Since the beginning of time people have searched for ways to preserve the shelf life of food. Today we may take for granted that our refrigeration units offer a cold haven for food that would otherwise quickly spoil, but it wasn’t to long ago that we were seeking out caves, or drying out food to keep it stored.

Today 98% of US homes own a refrigerator, and 21% own two or more. But many people don’t know how these appliances work. (And many of us are not even sure if the light stays on when you close the door.) No matter if it’s commercial or residential the basics are the same, and during a recent meeting of our service department one of our helpful technicians showed the staff the sequence of operation for refrigeration.

The holiday season is swiftly approaching and chances are most of us will be frying turkey, chicken, ham, etc. Most use deep-fryers in order to fry a certain quantity of food in one instance. Deep-frying is very time-saving for a large group of people, and its cooking methods often retain a certain amount of flavor and juices in foods products.

Pouring wine at the table has long been considered the purview of high class and expensive restaurants. While you do need a bit of knowledge and a fairly well-stocked wine selection to justify performing the wine serving ritual, bringing the wine pouring routine out to the table will help to add a bit of interactivity and a touch of class to any restaurant. Here is a quick run-down of the process for anyone interested in serving wine at their customers’ tables.

Although manufacturer warranties have made the world of expensive consumer purchases a much safer place to shop, they can sometimes be tricky things. Many warranties come with sets of extenuating circumstances that can render them invalid if the product is used in the wrong way or in the wrong location. Restaurant equipment often includes several of these special-case details, so it is important to read through the warranty sheets on your new equipment before replacing any old machines.

You set a roast in your conventional oven to bake for 30 minutes at 350°. After that time, you pull out your roast and it is under cooked in parts. You cut into the roast and realize it is completely dried out! There is a possibility these missteps could have been avoided if only you had chosen to bake your roast in a convection oven instead.,

If you are browsing on our website, you will notice the majority of equipment we have is made of stainless steel. When it comes to commercial restaurant equipment this durable metal is the defining difference between economy and quality brand items. If you have noticed, some of our descriptions go into great detail about the types of stainless steel grades we offer.

Today a Bar-B-Que restaurant owner stopped by our showroom to have several of his knives sharpened on one of our M2100 Chef’s Commercial Diamond Hone Knife Sharpeners. A question arose from his visit. Which are better? Electric or manual knife sharpeners?

The leaves are turning and autumn is in full swing. Harvest festivals are here and with that comes caramel apples, cotton candy, funnel cakes and the like. Now you can bring the taste of fall to your home or business with a few of our concession products.

Earlier this week, J.E.S. was paid a visit by one of our representatives from the Holland Grill Company . He brought with him two of Holland’s best selling grills (the Epic and the Wrangler ) to demo some of their unique capabilities and features by cooking a variety of foods for the J.E.S. staff to sample. By the end of the evening, the grills had been used to prepare sausage, bacon, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, chicken, steak, pork, mushrooms, pizza, and even apple pie. Everything was delicious and perfectly cooked, and sampling the various items really proved the efficacy of Holland’s unique one-temperature convection grilling design.

For years, Blodgett, located out of Burlington, Vermont, has been a leading manufacturer in commercial ovens, priding themselves on their product’s sustainability and quality. Now they are stepping it up a notch by extending their warranties on a number of commercial ovens

A good set of kitchen knives is arguably the most important tool in any chef’s arsenal. No matter what is being cooked or prepared, it is inevitable that there will be some sort of cutting or chopping involved at some point, and those who have spent any time in a kitchen know how important it is to maintain the blades on your knives. Dull knives will not cut effectively and can be tiresome or even hazardous to use in situations that require precise and careful cuts. Keeping your knives sharp is a necessary routine for any amateur, professional, or home chef, but it is critical to your knives’ longevity that they be sharpened properly. Although they are used for all sorts of heavy-duty tasks in the kitchen, knives are actually fairly delicate implements, and improper or overzealous sharpening of a blade can be more detrimental than the wear from any period of use. Many restaurants and commercial kitchens regularly outsource their knife sharpening to a professional third party, but taking measures to keep your blades sharp on your own is an easily achievable way to avoid having to constantly send your knives away to be restored.

