Beat the Heat with a Walk-In Cooler

The recent summer heat wave in central Illinois has me thinking of new ways to find some much needed relief from the extremely warm temperatures. The idea of stepping into a walk-in cooler for a few minutes has certainly crossed my mind. So I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight the walk-in coolers available from Serv-U.

Servu-Online is proud to sell Norlake’s line of Kold Locker™ and Fast Trak™ walk-in coolers and freezers. Select walk-in coolers and freezers are available for shipment in less than 24 hours. The walk-in coolers and walk-in freezers are available in many length and width combinations. Custom Fineline™ walk-in coolers from Norlake are also available upon request, just ask your Serv-U sales representative for more information.

Serv-Online also has a large selection of accessories for walk-in refrigerators and walk-in freezers. From display doors to strip doors, lights, door hinges, door closers and latches and inside release valves, Servu-Online has your walk-in cooler needs covered.

Prep and Store with a Refrigerated Prep Tables

Refrigerated prep tables feature a prep area on top that provides a solid surface for cutting and slicing ingredients; cooled compartments for prepared ingredients; and refrigerated storage space below that holds ingredients that need to be prepped. These units are most often used to prepare and store sandwiches, salads, pizzas and other dishes.

Refrigerated prep tables feature different sizes and configurations. Most units offer between one and four doors, and may provide up to eight shelves or drawers for storage. The units will also generally accommodate between six and fifteen food pans, depending on the model.

Refrigerated prep tables come with many options, including a backsplash, drawers, different gauge thicknesses, casters, overshelves and pot racks. Units offering adjustable shelves and pans, in addition to removable cutting boards, food shields and crumb catchers are also available.

Most food prep tables feature heavy duty stainless steel construction, removable hoods and foam-insulated lids. The cabinets’ backs and bottoms are typically constructed of galvanized steel, while interior liners are made of anodized aluminum to resist corrosion. The doors generally included foamed-in-place, high-density polyurethane insulation.

Norlake’s AdvantEDGE Refrigerators and Freezers

For years, Norlake has been a leader in the food service industry. Norlake offers a wide variety of commercial refrigeration products, including their AdvantEDGE line of reach-in refrigerators and freezers, sandwich prep tables, undercounter refrigerators and freezers and glass door merchandisers. I recently had a chance to visit with a representative from Norlake and discovered what distinguishes the Norlake refrigerators and freezers from their competition.

Norlake’s line of AdvantEDGE refrigerators and freezers offer several industry-leading features:

• Stainless steel interior and exterior
• CFC-free polyurethane foamed-in-place insulation
• Electronic controls and digital thermometer
• Heavy-duty interior and exterior hardware
• Self-closing doors
• Locking swivel casters

Norlake reach-in refrigerators are also energy star and NSF-7 certified.

The Norlake reach-in refrigerators and freezers feature an electronic control program. This program does not contain any mechanical parts, thus making these units increasingly user friendly and reducing overall maintenance. The electronic control program offers the following features:

• Adjustable temperature set point (-22 to 8 Deg F on freezer and 25 to 50 Deg F on refrigerators)
• Adjustable temperature differential (+/- of set point: 4 to 16 Deg F)
• Rapid freeze mode (2 hour duration – freezers only)
• Manual defrost initiation
• Adjustable defrost frequency (4 to 12 hours)

Norlake’s reach-in refrigerators and freezers also offer many other useful features like an open door alarm. The alarm is programmed to sound three times when the door is left open for 30 seconds, five times at 60 seconds and continuously at 5 minutes. A clean condenser alarm lets you know when it’s time to clean the unit’s condenser. The easy to read digital display on the front of the unit also provides an accurate digital temperature display as well as easy to distinguish error codes in the event of a system problem.

Most importantly Norlake’s entire series of AdvantEDGE refrigerators and freezers are backed by Norlake’s five year compressor and one year parts, labor and service warranty. Norlake is also dedicated to providing superior customer service and product support, and is committed to helping you troubleshoot any issue that may arise with your Norlake refrigeration unit.

Buying a walk-in cooler for your business is a big decision. Don’t let all the calculations and considerations put a “chill” on the process! From their compressors and doors to their shapes and sizes, walk-in coolers are extremely complex pieces of restaurant equipment. The Restaurant Guru blog is here to help with a list of the main factors to consider when purchasing a walk-in freezer.

