What’s hot and innovative in new cooking equipment

Thursday, March 10th, 2016 - 3:12 am
What’s hot and innovative in new cooking equipment
March 10, 2016
What’s hot and innovative in new cooking equipment

From induction cooking to multi-function equipment such as combi-ovens, today’s chefs and restaurant owners are riding a wave of new and innovative cooking technology that is inspiring recipe creation and helping to improve operational efficiency. Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice News recently reached out to major equipment suppliers to get their take on the hottest trends in innovative cooking technology.

Panel:

Claudio Baldinelli, vice president, Sales-Canada, Alto-Shaam Inc.
Luis DaSilva, Garland Canada product manager and Ron Sternig, product manager at Garland Commercial Ranges
Christopher Moreland, Ontario regional sales manager/executive chef, Chesher Equipment Ltd.
Edward Nunn, vice president, sales and marketing, CookTek Induction Systems Inc.
Dustin Skeoch, division manager, Cedarlane Culinary

What are some of the most exciting trends and developments pertaining to new and innovative cooking equipment in Canada, and how do these developments reflect current consumer preferences?

Claudio Baldinelli: Cooking equipment is being designed directly from chefs’ and restaurant operators’ requests. Whether it’s a small business with limited seating or a large restaurant with an expansive menu, operators are looking for equipment that will make their job easier while providing high-quality, consistent results at a fast speed. Features like picture-based touchscreens and recipe management systems ensure consistency, no matter who is working in the kitchen. Restaurant and foodservice consumers demand speed of service with consistent food quality. When we develop our equipment, we remind ourselves that we are not just creating an oven – we are creating a dining experience.

Luis DaSilva and Ron Sternig: Imagine how efficient and fast it would be if you could generate a precise amount of heat in only the cooking vessel itself — no pan, no heat. That’s exactly what induction technology is all about. Induction products give consultants and designers the freedom and flexibility to create beautiful and efficient high-performance professional kitchens. The modular approach also allows flexibility with respect to number of cooking points, full or round coils, wok or griddle, and style of controls.

Edward Nunn: Induction cooking has really come of age and certain brands are now offering commercial quality equipment that will stand up to the professional kitchen environment.  Induction is fast, efficient, easy to clean, safer to use than a flame and keeps the kitchen cool. New waterless induction holding wells more than halve energy consumption, eliminate water – and all the headaches and cost that go with water – plus they extend food hold times by double or more.

Dustin Skeoch: In the past couple years we’ve seen significant price reductions on new restaurant technologies and equipment, all while products have actually been improving. The modernist cooking movement has also been growing, causing pricing on machines such as chamber vacuum sealers, induction burners and sous vide machines to become more competitive and affordable. New equipment innovations such as these allow chefs to explore new ideas and create exciting new menus, all while reducing costs. Another thing we’ve seen is the demand for more automated sous chef work. Instead of paying a line cook to stand there to stir and reduce sauces or custards, we have thermal blenders that will not only do everything a high-powered blender will do, but they also cook, sauté and steam at the same time. You can literally throw in all the ingredients for a lemon curd, set the temperature and speed then come back in 15 minutes and your lemon curd is ready to go – it frees up a lot of time for chefs who are trying to do more with less.

What are the key factors manufacturers need to consider when developing new cooking equipment?

LD and RS: Technology in the kitchen has not only become more friendly (iPhone-like touch screens), it has become far more reliable and not to be feared. Using this technology allows the operator to do things like cook without continuous monitoring. They can use automatic multistep pre-programmed recipes that will cook in different modes, temperatures, times, all automatically without manual interaction. That saves time and labour.

Christopher Moreland: You must understand the customer’s desired outcome. How do they want the food to be prepared and what is their desired result? Ask yourself how important are factors such as energy efficiency, ergonomics and ease of use.

EN: The value proposition is pivotal. Induction equipment is generally not the least costly solution – at least up-front – so there has to be a practical, demonstrable benefit such as short payback times, or greater efficiency in operations. Gimmicks and gadgets “just for the sake of it” do not cut it in the commercial foodservice industry.

DS: For us, functionality is always king. For example, it might be great that your vacuum sealer has a gas flush option so you are able to add nitrogen to your sealed pouches and increase the duration which the product stays fresh, but many restaurants will not really have a need for this function so you need to have something available that serves their specific needs. For smaller kitchens where considerations such as noise, power usage, and counter space are a priority you need to have a product that fits those needs; likewise, a more commercial kitchen may need a machine that is more robust and designed for constant use and abuse simply because they are a high-paced restaurant kitchen. Overall, a developer needs to understand their target market and cater their designs to best suit those customers in every aspect possible.

What major factors should restaurant owners and chefs keep in mind when selecting new equipment and why are they important to consider?

CB: Will the supplier provide them the training they need to make the most of their resources? Change and new technology can be intimidating, especially when the success of your business is dependent on it. But with the right training and access to top industry resources, chefs and operators can realize a high return on their investment. That’s why we provide chefs throughout the world to support our customers and help them maximize their equipment.

LD and RS: Features and benefits are naturally important in the selection of any piece of cooking equipment. Fortunately almost every supplier today has a test kitchen. That benefits the operator in that they can almost “test drive” the equipment prior to purchase. There are always many brands to choose from. Who sells the product is as important as the product itself. It doesn’t help the operator if his oven is down and no one knows how to fix it or can’t get parts. After-sales support on high-tech equipment is very important.

CM: Does the manufacturer provide training and support? This will help a team transition to an unfamiliar piece of equipment. Is the manufacturer new to the market, or do they have a history with a good track record and a quality name? This will be an indicator of reliability.

DS: The owners and operators need to keep an open ear and line of communication toward their chef’s ideas and concerns regarding new ways of doing things. New techniques and products are always evolving and often the product makes things easier, less expensive, or better tasting – and sometimes it’s all three. We’ve seen too many circumstances where the owners are reluctant to change their ways and refuse to embrace new technology which their trusted chefs present to them. Not all new equipment will work for every business, but it’s important to know what’s available and consider how it might make your business stronger.

What are some creative ways chefs can use this new cooking equipment to create new recipe options?

CB: Just experiment and have fun in the kitchen. The possibilities are endless. We’ve seen our customers use our real-wood smoking options to create unique flavors, including smoked pasta. Chefs can also create their own sauces, spices and rubs by using the various functions that the combi-oven offers them.

CM: Combi-ovens allow customers to perform many tasks in a small space such as steaming, boiling, blanching, baking, roasting, searing, frying, combi-cooking for increased yield, sous vide, holding, batch cooking, à la carte cooking, canning and proofing.

EN: Longer hold times and the ability to have different temperatures assigned to different pans in the same holding well allows for greater menu flexibility. An induction plancha, with its even surface temperature, almost zero temperature drop, and near instant recovery, allows for greater product throughput and more consistent results.

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