Have you ever struck up a conversation about hot food
holding at a party? Probably not, but for such a boring-sounding topic, it sure
is important. In essence, hot
holding equipment is a guardian of a foodservice operator’s reputation. There’s
a lot of money, time, and trust going into that holding cabinet, drawer, cart,
case, or locker!
Keeping hot food hot and out of the notorious danger zone
(40° to 140° F) is critical for food safety, but not at the expense of flavor
and texture. Temperature, humidity, ventilation, along with equipment materials
and insulation, all play a role in holding food so it can be enjoyed as
intended.
Hot food safety and high food quality don’t need to be
mutually exclusive. If your holding equipment is letting you down, read on. The
following overview can help you match the right equipment to your operational needs
to get results worthy of the reputation you’ve worked so hard to build.
Crispy Menu Items
The Merco CrispyMax Crisp & Ready Serving Station takes the worry out of
maintaining crispy food quality safely for serving during busy periods.
Electronically
controlled heated airflow is directed over and through fried foods using
Therma-Lock technology to maintain optimum product temperature and crispness,
extending product retention times.
Juicy Menu Items
The MercoMax™ Visual Holding Cabinet preserves the quality of juicy foods during peak
serving periods. Integrated tray seals maintain the right humidity level for
each food product, keeping them hot, tender, and juicy. Use without the tray seals for crispy food holding.
When food has reached its maximum holding time and is no
longer suitable for serving, audible and visual alarms inform the crew it’s
time to remove any remaining product.
Flexible, Quick-Access Holding
Hatco Warming Drawers keep a variety of foods hot, fresh, and close-at-hand. Each
warming drawer has a food pan, a recessed individual thermostatic control,
temperature monitor, adjustable vent slides, and its own power switch. This
flexible system is ideal for keeping rolls, tortilla chips, or proteins like
fried chicken at the correct temperature and ready to serve. Hatco Warming
Drawers are available in freestanding and built-in models.
Cook & Hold
Convotherm maxx pro ovens come equipped to help you manage production while
maintaining proper temperatures.
The Cook & Hold feature automatically lowers the
temperature at the end of a cooking sequence to combine cooking and holding all
in one. Convotherm combi ovens are available in both gas and electric models in
a wide variety of capacities to fit your production needs.
Bulk Foods
Getting humidity dialed in can make all the difference when
holding bulk foods. That's why the FWE Universal Heated Holding Cabinet model UHS-12 is equipped with the Humi-Temp
heat and humidity system. This patented system keeps food fresh and hot for
hours by gently circulating hot, moist air throughout the interior of the
cabinet for consistent temperatures.
Tough construction makes these mobile
cabinets perfect for use onsite and for safe off-premise transport. UHS Cabinets
are available in multiple sizes with customizable options to suit your
operation.
Takeout and Delivery
Temperature controlled takeout and delivery equipment serves
multiple important purposes. Not only does it help keep takeout orders at the
proper temperature, but it also keeps them organized and easily accessible to
prevent service bottlenecks. A variety of systems are available to suit your
security needs and budget.
FWE’s Heated Holding Shelves use vertical space to hold a large volume of takeout bags
and boxes for up to 30 minutes on a shelf that can be set at to any temperature
between 90° and 215°F.
Since it’s usually not practical to separate hot and
cold items into different bags, there are a couple of tricks to packing orders
for the best results. Place colder items such as dipping sauces, salads, and
dressings on top of hot items to keep them out of contact with the heated shelf.
Packing napkins between cold and hot items also helps limit heat transfer
during holding and transport. Heated Holding Shelves are available in a variety
of sizes.
If a more secure system is a better fit for your operation,
the Hatco Flav-R2-Go Locker System can help you safely handle third-party delivery and
to-go orders. It simultaneously holds multiple hot or ambient to-go food orders
in separate lockers with quick and secure, contactless access.
Each locker has
its own timer to safely hold hot, packaged foods for up to 45 minutes at 150ºF.
If ambient holding is needed, heat can be turned off in individual lockers. Lockers
are available in countertop, built-in and freestanding models in a variety of
sizes and colors.
Grab and Go
Grab-and-go menus are becoming an increasingly popular means of increasing revenue, and they don’t need to be limited to cold foods. The Hatco Heated Air Curtain Merchandiser gives customers easy access to
temperature-controlled, hot food that’s replenished from the back. Its maximum
holding temperature of 175°F is ideal for keeping food safely hot without unintended
cooking or reducing quality.
With air curtain technology, warm air at the top front of this
countertop cabinet is forced downward to form a protective “curtain” of heated
air. Some of that air is drawn toward the rear of the cabinet to create an air
flow pattern that effectively and safely keeps foods at ideal serving
temperatures.
For larger volumes of hot grab-and-go items, the Structural
Concepts Oasis Heated Self Service Case makes it easier to give more customers quick, hot
mealtime solutions. Oasis cases are available in 2 and 3 foot widths.
Whatever your hot holding needs, we can help you find equipment
you can trust to protect your product and your hard-earned reputation. Contact us.
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