Restaurant Equipment | Fleetwood Food Equipment
For over 50 years Fleetwood products have been supporting the foodservice and food retail industries. They offer a wide range of products from meat slicers to blenders, scales to food mixers; they have a product for just about every aspect of the industry and they stand behind their products 110%. While looking through their new catalog a few items caught my eye that I thought were worth mentioning.
The first is their line of vacuum packaging machines, these machines solve a common problem posed by other vacuum packaging machines on the market; how to vacuum package liquids and liquid-rich foods. A lot of the machines currently on the market are suction machines meaning the air is vacuumed out of the bag and then sealed. When this happens liquids are also vacuumed out of the bag leading to partial or even full seal failure. The Fleetwood vacuum packaging machines use a different technology to eliminate this problem. When sealing with their chamber machines the vacuum bag that will be sealed is placed inside the chamber of the machine and when the lid is closed air is sucked out of the entire chamber not just the bag itself, allowing the air pressure on both the inside and outside of the bag to remain equal and liquids stay in the bag. The bag is fully sealed and air is returned back into the chamber.
The next is their hot dog roller grills, which are available in two sizes; the first is a 5-roller model that accommodates 12 dogs and the other is a 9-roller that cooks up to 24 dogs at a time. These all stainless steel electric roller grills are equipped with a high performance motor and feature an exclusive chain gear system that prevents the chain from becoming loose. The stainless steel rollers provide a durable cooking surface and the easily removable drip pan makes for easy cleaning. These compact roller grills are ideal for convenience stores, concession stands, stadiums and any venue where fast food is served.
They have way to many products for me to discuss in one post so I’ll leave it be for now, but visit the website and check out the entire Fleetwood line of products; a great blend of quality and value.
Get em while they’re hot… Star CG101T2 two sided electric grill
Star CG101T2 Electric Grill
There are a limited number of these grills available so be sure to act now so you don't miss out on this incredible deal. The CG101T2 from Star is a two sided electric grill with grooved 10" cast iron platens on top and bottom to cut cooking time in half and ensuring your menu items are cooked thoroughly while sealing in the flavor. Thermostatically controlled cooking surface is rated from 175°F to 550°F and two electronic programmable timers with LED displays make cooking on this grill easy. A heavy-duty counter balance hinge system provides safe and effortless operation of the top platen while a patented splash guard on the bottom platen helps keep products and grease in their place; removable, large capacity grease drawer in the front of unit makes for quick clean up. Fact of the matter is this grill is AMAZING and so is the price... at $799.99 this is certainly a deal to behold, but once inventory is gone so is the AMAZING price. Call, click or stop by our showroom and let J.E.S. Restaurant Equipment be the one stop shop for all your restaurant supplies.
Going Green | Good for the planet & business!
There is a considerable amount of buzz these days about "Going Green", but what exactly does that mean? Well "Going Green" is a very broad activity, but in a nutshell is has to do with anything that is environmentally friendly, from using biodegradable cleaning products, recycling, turning off lights when not in use and the list goes on and on. You may believe that "Going Green" is expensive and just a bunch of hype but believe it or not it can help you keep some of those valuable profit dollars in your pocket.
Here are a few tips to help you do something good for the planet and your wallet...
- Cut Down on Idle time: Equipment left on standby when it's not being used wastes energy and eats profit dollars. Every restaurant and commercial kitchen should have a start-up/shutdown plan so you are only running the equipment you need. By cutting an hour or two each day off the time each appliance is in operation can result in unbelievable savings over the course of the year.
- Regular Maintenance Pays Off: Create a regular maintenance plan to make sure that all your equipment is operating efficiently. Preventative Maintenance (PM) can help in two ways; the first being that a regular PM plan will help catch small problems before they turn into huge nightmares, the second being that leaky gaskets, clogged burners and loose fitting doors all add up to higher energy costs. A little PM goes a long way in terms of saving money, contact your local service company today to discuss a PM plan that is right for your operation.
- Buy Energy Efficient Equipment: When replacing equipment or adding a new piece to your line look for the ENERGY STAR certification. They cost less to operate and in most cases emit less heat, thus lowering your cooling costs and making your kitchen more comfortable. Match your equipment with your needs, purchasing a piece of equipment with more capacity than your operation needs is a great way to increase energy consumption thus negatively affecting your bottom line.
Well to me the bottom line is... You can't afford not to "Go Green"! Take a look around your restaurant and kitchen today and see what you can do to keep some extra green in your wallet. Manufacturers like Vulcan & True are making more products with the ENERGY STAR certification so before you purchase that next piece of restaurant equipment call J.E.S. and let us help you "Go Green".