How much storage space is needed? Walk-in coolers come in standard or custom sizes. Sizes range from as small as 4’x5’ to walk-in units that are room-sized. In figuring capacity, on average, 1-cubic foot of open storage area will accommodate about 28 pounds of solid food. Shelving is an integral part of walk-in refrigeration storage systems. Welded wire shelving with a polymer coating is generally the best choice for walk-ins, allowing cold air to circulate around food products. Keep shelves at least 6" off the floor for ease of cleaning and low enough to prevent the food from touching the ceiling. Mobile cabinets or storage racks provide alternatives to fixed wire shelving.

Once you have space needs figured out, it’s time to think about how you will maintain the chill within your walk-in cooler. Holding foods in a safely chilled or frozen state to avoid cross contamination and keeping products at correct temperatures are a walk-in cooler’s primary food safety functions. Temperature monitoring and recording can help operators comply with HACCP guidelines, and can be especially useful in storage of pre-made foods. Designate separate sections of a walk-in cooler for raw and ready-to-eat products to minimize threat of cross-contamination. Place at least one accurate thermometer in the warmest part of the walk-in freezer to measure the air temperature. It is best to have several placed throughout the unit.

Walk-in accessories will keep your restaurant equipment at peak performance. An air-circulation system that allows a walk-in to draw in cold outside air when the exterior temperature is colder than the interior box temperature is available for your restaurant equipment. An air door or vinyl curtain strips may be mounted above walk-in entrances to make sure proper temperatures are maintained, as well as to protect units from insect infestation.

Ensure that your floors and ceilings are in the right condition for proper load bearing and ventilation and you are ready to install a walk-in cooler!

You are probably aware that stainless steel restaurant equipment is high quality, but do you know why?

Stainless steel is an iron-carbon alloy with at least 10.5% chromium content. Stainless steel does not stain, corrode or rust as easily as ordinary steel because of its chromium content. Oxygen reacts with the chromium to form a tough, invisible layer of film on the steel surface that gives the metal durability. If you care for your stainless steel restaurant equipment properly, it can last for many years, making it a great investment for operators.

Another key to the value of stainless steel is the ease of sanitizing this metal. Cleanliness is essential to every foodservice operation so investing in metal that does not have pores or cracks that can hold bacteria, grime and dirt makes sense. Serv-U sells special stainless steel wipes for optimum polish and protection.

Now you are clear on the benefits, but do you know what the terms 18/10 and 18/8 mean?

Understanding is key to buying the right grade of stainless! These grades specify the amount of chrome and nickel in a stainless steel alloy. Chrome is an important ingredient for resistance to corrosion, while nickel gives stainless the soft, silver-like luster for which it is known. 18/10 means the metal is 18% chrome and 10% nickel. 18/8 has approximately 18% chrome and 8% nickel. Weight is judged by the gauge or thickness of the metal. For example, 18/10 and 18/8 stainless are the highest quality premium flatware lines.

With this knowledge you can shop with confidence for kitchen appliances, cooking equipment and table top items, knowing that stainless steel is a high quality investment.

Simple maintenance and cleaning procedures can greatly extend the life and efficiency of the commercial refrigerator in your kitchen. Learn what you need to do to keep your fridge serving you and your customers for years to come.

1. Clean the condenser fin and coils regularly to remove the dust and grease build-up that inhibits heat transfer. Dusty condenser coils cause a refrigerator to work harder; which translates into bigger energy bills and a shorter life expectancy for one of the biggest investments in your kitchen. To prevent this from happening, use a vacuum or broom to remove dust build up from the coils every three months. Coil cleaning chemicals, such as ProMagic Coil Cleaner, make the job easier by removing dirt without wiping. Keep refrigerators at least 4" from walls so that air can circulate freely around the condenser coils.

2. Keep the refrigerator level. This helps the doors to fit correctly. If your refrigerator isn't level the doors may not seal as tightly as they're supposed to, providing yet another opportunity for energy loss. Check to see if your fridge is level by placing a carpenter's level on top of your unit. Then, if necessary, adjust the casters by hand or with a wrench until you achieve level. If damaged casters are causing a tilt, call a Serv-U sales representative and ask about ordering a new set.

3. Feel the outside of the refrigerator for cold spots. Cold spots indicate that the insulation has either shifted or is waterlogged and should be adjusted or replaced.

