Here’s a look at some of the newest ServSafe updates.
Selecting and Installing Foodservice Equipment
In the latest edition of ServSafe, the focus on selecting equipment that comes into contact with food in commercial kitchens has shifted to National Sanitation Foundation standards. NSF standards dictate that equipment features surfaces that are nonabsorbent, smooth, corrosion resistant, easy to clean, durable and resistant to damage.
Once equipment has been selected, it’s important to install it properly. Floor-mounted equipment should be on legs at least 6 inches high. Tabletop equipment should be on legs at least 4 inches high. These standards make the equipment easy to clean around.
Specific instructions for dishwashing machines.
– Installation: must be installed in easily reachable, convenient location.
– Suppliers: only use detergents and sanitizers approved by local regulatory authority.
– Settings: dishwashers must be able to measure water temperature, water pressure, and cleaning and sanitizing chemical concentration.
Cleaning and Sanitizing Stationary Equipment
First things first, stationary equipment in commercial foodservice operations should be cleaned and sanitized everyday without compromise. Typically suppliers will provide specific cleaning instructions for each piece of equipment. When in doubt, the following steps should be followed.
– Unplug equipment.
– Take removable parts off equipment. Wash, rinse and sanitize them by hand.
– Scrape or remove food from equipment surface.
– Wash the equipment surfaces.
– Rinse the equipment surfaces with clean water.
– Sanitize the equipment surfaces.
– Allow all surfaces to air-dry. Reassemble equipment.
Handling Ready-to-Eat Food
For the first time, the latest edition of ServSafe states that kitchen workers should NEVER handle ready-to-eat food with their bare hands. The accepted means of handling ready-to-eat food include:
– wearing single-use gloves
– spatulas
– tongs
– deli sheets
– other utensils
These are just a few of the updates in the ServSafe® Manager 6th edition book. For more visit ServSafe.com.
Delfield’s multifunctional equipment stands work for every application. They can act as refrigerators or freezers. Delfield’s VersaDrawer they can be all-in-one. The design provides separate drawers that can function as a refrigerator, freezer, chill cabinet or thaw cabinet.
VersaDrawer functionality comes with either two or four cabinets to meet the varying needs of operators. It also includes the marine top edge which is a slight bend on the perimeter of the top of the unit for safety purposes. It helps to keep the equipment on top of the unit in place. Delfield’s refrigeration systems are also unique in that they’re sized appropriately for each unit at the factory. This sizing promotes optimal performance in every unit.
The challenge for foodservice operators that produce local, organic, farm-to-table, or natural or any food that fits under this umbrella is to serve it on dishes that live up to the food.
The experts at Tuxton China have released their Artisan Collection to try and live up to the challenge. Artisan displays a distinct combination of art, nature and craftsmanship. The collection, which comes in three colors, features lush, vibrant glazes that react differently with each firing making every piece unique. Under the glaze, each piece has a hand-thrown feel to it to emphasize its rustic and unique feel.
Artisan’s colors are inspired by the deserts of California, include Mojave, Night Sky and Red Rock. The line features 14 pieces including round and square plates, platters, trays, bowls, cups, mugs, a creamer and a tea pot. For more on Tuxton’s rustic Artisan Collection, click here.
When was the last time you heard a manufacturer brag about being easy. That’s exactly what Traulsen has done with a number of fresh ideas for their R and A Series of refrigerators and freezers.
Traulsen’s first easy option is the EZ-Clean Gasket made from Santoprene and designed without creases and folds that trap dirt and mold. It allows for tool-free cleaning with just a washcloth and sanitizer. It can also be removed and replaced several times without compromising the gasket.
Ever try to open a refrigerator door or heated cabinet while holding a full pan of food with both hands? With Traulsen’s EZ-Open Foot Pedal, you can do just that without a struggle. It helps prevent spillage and cross contamination.
The EZ-Change Interior option makes reconfiguring and cleaning fast and easy without tools. All EZ-Change pilasters are rugged and dishwasher safe. They can be easily moved around and adjusted to create more space between shelves when you need it.
How would you like an easy way to extend the life of your refrigerator’s compressor? No, you don’t need to clean the condenser coils every week. Traulsen’s Bare-Tube Coil has no fins, so dust and dirt have virtually no surface areas on which to cling. Regular cleaning is unnecessary and the life of the compressor is markedly extended.
Take a look at the full line of Traulsen products at www.traulsen.com or read more about their fresh ideas for cold and hot units by clicking here.
The new Ultra Spec Series is the reach-in unit from Victory redesigned to look good and work even better. The Ultra Spec features a series of accents and design features that give it front-of-the-house looks. The Ultra Spec Series features the V-Temp electronic control system. The V-Temp system provides the latest technological advantages. One of the most unique and powerful uses of the V-Temp technology is its reports. The V-Temp allows operators to run real-time diagnostic reports so that they can run the unit to its maximum efficiency.
The Lincoln CTI digital countertop impinger conveyor oven combines the latest in digital controls with consistent countertop conveyor cooking. The oven features an LED display to view baking time and temperature as well as four programmable settings to different food items like pizza and sandwiches.