Restaurant Equipment | Under Pressure…
Time to save money again!! Do you own a restaurant? One thing that you have in your store is an exhaust hood or two. In the summer time down south it gets hot and humid and sometimes cooling your building can seem impossible. Maybe all that cool air is being sucked out with the hot air from your cooking equipment through the exhaust hood. Here is a test to see if this is happening in your restaurant. With all of your exhaust hoods running, make up air included, go to the front of the building open the entrance doors and take note of what you feel. Did you feel a rush of air come past you, or did you feel resistance when opening the door? If you did then you have negative pressure in the building and all of your high cost AIR CONDITIONING is being sucked up through the exhaust hood. Do you want to fix this situation? If so there are companies that will balance test the building and bring this situation under control. These companies do think a lot of what they do but it may be well worth it in energy savings. If you have an A/C man or refrigeration guy he may be able to fix the problem with the twist of a pulley or two, the fix could be as simple as tightening a drive belt on one of the fans. The theory behind how your exhaust works is for every cubic foot per minute (CFM) of air that exhausted has to be replaced with outside return air (make-up air) or by your air conditioning. Many customers tell me how high there electric bills are and I always go to this problem first. I had one restaurant that you could not pull the front doors open and when you started inside you better hold the door to keep it from hitting you in the rear. This is an extreme example but just think how much conditioned air was going up the exhaust...no this will not help with global cooling. We eventually had to put an additional make-up air fan on the roof to solve the problem. The cost of the fan and labor was small compared to the energy dollars that were literally going through the roof. If you have this situation you could potentially reduce your power bill by as much as 20-30%. I know we are all in a hurry trying to make payroll and pay the government but don’t ignore what you have going up the kitchen exhaust... profit dollars. At JES we provide any size commercial exhaust hood, commercial exhaust fans and commercial supply air fans. Hope I saved you some money and explained why this should be important to you. One thing we pride ourselves on at JES is that we don’t just sell equipment we also know how it works and why you may be having a problem. Advice is free and I don’t mind helping, give us a call and see the JES difference for yourself...
Eric Smith Owner J.E.S. Restaurant Equipment PM & Repair 866-200-6056Commercial Ice Machines | Water Snot
Commercial Ice Makers have snot too...
Water snot? Say what! Ok that sounds great but the cold; not so, hard facts are that if you own a commercial ice machine you will develop cold-water algae. The algae will build up on corners and on top of water distribution tubes, drains, drip lines and even in the water sumps. The algae are clear, slick and disgusting organisms that most people don’t want to think about, but they are there. The best way to make sure you don’t have this cold-water algae growing in your ice machine is to get your local service agent to clean your machine at least twice per year. The owner’s manual that your machine came with shows you how to clean the machine, and usually recommends what type of cleaning solution to use; if that information is not available in the owners manual (or you threw it away shortly after purchase) then you should call the service hotline at the manufacturer and they can provide you with it. In order to clean the ice machine it will need to be taken apart, providing access into the water system of your machine. The ice machine will have a cleaning sequence; some are computer controlled and some have a toggle switch that will toggle between ON (make ice), OFF (don’t make ice), and CLEAN. Now let’s get back to the first part of this… Call your service agent; I have seen folks try to do this and loose parts or not secure the distribution tubes properly and they have a mess on their hands. Some of my customers have watched me clean their machine and the next time it needs to be done they do it themselves. For now what I will suggest is to call the service agent and while he/she is cleaning the machine watch the process, see what they get out of your machine and this will help you decide how often to clean and if you want to try it yourself. At JES we offer a complete line of commercial ice machines, commercial ice machine water filters, cleaning solutions and even technicians that will clean your ice machine; so the next time you are at your favorite restaurant PLEASE try not to think about how many times the ice machine has been cleaned this year. If you own a commercial ice machine please clean the water system at least twice per year to prevent water snot build up.
Thanks for reading!
Eric Smith
Owner J.E.S. Restaurant Equipment PM & Repair
Commercial Refrigeration | Door Gaskets
Refrigerator door gaskets probably don't come to mind every day unless they are falling off. The seal between the door and the cabinet are very important, they provide a barrier that keeps the warmer outside air from entering the cooler air inside; same concept as the weather stripping on your doors at home. If the gasket has gone bad (cracked, dry rotted, etc...) and is not creating a tight seal around the door and cabinet body then the compressor is running more and costing you a lot more in energy dollars. Everyone is going GREEN and everything from dual speed compressors and fans are being tried but I've yet to see a manufacturer improve on the design of their door gaskets; something that seems would be a simple improvement and help improve energy efficiency over time. That being said you need to take matters into your own hands. There are a couple things you can do to see if the door gaskets on your pieces of commercial refrigeration need to be replaced...
- Dollar Bill Test - Open the door to your refrigerator (freezer, food prep table, ect...), place a dollar bill where it will be between the gasket and cabinet frame and close the door. Did the bill fall out, or is it easily removed? If yes then you need to replace the worn gasket. You should try this in several places around the door to ensure you are getting a tight seal all the way around.
- Visual Inspection - By looking at the gasket you should be able to spot any cracks in the gasket or large gaps between the door and the cabinet. If you see any gaps or cracks you need to replace the gasket. Upon visual inspection you may find that mold or mildew is building up on the gasket which is pretty gross and bad for the gasket. The mold and mildew may seam harmless but over time it will deteriorate the gasket, basically the mold and mildew will eat away at the seal. You can combat this with a simple bleach and water solution, dilute a little Clorox in some water and use a soft cloth or sponge to apply the solution to the moldy gasket. You will notice it start to fade away, once you have cleaned the gasket thoroughly discard the "bleach water", get some clean water and a fresh clothe and wipe the gasket down again to remove any remaining mildew and bleach solution.
