The “Eyeballing Method” Vs. The Portion Scale: Why Food Portion Control is Key

Portion Scales at RapidsWholesale.com

If you’d like to save money and improve your menu simultaneously, you may want to take advantage of our current sale on an inexpensive tool to help with both goals: a portion scale. You may be thinking: why should I spend on portion control tools? My staff can eyeball the correct portions, right?

Unfortunately, that may not be the case. Using an “eyeballing system” could end up costing you. Inexact portioning can lead to several negative consequences, including over-use of costly ingredients, funny-tasting food, food with an unappealing appearance, and a growing number of unsatisfied customers. An Edlund scale may be the best way to avoid these issues. Allow me to illustrate.

Basic Kitchen Arithmetic and Portion Control Scales

Let’s start with a little math. As an example, say you own a deli, and your deli serves 100 turkey sandwiches a day. A typically-portioned turkey sandwich needs roughly 2 ounces of turkey. But, let’s say your kitchen has no portion scale, and the staff isn’t great at eyeballing. They may ere on the heavy side when it comes to turkey; let’s say an extra ounce per sandwich. If half your total sandwiches are made with 3 instead of 2 ounces, you spend on 50 unnecessary ounces of turkey a day. In a week? About 22 pounds. And in a month? That’s almost 100 lbs. of turkey. Never-mind the ham, roast beef, cheese, and other products you serve. These numbers are just examples, but you get the picture. Small amounts add up.

Now you may be thinking: I don’t want to skimp on serving sizes for my customers, either. And this is true. However, to provide a perfect sandwich, you need perfectly-portioned ingredients. The ratio of cheddar to ham or provolone to roast beef can make a difference. Once you find the right balance taste-wise and budget-wise, make sure your staff has the tools to stick to it.

Likewise, looks make a difference to the typical customer’s eye. If your meat portions look small compared to the bread you’re using, customers may go into the meal assuming it won’t fill them up. And if the portions really are too small, they’ll definitely leave hungry. After ordering a sandwich that’s thin in the middle, a first-time customer may not return, no matter how great the taste. Food portion control and an Edlund scale can help you create balanced-looking dishes to please customers’ eyes and stomachs.

rapidswholesale.com

The flip-side of that coin is that some people seek to avoid over-filling. Healthy diets are trendy, and portion control is a big part of any diet. Many restaurants offer particular menu items portioned to fit into customers’ healthy lifestyles. Customers counting calories and watching what they eat have their eyes peeled for portion sizes. Make sure the healthy section of your menu won’t disappoint them.

Food portion control is an easy way to keep all the above-mentioned customers appeased. It enhances both taste and presentation, and equips staff to produce quality products quickly and confidently. And, right now, Rapids is making the choice even more obvious by offering a great sale on select Edlund scales while supplies last! To take advantage of this deal, check out Rapids E-Newsletter Deals, and be sure to sign up for it on rapidswholesale.com to receive these offers first, or a call a Rapids rep at 1-800-472-7431!

Written by Holly Hines

Star Light, Star Bright: Star Panini Grills, Star Roller Grills, and Stainless Steel Griddles at RapidsWholesale.com

Star Commercial Kitchen Equipment

A recent presentation left Rapids Wholesale reps “Starry-eyed” — particularly when it comes to commercial Panini grills, hot dog roller grills, and commercial charbroilers and griddles. Lorne G. Deacon, regional sales manager of Star Manufacturing , paid Rapids reps in Marion a visit this month to shed light on some high-demand equipment for restaurants, sandwich shops, convenience stores, and other businesses.

Deacon’s spotlight fell on some new features of Star’s Ultra-Max line, which includes heavy duty griddles, charbroilers, hot plates, and other related restaurant-grade equipment. In addition, Deacon delved into hotdog and sandwich grilling options. To learn more, take a peek at the videos and information below — and, as always, give us a call at 1-800-472-7431 if you still have questions!

Ultra-Max: Commercial Charbroilers, Griddles, and Hot Plates

Star has added some updates to its Ultra-Max line — including the twinkle of added stainless steel griddle components. Deacon said they’ve done away with thermal plastic knobs , replacing them out with stainless steel ones. Star has also upgraded the warranty on Ultra-Max units like this 36" gas griddle or this 36" commercial charbroiler to three years!

Ultra-Max griddles — among the best griddles you’ll find — come with a 1” thick chrome plate that holds heat, decreases energy expenses, and reduces clean-up time. The charbroilers come with adjustable grates and steel drip deflectors that steer grease away from the water pan. Star also does hot plates, like this gas unit. These units boast a flat top, making it easier to move pans from one burner to the next. As Deacon said, “we have an offering in every single countertop space, we feel.” 

Ultra-Max Product Spotlight Video

Star-Max and Ultra-Max Technology Upgrades Detailed Video

Star Hot Dog Roller Grills

Summer, the season of hot dogs, is on the horizon. Customers can load them with chili, or squirt on some ketchup. They can enjoy them on-the-go, at a carnival, or outside at the park under the June sky — but first, you’ve got to grill them.

Star roller grills are designed to show off your product. Built with a slight slant, hot dogs and brats roll in easy view, tempting passers-by. Rapids carries models with both standard non-stick and Duratec advanced non-stick rollers. Our roller grill lineup includes models for 35 or 40 dogs, with an optional a bun warmer.

Star Rollergrill Products Spotlight

Pro-Max Commercial Panini Grills and Sandwich Grills

Who wants a cold sandwich when they could have a warm, toasty one? One-by-one, sandwich shops and other restaurants are catching on to the allure of melt-y, cheesy heated sandwiches. If you’re looking to get on board with this trend, or to increase your production of these popular offerings, a Star sandwich or Panini grill may be your best bet.

For flexibility when it comes to sandwich and Panini grill recipes, you may want to try the Grill Express. This versatile grill can handle a skinny quesadilla, a packed 3” sandwich , and most anything in-between. It comes equipped with two cast iron plates, offering excellent heat distribution.

If you’re focusing on Paninis, we offer both cast iron and aluminum ribbed Star models. These come with a removable grease drawer, and an accurate thermostat rated between 175° and 450°F.

Star Panini Grills Product Spotlight Video

To order any of these units, check out the Rapids Wholesale website, or call a rep at 1-800-472-7431!

Written by Holly Hines.

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