The Lincoln CTI comes in four different sizes. The smallest, which is featured in the video, has a 16-inch conveyor belt and 21-inch cooking chamber. Lastly, Lincoln does manufacture a ventless CTI model for operations that require ventless cooking. For more on the Lincoln CTI, click here.
Scotsman Ice Systems has introduced its new Essential line of ice machines. “Our customers asked for a basic, under-100-lb cuber … and we are happy to deliver that need,” said Jeff Biel, Director of Marketing at Scotsman Ice. It’s a great solution for low ice production operations or remote areas within an operation. The Essential Ice Machines are 15″ or 20″ wide, 38″ tall and 24″ deep with 6″ adjustable legs and the ability to fit under 34″ countertops with an optional floor mount kit. The line consists of three different units with daily production rates of up to 58, 80 and 100 pounds.
The Essential line is easy to use with its built-in sliding back door to conserve space and allow easy access to the ice bin. The line has an ample access area complete with a large dishwasher-safe scoop to make it easy to reach the ice. Additionally, the Essential line has an intuitive control panel that features a prominent on/off/clean switch and easy-to-see buttons to adjust ice thickness and harvest time.
The line is built with an innovative horizontal evaporator that eliminates minerals in ice cubes and ensures quality ice, every time. Essential also comes with a 3-year warranty that assures operators are getting the best ice machine for their operation.
Trouble with your refrigerator or freezer can be a huge headache. The catastrophe of lost food and time resulting from failed refrigeration can be really harmful to a foodservice operation. This foodservice nightmare can be avoided with simple, routine refrigeration maintenance.
Many service calls for refrigerators and freezers have shown the cause is a dirty condenser coil as the probable cause for the problem.
A dirty condenser coil can lead to the following:
Condensing unit on refrigerator or freezer runs for prolonged period or continuously. This is a problem that will surely spike your energy bills.
Refrigerator or freezer cabinet temperature is too high. This could result in serious food waste and/or food safety issues.
Refrigerator or freezer compressor will not start. It hums and trips on overload protector. This is slowly reducing the lifespan of the unit.
Routine maintenance on your refrigerator and freezer can prevent the aggravations mentioned above, provide significant energy savings and prolong the life of your valuable equipment.
It may seem like a lot of extra work in an already busy schedule. But, it’s a lot easier than it appears, and the alternative is too costly to ignore. It’s a good idea for staff in any operation to know the importance of equipment maintenance so they can keep an eye out for any potential issues. Operators should ensure that staff are designated to perform the preventative maintenance procedures and checks.
Refrigerator and freezer condensers should be cleaned monthly. Below are three easy steps to cleaning a condenser.
Disconnect the electrical power to the unit.
Remove the louvered grill.
Vacuum or brush the dirt, lint and paper from the finned condenser coil. If you have significant dirt build up you can blow out the unit with compressed air.
The most important aspect in choosing a flatware pattern is metal composition. In order for a metal item to be classified as stainless steel in the U.S., it must contain a minimum of 13% chromium (chrome). For many years, entry-level flatware was imported into the U.S. in this formulation, but it simply did not hold up. So, the accepted minimum formulation became 18% chromium (18 chrome or 18/0).
To this day, much of the higher volume flatware patterns are 18/0 and many are made in many factories under the same or similar brand names (e.g. Windsor, Dominion, Old English, Beefeater). The fact of the matter is that most operators consider their flatware to be disposable. Even more undeniable is the fact that this product will turn gray, it will rust, it will pit, it will corrode and it is much more likely to be thrown away by careless staff. Low temperature dishwashers also affect 18/0.
Many users decided that this type of performance would not do, so manufacturers began adding nickel to the metal alloy to help the ware keep its luster and sheen and to make it impervious to rusting, pitting and corrosion. You will often see them represented as 18/8 or 18/10. That means in addition to the 18% chromium, the alloy also includes either 8% or 10% nickel. It will retain its out-of-the-box luster for years to come. It’s important to note that nickel is a soft metal and flatware patterns with nickel are more susceptible to abrasions from handling and warewashing.
Most 18/10 patterns are heavier than 18/0, but this is mostly due to the fact that they are targeted toward a higher end customer. Oneida is currently offering several extremely heavyweight 18/0 patterns to bridge the gap between weight and price.
Stainless steel is a commodity; so two other key aspects are weight and sales volume. Like anything else, if it weighs more, it probably costs more. Conversely, if a factory can produce 10,000 dozen of an item at a time rather than 1000, it only stands to reason that the price would be more affordable.
Annealed glassware is cooled slowly to relieve structural stresses within the glass. Annealing glassware helps it resist cracks caused by changes in temperature. Tempered glassware is heated above the annealing point and cooled rapidly with air to balance the stresses within the glass. Resulting in glassware that is several times harder and a bit heavier than annealed glass.
Which is better Annealed or Tempered? Tempered glass is stronger and viewed as safer, but when it breaks it scatters, contaminating any open food sources in the vicinity. It’s also more expensive to purchase because it goes through additional processes during production. Annealed glass is less expensive to purchase and works well if handled properly. When it breaks, your mess should be relatively contained, but the jagged shards can be dangerous. Consider how the glassware will be handled, where it will be handled and your budget, when it’s time to make a purchase. The chart below will help you compare benefits and tradeoffs.