JES can provide gaskets for all your commercial refrigeration; walk in coolers and freezers, reach in refrigerators & freezers, and food prep tables so if your gasket did not pass the tests above give us a call and we will ship a new one to you. All we need is the model and serial number from your box to get started, for now keep cool and take the proper steps to start saving those energy dollars today.
Charbroiler / Chargrill… The difference between lava rock & radiant
APW Wyott champion GCRB-24H
Another frequently asked question around here is, "what's the difference between a radiant & lava rock charbroiler?" (often called a chargrill as well). Well the main difference is the way in which the heat is transferred to the food. On a radiant chargrill the burner is positioned under a cast metal radiant from which the heat is radiated towards the food being grilled. The radiant is usually pitched like a roof allowing the excess drippings to run off and not carbonize; although some of the drippings from the meat will actually "burn" and provide that chargrill aroma we are all so familiar with. Lava rock charbroilers use a bed of lava rock positioned above the burners to catch and radiate the heat towards the meat above. The porous lava rock catches and holds the drippings which when heated creates that delicious aroma associated with grilling food. The downfall to the lava rock is that after being used for a while it will need to be replaced, but in my opinion it creates better grilled flavor and aroma. Both types of charbroilers are equally effective and when used by an experienced grill-master either will yield delicious results. Hope this helps, if you have anything to add or would like to comment please do so bellow...
Update Paper Towel Dispenser – Overstocked & Priced to Sell
We are currently overstocked on these Update Intl. TD-1114L Paper Towel Dispensers and have them priced to move. This manual paper towel dispenser is a great fit for any bathroom, break-room or food prep area where easy access to paper towels is needed. Get one (or two) today, they are sure to go fast at this incredible price. Visit our website today and let J.E.S. be the one stop shop for all your commercial restaurant equipment and restaurant supplies.
Summer is here, time to break out the grill
Summer is at hand, and around our house that means cook-out time........
What are grills? Grills are used to cook food with dry, radiant heat either from above or below. Technically, grilling is when you cook food using high heat over an open flame. Cooking from above is referred to as broiling in the U.S. – but it’s still called grilling the rest of the world over. The difference between grilling and barbecuing is that barbecuing uses lower heat and a closed lid. Some advantages to outdoor cooking might include the following:
Epic Grill by Holland Available at www.jesrestaurantequipment.com
1. Cheaper cooking costs
2. Cooler cooking environment
3. Better tasting food
4. Faster cooking time
5. Easier to remove fat from the meat
6. Last but not least, give Dad a chance to "show his stuff"
Cooking on an outdoor grill is also more social; you’re not stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is outside enjoying themselves on your deck or patio. Besides the social aspect, grilling outside in the summer is also more comfortable; it’s better than being cooped up inside, where a hot oven or stove might make your home uncomfortable.
There are several types of grills on the market today, lets try to break them down into categories to determine what will best suit YOUR needs.
BBQ grills, outdoor grills and propane grills. These names are often used to describe the same type of grill. A BBQ grill or an outdoor grill could be heated by gas, charcoal or propane; a propane grill would be an outdoor grill that uses only propane as a fuel source. They usually have a burner on the bottom and a lid.
Smoker grills, These grills are completely covered and allow the cavity to fill up with smoke. It cooks at a low temperature of 140 to 210 degrees of dry heat.
Rotisserie grills, These may resemble a regular grill, but with a rotisserie attachment and a motor that rotates the meat over low heat for slow, even-cooked goodness.
Many things affect the price of a grill, including the number of features, BTUs (for propane powered grills) and the materials used. While you can expect to pay more for grills made of stainless steel with higher BTUs, you can also expect them to last longer and enhance your grilling experience.
Whatever you decide in the way of grills or any outdoor cooking utensils, rest assured the staff at J.E.S. Kitchen Emporium is there to advise and fill your every need... Oh and while you're there check out the Cajun Fryer outdoor fryer from R&V Works.
Grill on my friends....
Must have kitchen utensil… Zyliss Silicone Basting Brush
Zyliss Silicone Basting Brush
Last week while wondering around our showroom I passed by the Zyliss display and picked up one of their silicone basting brushes. The design of this brush is flawless... I put it to use over the weekend and have to say this is the best BBQ brush I've ever owned. The silicone construction leaves no bristles or strings behind and the "waffled" interior holds the perfect amount of sauce for even distribution over the food. Drawn in by the aroma of charcoal and chicken my neighbor walked over to chat and saw me using the Zyliss brush and was floored by how well it worked... he now owns one as well. When it came time for cleaning it couldn't have been easier, the bristles slide off the body and both pieces went in the dishwasher and came out spotless... no lingering smells and no stains. My final thought on this brush... This is a must have kitchen/grill utensil, I wish I had bought one sooner!
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