We noticed that a bizarrely large number of customers have called in recently asking us how to install new water filters in their ice machines—we’re talking like a sudden six-fold increase in filtration-related questions here—and we couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the universe is trying to tell us something. Now, the J.E.S. New Employee Corporate HR Handbook has a short section in it that warns employees against “needless attribution of unexplained phenomena [to] serendipity,” and then goes on to discourage “reading too much into, or explicitly trusting and/or believing in, so-called ‘Signs from the Universe,’ ” but, just this one time, we’ve chosen to ignore company policy and listen to our guts and take the time to draw up a diagram for y’all to use. We hope it helps!

Starting January 1, 2014, restaurants are no longer able to count automatic gratuity as tips for servers. The new rule actually passed in June 2012 and was implemented January 1, 2013 but the IRS is not enforcing it until January 1, 2014 to give restaurants time to adjust and comply to the change. The IRS now classifies automatic gratuity as a service charge which is considered part of the server’s wages, not a tip. Service charges for restaurants are a previously agreed upon price to be charged for services provided.

Stocking glassware for your bar or restaurant can often be a daunting proposition. With so many different types and styles of glassware , it is only natural to wonder if you are buying the “right” glassware to properly compliment your drink menu. Although the “rules” concerning what drinks go into what sort of glass are mostly arbitrary (reasonable customers will forgive you for not always having exactly the correct glass for every occasion), having a variety of different glasses in which to serve your various drinks will help add interest and flair to your beverage offerings. The types of glasses that you need, however, will ultimately depend on what sort of drinks that you are going to be putting into them. Here is a quick overview of the “necessary” glasses for different kinds of beverages.

Slip-resistant floor mats are a must in any commercial kitchen. Often called anti-fatigue mats, these mats offer a cushioned surface for your employees to stand on that is specifically designed to minimize the hazard of slipping, even when completely wet. Non-slip mats are often made of heavy rubber, so the idea of washing them every day can be a daunting and cumbersome proposition, but it is important to keep your mats clean and in shape to avoid any potential health and safety hazards. With proper care and a routine cleaning schedule, your floor mats should last you a long time.

You know that you’re neck-deep in the holiday season when your tables are perpetually close to capacity and your guests perpetually, splendidly tipsy. For about two months straight, your equipment must keep pace with a no-vacancy dining room, and if you haven’t adequately prepared, by like 12/23 the whole operation’ll be practically wheezing.

Salad spinners are a great way to clean and dry your lettuce in one container. Because these appliances use centrifugal force, they are a much more efficient and effective way to prepare leafy greens.  Rather than using a bowl of water and paper towels, which can leave your leaves still wet, a salad spinner gets rid of dirt and excess water. A salad spinner consists of three main parts. The outer bowl, the inner bowl, and the lid with the handle. The outer bowl is what collects the water and dirt from the lettuce. The inner bowl is where the greens go, and the lid keeps water from splashing out and the built in handle moves the inner bowl to clean the lettuce.

This Deal Has Since Expired.

Since 1921 Star Manufacturing has been producing durable, reliable, quality products for the foodservice and concession industries.

As anyone who has been paying attention to the food industry for the past several years has surely realized, food trucks and food truck culture have been becoming a more and more popular alternative to the traditional “sit-down” restaurant. While far from taking over the foodservice industry as some articles seem to claim, food trucks offer a quick and easy dining alternative – often with a unique theme or concept – for people eating on the go, and they can be found thriving amid the hustle and bustle of busy metropolitan areas around the world. But what of more relaxed environments? What of a summer trip to a nearby lake or a vacation to an island locale? Are these spots out of the question for establishing a profitable mobile foodservice business model?

Previously, we discussed convection and conduction methods of heat transfer. Radiant heat is emitted in waves, not direct contact. Waves from the heat source heat whatever object it hits. This is why a fire warms you without you having to touch the flames directly. In ovens, about fifty percent of the cooking is done via radiant heat. Some is through convection with moving hot air, and some through the heat of the pan or surface which is conduction . If a pan is darker, it will absorb the radiant heat a lot more quickly, whereas a lighter or shinier pan will reflect the heat waves.

