During a demo, Russell showed sales reps the results of wiping down the commercial refrigerator in our test kitchen with Brite Shine. Though its surface hardly looked dirty to start with, once all fingerprints and traces of grease were gone, the difference was obvious. Now, imagine this effect applied to all your greasy machines!

Live demo in our test kitchen in this video . . .

Foam Plus

Try Foam Plus to clean your ovens and even griddle tops. It can be used while the equipment is still warm!  Simply heat the dirty oven to 200°, spray your Foam Plus, wait a whopping 15-30 seconds and wipe off.  Rinse with a vinegar rinse. Done!

Patty explains how to apply in this video . . .

If you think any of these products might save you time, labor, or hassle, don’t hesitate to give us a call! Rapids sales reps are available to answer questions or place orders Monday through Saturday at 1-800-472-7431 — or, you can place your order online at rapidswholesale.com!

Written by Holly Hines

Vollrath Commercial Kitchen and Serving Equipment Review

RapidsWholesale.com

Bright purple stainless steel bowls. Water-free soup rethermalizers. Fry pans with coatings that make sense, and tongs without springs. Intrigued?

If you are, you’re in luck. After a meeting with Vollrath District Sales Manager Jason Mercil, the sales reps here at Rapids Wholesale in Marion are prepared to help you learn about these new, unique items.

Vollrath Commercial Fry Pans

To start the education: fry pans. Anyone familiar with buying coated fry pans knows the topic can be complicated, and quality is especially important. Research shows non-stick coatings that contain PFOA, a man-made chemical compound, may be dangerous if repeatedly consumed. So, if tiny bits of the coating break off into food, that food may contain harmful materials.

The Federal Environmental Protection Agency is working with manufacturers to keep this chemical out of American-made goods. And Vollrath has made some changes, too. They now carry three PFOA-free types of coating:

PowerCoat 2 ™: This is the basic coating. It’s safe, durable, and simple.

Vollrath Fry Pan with PowerCoat 

Steelcoat x3 ™: This variety contains bits of steel right in the coating, making it extra-durable.

Vollrath Fry Pan with SteelCoat X3

Ceramiguard ™: This coating is the strongest. It contains bits of ceramic — even tougher than stainless steel.

Vollrath Fry Pan with Ceramiguard

The new coatings, Mercil explained, are also 20% stronger. This is because the layering process required to make the pans safer also makes them sturdier.

Check out this video of his presentation on Vollrath Fry Pans.

Vollrath  Commercial Small Wares

The topic of sturdiness brings me to my next category: small wares. During his presentation, Mercil illustrated why restaurant owners might find Vollrath ladles worth the price, compared to the economy line. To demonstrate, Mercil held a Vollrath ladle in one hand, and a cheaper variety in the other. After a few powerful flicks of his wrists, Rapids reps watched the economy ladle’s thin aluminum handle begin to droop and warp, while the Vollrath model stayed strong.

Here is the video, check it out!

Rapids reps also handled Vollrath’s Kool-Touch ™ Utility Tongs, with flexible memory metal that allows for a spring-free, one-piece design. This simple design involves less crevices and tiny spaces, making it easier to clean.

Check out how cool these tongs are.

But Vollrath does more than just pans and small wares. This includes water-free induction rethermalizers. These models offer more temperature control than other warmers, with a digital control that can be set in Fahrenheit or Celsius. Vollrath even offers bold colors, like red, green, and black models for occasions where the warmer may be visible.

Later, Rapids reps got a look at an item you may not immediately associate with Vollrath: a slicer. This slicer comes equipped with an easily removable blade to allow for quick clean-up — a feature most affordable slicers don’t include.

Vollrath Slicer

At the end of the demo, we got a look at an array of colorful, curvy, unique sets of dishes and display and buffet wares. “We’ve really expanded our buffet line quite a bit,” Mercil commented.

In particular, Mercil showed off a set of stainless steel bowls in colors varying from a grape-like purple, to golden yellow, to two shades of green. These bowls are designed to hold food near its correct temperature without sweating on the outside.

Vollrath Stainless Steel Bowls

Mercil also demonstrated an example of a Miramar ™ pan for buffets, which features contours that draw onlookers’ eyes inward, towards the food on display. The corners on these pans are designed to be stronger. They can also be used to pour contents straight from the pan.

Innovations like these keep Rapids working with Vollrath. They help us meet our goal of providing restaurant and business owners with creative, well-made products that make sense. To learn more about these and other Vollrath items, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-472-7431, where you can reach a sales rep!  Or jump on RapidsWholesale.com online chat!

Written by Holly Hines