Kitchen equipment focus: Tools of the trade
Precision
Precision's British-built refrigeration (main picture, left) incorporates energy-saving features in the design and is also manufactured using energy-saving methods. Precision is the first commercial refrigeration manufacturer to use Envirofoam, a new foam insulation created using vegetable oils rather than petrochemicals. Envirofoam is based on renewable resources and actually requires less energy to produce than conventional polyurethane foams. The new foam's insulating properties and strength equal conventional foam.
Precision, 01842 753 994, www.precision-refrigeration.co.uk, Precision Refrigeration
Lincat FilterFlow
Lincat has launched the range of FilterFlow (pictured, below left) automatic water boilers, with cost effective built-in water filtration. These new boilers provide a continuous supply of high quality, hot filtered water to improve the taste and quality of hot beverages. And, as with all new Lincat products, the new FilterFlow boilers have been designed to save energy and reduce running costs.
By substantially reducing the calcium carbonate content of the water, the cause of limescale build-up in hard water areas, caterers can significantly reduce energy consumption.
FilterFlow boilers are also extremely well insulated. This a key safety requirement, and also helps to minimise heat loss and save electricity.
Lincat, 01522 875 500, www.lincat.co.uk, Lincat
Friulinox
Premium Italian commercial refrigeration brand Friulinox offers support to pubs with smaller kitchens, by offering compact options of their key cooling/freezing units.
Many outlets have limited kitchen space, yet still have the need for high quality blast chilling/freezing units and refrigerated storage as other larger outlets. For example, the Friulinox CEB 30C/F stainless steel blast chiller/freezer is perfect for smaller applications where space is limited. It is small enough to be placed on the counter top yet still has all of the features of the full-sized unit.
Distributed in the UK by Frost Tech, each product comes with a two year parts warranty. The Milton Keynes-based Friulinox team provides after-sales service and on-site customer product training where required.
Frost Tech, 0845 290 3273, www.friulinox-refrigeration.co.uk, FrulinoxMaidaid Evolution
Delivering the performance, economy and build quality of more expensive machines, Maidaid's new Evolution range (pictured, right) maximises use of resources. The undercounter dish and glasswashers cut rinse consumption to 2.3 litres per cycle compared to the industry standard three litres.
The wash tank is also reduced to 15 litres, from the standard 33 litres. Pubs run their glasswasher 40 times per day, at which level of use Evolution saves 28 litres of hot rinse water at 85°C, every day. The smaller wash tank saves around 56 per cent in detergent, or 35 litres of detergent a year.
Maidaid Halcyon 0845 130 8070 www.maidaid.co.uk, Maidaid
Winterhalter ReTemp
Winterhalter has released new figures showing the savings in running costs that can be made with the company's GS215 ReTemp energy-saving, low-temperature glasswashers
Using ReTemp technology, together with specially developed low-temperature detergent and rinse aid, the units wash at only 40°C, as opposed to the standard 60°C of traditional glasswashers. This reduces annual running costs by as much as 18 per cent - or over £230, based on current energy prices. As energy costs rise, the savings will rise too.
The latest GS215 models make further savings by using a new rinse arm design, which reduces rinse water use significantly. Since the unit uses less water, it also uses less energy to heat the water - as well as less detergent and rinse aid. Combining the ReTemp technology with the new rinse system can reduce total running costs by over 30 per cent, equivalent to savings of more than £400 per year at current prices.
Winterhalter, 01908 359 000, www.winterhalter.co.uk, Winterhalter
Scanfrost
Following the recent acquisition of Caravell UK by AHT Cooling Systems, the company has launched a new range of quality catering products under the Scanfrost value brand. Scanfrost products are now distributed via AHT in Buckingham alongside the company's own-manufactured AHT brand.
The new Scanfrost catering range features a robust high-grade stainless steel collection that includes upright cabinets, toppings wells, counters and saladette counters. There's also a wide choice of commercial-quality chest freezers; half-height chillers and freezers; upright service cabinets; counter top units and wine chillers.
AHT, 01280 826 600, www.ahtcooling.co.uk, AHT Cooling
Maxibrew Freshcup
Maxibrew Freshcup, the latest product introduction from Marco Beverage Systems, is a bulk filter coffee brewer which is programmed to dispose of stale coffee after a pre-determined time to avoid serving inferior quality coffee to customers. Marco believes that the move is an industry first, which will go a long way to improve the quality of filter coffee served out of home.
The bitter taste of stewed coffee can deter customers, but busy staff do not always remember to dispose of stale coffee and brew a new batch.
The Maxibrew Freshcup brewer is fitted with a variable timer that will automatically dump stale coffee mixed with cold water into the plumbed drain. The holding time can be altered at the discretion of management. Once the coffee has been dumped, the machine follows up with an automatic rinse cycle to remove any remaining stale coffee oils from the urn, before a new batch of coffee can be brewed.
Marco Beverage Systems, 01933 666 488. www.marco-bev.co.uk, Marco Beverage Systems
Carpigiani Quartetto
Italian ice-cream equipment manufacturer Carpigiani has launched the Quartetto machine - a compact, vertical batch freezer, specifically designed with ice-cream and sorbet production in mind. As well as making fresh ice cream and sorbet, Quartetto (pictured, left) is able to store up to four batches of dessert and keep it at the correct temperature for serving without taking-up unnecessary space. Around four litres of quality ice-cream is produced each cycle.
Carpigiani, 01432 346 018, www.carpigiani.co.uk, Carpigiani
Watling Hope FilterShield
In a busy pub, time spent scooping peelings out of the sink or stressing about clogged drains adds little value to the business. FilterShield is an environmentally friendly defence against waste build-up in sinks, dramatically reducing harmful levels of pollutants and contaminants with zero energy consumption. It has a storage capacity of 25 litres, tackles everything from scouring pads and nuts and bolts to potato peelings.
Watling Hope, 01789 741 825, www.watlinghopedirect.co.uk Watling Hope