Between now and December 31st, Manitowoc is offering JES customers 0% Financing for Two Years on any order over $1,000. Using this deal, you can divide your checkout amount into a handful of easy, incremental installments without any due interest whatsoever. To qualify for this offer, fill out our short online application and then fax or email us a return copy — we will reply within hours as to whether you’ve been approved. For detailed information, click here or call us directly at (866) 200-6056.

Supera LLC, a new food service supply outfit headquartered in Denver, already offers a catalog of over 700 products, which is a ridiculous quantity when you consider that this company debuted back in August of 2013, i.e., thirteen months ago; i.e., they've been around for 1.1 years after you round up.

Previously we talked about convection heating . This is heating by movement of air or a liquid around something. All ovens use this method of heat transference and specialty convection ovens use it as well, as the name would imply, only they use it more efficiently than say, residential ovens.

One of the most beloved foods around the world, hands down, is pizza. The entire world craves this famous dish that originated from Italy. There is no denying that people love going out to eat. Nowadays with as many people that don’t have time to cook, more and more are starting to eat out. This have left a big avenue open for the pizza industry. This great dish can feed sometimes 6-8 people at one time and leaves an outlet for those wanting to get creative with their culinary expertise.

Regardless of what type of restaurant you decide to open, one thing is for certain: Everyone loves ice cream! Ice cream shops are a great idea for marketing to all age groups from toddlers to senior citizens. The average American eats approximately 6 gallons of ice cream a year, therefore an ice cream shop can be a great investment for you as an entrepreneur.

While many Americans regard this day with memories of sadness today is also a day to be proud. J.E.S. Restaurant Equipment is proud to be an American company that supports many American manufacturers with rich histories beginning right here in the land of the free. That’s why in honor of this tragic yet uniting anniversary we’ve compiled a list of some of our most popular made in the USA products.

There are three different types of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiant. Each type of heat cooks differently, so this month, take a weekly look at how food reacts when exposed to different types of heat.

Don’t be one of the numerous restaurants that close their doors due to poor food cost management.

One of the more costly items to buy when opening a new restaurant is the equipment. Despite drawing a loan, money goes by quickly in the restaurant industry. You are probably going to have to start your own restaurant with a low-budget but thousands of dollars can be spent in a short period of time. Many restaurateurs choose to buy used equipment as an alternative investment when their funds are tight. There are several things you as a restaurateur should be aware of before purchasing used equipment .

Ice where you want it, when you want it. That’s what the Manitowoc NEO can do for you. They bring a whole new level of performance, convenience and intelligence to ice makers. Their compact design doesn’t reduce the amount of ice they create. In fact, they produce up to 40 lbs more ice per 24 hours than the other under counter models by Manitowoc. The key pad speaks a universal language with easy to understand symbols, so no matter who you are, you know how to work the NEO .

Hosting a wine tasting in your bar is likely going to be a much more intimate and personal experience than the more open “convention center” feel of larger, exhibitor-style tastings. Bar tastings allow a unique opportunity for conversation and community building, but it can sometimes be challenging to balance a bit of “wine professionalism” into the pre-existing atmosphere of your bar. In part one of this post , we discussed how to select your wine order. While your wine is ultimately the main attraction at your event, the presentation and surroundings can make or break a good wine selection. Here are a few things to consider when organizing the layout of your tasting.

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.

Hosting a wine tasting at your bar or restaurant can often seem like an intimidating and daunting task, particularly if you are not an expert in all things wine-related. With thousands of years of history and countless wine companies and brands to investigate, even thinking about tapping into the wine industry can seem like an overwhelmingly complex endeavor. But while putting together a good wine tasting does take a bit of time and planning, it can actually be much more manageable than many people may think.

Most restaurant owners hold their breath any time they see a large family walk through the door. They see their establishment turning into pure bedlam with a mom chasing her screaming children around the dining room, knocking over tables and upsetting other patrons. Granted some children are better-behaved than others, but this does not mean you should shy away from making your restaurant a more kid-friendly environment. Kids are customers too and big families can bring in big money for your establishment.

Let’s get right to it. Here are some tips for a better, safer, and easier food slicer experience. The type of food slicer you have should be based on the frequency at which you use it. Light duty slicers are made for use only a few hours or less a day. If you don’t use it very much at all, a manual slicer would be better economically than an electric slicer. If you use it several hours a day, and you might use it for cheeses, a medium duty slicer would be your best option because it will withstand the use. Whether you choose manual or electric for medium duty is  up to you and your preference. Now, if you are going to be using your slicer constantly throughout the day, you will definitely want a heavy duty slicer that can easily withstand constant use and slicing cheese. Be sure that your blade is stainless steel and don’t forget to get a blade sharpener, otherwise, you won’t be able to cut anything after a while.

