Showing posts with label vollrath. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vollrath. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Rapids Wholesale Helps Customers Understand Energy Efficiency and Savings


Energy Effecient and "Green" Commercial Kitchen Design

Rapids Wholesale Contractors are working daily to find energy-efficient, cost-effective design solutions to share with business owners. Contractors and Rapids sales reps accomplish this in part by working with manufacturers who also use “green” solutions, like Vollrath. Recently, Vollrath’s director of consultant sales, Suzanne Painter-Supplee, visited the Marion branch of Rapids Wholesale to discuss energy-savings strategies with Rapids associates.

The contract team at Rapids uses energy-savings strategies to help customers become certified in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program, otherwise known as LEED, a U.S. Green Building Council initiative. Businesses with LEED certified designs can save on expenses, build environmental awareness, and qualify for tax credits.

“We look at the customers’ needs and help educate them along the way,” Hodnefield said.
Christie Hodnefield, a certified contract interior designer at Rapids, is familiar with LEED and energy-efficient equipment. According to Hodnefield, it’s crucial to pit low up-front cost against potential energy-savings, especially when it comes to large items like refrigerators and ovens. Choices that seem inexpensive may end up costing extra money on energy bills in the long run, said Hodnefield. Rapids contractors are available to help customers find the most cost-effective choice when it comes to decisions like this.


Right now, Rapids contractors are helping an Army National Guard Readiness Center receive a “silver” LEED certification level, the second rung on four-rung energy-savings ladder. So far, contractors have helped the center find an efficient convection oven, cost-saving exhaust hoods, dishwashers that reduce water use, and other equipment with similar energy-related benefits. Painter-Supplee, Vollrath’s director of consultant sales, is also knowledgeable when it comes to “green” solutions. She discussed this topic in an interview with Rapids videographer Paul Adams. During the interview, she highlighted induction cooking, disposables, and the use of aluminum composite material.

Painter-Supplee described a Vollrath beverage lid dispenser as an example. She said customers tend to pick through stacks of lids out in public, seeking one no one has touched —leading to waste. Vollrath’s design eliminates this problem by dispensing only one lid at a time, Painter-Supplee said. She also praised the use of aluminum composite material. This architectural component is a bendy combination of aluminum and polyethylene. Painter-Supplee emphasized its aesthetic advantages, explaining how easy it is to sculpt into seamless, curvy shapes. Choosing aluminum composite material may contribute to reductions in unsafe emissions, too, because it’s lightweight. This means it requires less fuel to transport and produce.

Interview with Suzanne Painter-Supplee on LEED  Initiatives in the Foodservice Industry



Both Hodnefield and Painter-Supplee view the use of induction heat as a good strategy for reducing energy waste. Induction equipment focuses heat on the surface directly below pots and pans, and nowhere else, allowing little warmth to escape. Hodnefield also said this strategy can lead to ventilation-related savings and speed up cook-times.

Rapids Wholesale contractors and sales reps encourage customers to call Rapids with questions on how well-selected equipment can lead to money savings and good environmental practice. Associates are available at 1-800-472-7431, Monday through Saturday.

Written by Holly Hines

Friday, May 3, 2013

Vollrath Commercial Kitchen and Serving Equipment Review

Vollrath Commercial Restaurant Equipment at RapidsWholesale.com
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 PowerCoat 2 at rapidswholesale.com
Vollrath Fry Pan with PowerCoat 

Steelcoat x3 ™: This variety contains bits of steel right in the coating, making it extra-durable.
Vollrath Steelcoat X3 at rapidswholesale.com
Vollrath Fry Pan with SteelCoat X3


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