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.

With the mobile food industry growing at a rapid rate it’s more important than ever for owners of these meals on wheels to utilize social media. Social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are some of the most valuable, and initially free marketing tools available to business owners, allowing them to reach out to potential customers and encouraging current customers to return for your products or services. But in order to get the most effective results there are certain steps you need to take to increase your number of “friends” and “followers.”

Shop JES Restaurant Equipment's Food Truck Category Here.

School is back in session and the cafeterias are busy again. Schools are focusing on feeding kids healthy foods, but how do you know if they are eating off of healthy lunch trays? A lot of schools stopped using the plastic trays when Styrofoam became popular because of how cheap it is for schools to buy. Now, a lot of schools are reverting back to reusable trays because of how un-environmentally friendly Styrofoam is. Styrofoam takes years to decompose and is a leading cause of ocean pollution. Several school districts moved to use paper trays that can be used in compost, but unless the school has a composting facility, these trays also end up in landfills.

While refrigeration temperatures are an important part of running a food and beverage business, bar beverage chilling is rarely ever addressed. While this may not be very important to a restaurant with a full dinner menu it is something a small bar-focused establishment might want to consider. All alcoholic beverages are not created equal and therefore should not always be stored at a single temperature setting. Separate refrigeration units should have their temperatures set based on whatever type of beverage is being stored in them.

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.

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.

Music is one of the more powerful, artistic elements. It affects moods whether they be good or bad. It can soothe or excite. Music is an element all of its on that can either stand alone as the focal point for others or perhaps work as a background element that is conducive to an overall atmosphere.

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.

Another frequently asked question we receive 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.

When a restaurant needs to increase revenue , many owners look to quick, surface solutions like charging more money or extending business hours. By overlooking the reasons why a restaurant isn't making the profits it should, it only digs them into a deeper hole. Read on for six unexpected strategies to help increase restaurant sales and keep them up for good.

There are very few foodservice companies that have built as many top brands as Manitowoc Foodservice. With brands like Frymaster, Lincoln, Merrychef, and Manitowoc Ice, Manitowoc is known for great brands and quality products. In 2011 Manitowoc added Cleveland Range to their list of brands. Since they acquired Cleveland Range little has changed until recently. In 2014 Manitowoc dropped the "Range" from Cleveland Ranges name and now they are simply Cleveland and branded the Cleveland Range Combi ovens and steamers as Convotherm. In 2015 they removed the Cleveland Combi ovens from their product list and birthed the brand Convotherm.

There are plenty of tips and tricks for bartenders all around the internet, but most of them boil down to one thing: efficiency. If you can be fast and not use a lot of energy, then you’re going to be able to get a lot more done during a busy night. There are a few ways to improve your efficiency through your supplies, your memory, and your actions.

Back in the day the convenience of meals on wheels was all you needed to gain business for your mobile food service establishment. But with the food truck craze sweeping the nation and hundreds of roaming restaurants in major cities like New York, Atlanta, Minneapolis and even smaller towns, owners are having to kick things up to raise their mobile businesses above the urban jungle of hotdogs, hamburgers and tacos to keep the customers coming.

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.

Before the very first toaster became a household phenomenon in home kitchens, the idea of “toasting” bread over an open flame was discovered and thus toast was born. It has never been determined who invented the first toaster but it was General Electric in 1909 that introduced the very first toaster to the market. Since then, the conventional toaster has taken on many shapes and sizes and now there are a myriad of toasters available to the everyday consumer.

It is common knowledge that if consumers are able to recognize your product, they are more likely to buy it. The problem is in making your brand more appealing than others. By associating your product with positive thoughts and a positive buying experience, you are able to stand out among competitors. Exposure and frequency of your brand creates a positive association between the customer and the product. Consumers are more likely to buy what they can see and pick up with little effort. If your food or beverage is on display where they can easily see and access it, they will be more likely to make the purchase.

If I mention French porcelain, you envision pink flowers on a traditional Country French plate.  Revol Porcelaine is NOT that French porcelain.  Google the phrase “French porcelain” and you’ll find several companies selling examples of said plates.   Revol France has its headquarters in Saint-Uze, where the Revol brothers started their business and created Revol porcelain in 1789, during the French Revolution. Revol USA is located in Alpharetta, GA.  Very few companies on the planet are thriving after 225 years, let alone still owned by the founding family, but Revol is.  They’ve outlasted governments.  What makes a business so enduring?

Stainless steel is one of the most valuable and durable materials of the industry, restaurant equipment included. That being said, its also one of the greenestmanufacturing materials today. Stainless steel is 100% recyclable, and because it can be recycled without any degradation it is highly sought after. A stainless steel item or appliance retains it is value even after decades of use because of its iron content and other elements.

Built to Dominate the Economy Restaurant Range Market

Southbend was in the house last night and the S Series commercial range made a big impression on the sales team here at J.E.S. Restaurant Equipment .

Quality of water has always been an important factor in the success of any foodservice operation. Between cooking, serving beverages to customers, washing dishes, making ice, and a variety of other tasks, restaurants need to use the cleanest, purest water available to ensure the health and safety of their customers. In 1974, the Environmental Protection Agency passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to reinforce this idea. The SDWA moves to keep the concentration of chemical and mineral contaminants below the accepted “safe for consumption” values in all sources of public drinking water.

Over the past several decades, small-batch, independently produced beer (sometimes called “craft” beer) has become a major market segment in the beverage industry. Although once controlled almost completely by several big-name “mega-breweries,” the North American beer market is now rife with small but influential breweries, each with their own variety of ales, lagers, and stouts. With new beer being released and new breweries opening every day, offering customers a variety of unique and interesting craft beers has become a highly profitable business venture for many bars and restaurants.

It has always been a mystery to me why people will spend thousands of dollars on  commercial refrigeration like a reach-in refrigerator, reach-in freezer, walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer and never perform preventive maintenance. You would never buy a car and not change the oil would you?  Preventive maintenance is not the cure all but just like changing your oil in the car it is important; preventive maintenance helps the equipment you worked so hard for last longer.  At J.E.S we not only sell commercial restaurant equipment we also have a service department that is cable of providing PM & repair on all major brands of restaurant equipment as well as commercial HVAC.  My guys cover the up state of South Carolina & when it’s the middle of July and 95°+ the service department phone is ringing off the hook with calls from restaurants and other commercial facilities with refrigeration problems a lot of which could have been prevented.  The key to helping your profit dollars go further is to limit repairs, not just ignore the cause of damage… NEGLECT!   Here are a few simple items that I would suggest

Foodservice establishments must sanitize their dishes in one of two ways: chemicals or hot water. While using a low-temperature dishwasher is more energy efficient, the cost of chemicals far outweigh the electric bill making high-temperature dishwashers more common in the restaurant industry.  So why do you need a booster heater?

Although once a bit of a rarity in the American foodservice market, artisanal pizza has become quite the trend over the past several decades. â€Å“Craftâ€Â pizza shops have become ubiquitous in our modern cities, and as such, many home cooks have taken to their kitchens to try their hands at making their own homemade pizza. To do so, many people have begun purchasing pizza stones: a simple kitchen gadget that allows one to replicate the effect of cooking pizza in a traditional hearth oven.

Summer is in full swing and that means that most of you are wanting to enjoy the cold, refreshing taste of crystal clear ice immersed in your favorite beverage in a cool, perspiring glass. Ice-O-Matic a leading manufacturer in ice machines, has a full range of cube ice machines known as the ICE Series. These machines are built with two options: modular or self-contained.

The Magic Inside A Glass Of Coke
In 2006 Coca-Cola ran a commercial that imagined the inside of a vending machine as a magical, motorized ecosystem where small creatures prep each bottle of Coke before it’s eventually dispensed. Dust bunnies slobber condensate on the bottle; an industrial fan shreds snowmen into ice flakes, which then blow and stick onto the bottle’s glass; a climactic parade with brass band playing, fireworks exploding, and confetti swaying downwards marches the Coke along a miniature Main Street before sliding it ceremoniously down the vending chute.