4. Check the gaskets regularly. Clean the gasket with an all-purpose cleaner, and wipe dry. If a piece of paper inserted between the door and frame can be pulled out easily, the gasket is not sealing properly and should be replaced. The gaskets on the refrigerator and freezer doors are designed to seal the cool air in and to keep the warm air out – vital to the efficiency of your operation. So, it's important to make sure that seal is as strong as it should be. Look over the gaskets for spots that are cracked or otherwise damaged. Then, shut a piece of paper in the door, and see if you can pull it out easily (the seal should create resistance). If either test turns up problems, consider ordering replacement gasket from Serv-U.

5. Check the evaporator for frost. Ice build-up robs the evaporator of its effectiveness. Most units have automatic defrosters. They can be reset to defrost after operating hours. Defrost whenever ice buildup exceeds 1/4".

With some instruction, your staff can play a significant role in taking care of your valuable equipment. These simple maintenance tips can save a great deal of money in energy and service bills, help to avoid costly breakdowns during peak business hours, and extend the life of commercial refrigeration units.

If you didn’t get the chance to attend the National Restaurant Association’s webinar on efficiency today, you missed out.  But don’t worry—I took notes.  (And I’m sure if you search their site, you’ll find the entire free webinar recorded and available to be replayed.)  Several very influential groups contributed to the content of the webinar, including PG&E Foodservice Technology Center, Energy Star, and NRA Conserve.  (And here’s an interesting connection—NRA Conserve is funded in part by the Turner Foundation.  Sound familiar?  Yes, the Turner Foundation was indeed founded by Ted Turner of CNN, TBS, and Ted’s Montana Grill fame.)

The webinar was entitled “5 Things Operators Must Know About Energy Efficiency.”  And those five things are as follows (paraphrased by yours truly):

1. Energy efficiency is good for business.
2. There are lots of ways to save, and the webinar presents five major areas for savings.
3. You are not alone in seeking out energy savings.
4. There are many groups that offer incentives for energy efficiency.
5. The “big guys” are embracing efficiency, too!

According to the presenters, there are five main areas to turn to for energy savings.  Richard Young (of the PG&E Foodservice Technology Center) gave this first part of the presentation, and he included plenty of impressive charts and other illustrations of the various ways a restaurant can save lots of energy and lots of money.  Below is a brief outline of Mr. Young’s main points:

1.      Lighting

Ø      Install Energy Star-qualified CFLs [LED is even more efficient]

2.      Kitchen ventilation

Ø      Install variable speed exhaust fan control (more efficient AND quieter!)

3.      Sanitation

Ø      Conserve hot water

§         Install low-flow pre-rinse spray valves

§         Fix leaks

4.      Refrigeration

Ø      Perform preventative maintenance:

§         Repair door closers

§         Clean condenser coils

§         Clean evaporator coils

§         Replace worn door gaskets

§         Check refrigerant charge

Ø      Get strip curtains

5.      Cooking

Ø      Purchase efficient appliances

§         An inefficient steamer is an example of equipment that is often worth replacing with a high-efficiency unit, even before the old one quits working

Besides gaining some really concrete ideas of efficiency initiatives a restaurant operator can embrace, I also found out that the next foodservice equipment items up for Energy Star qualification are griddles and ovens.  I’d heard this before, but this time the information came “straight from the horse’s mouth,” Kate Lewis of Energy Star.

While Energy Star griddles and ovens may be a year or more away, many suggestions made in the webinar are really simple things you can do anytime (like fixing leaky sinks).  If you are tired of energy costs and are ready to take the next steps to save energy and money, give Serv-U a call and we will help you get started on the path to a more efficient future!

As we here at Serv-U continue to strengthen our partnership with Energy Star, we are also looking for other ways for our customers to save money on energy.  Installing energy efficient restaurant equipment is only the first step.  After that, it’s about keeping up good habits to reap the benefits of efficient equipment.  The following tips for taming that energy bill are courtesy of Flex Your Power.  Soon, you will be able to read their entire restaurant efficiency brochure at Serv-U’s efficiency page.

1. When not in use, turn commercial kitchen equipment off to reduce idle time.
2. Use more efficient cooking equipment over inefficient equipment when the menu allows.
3. Keep up with cleaning and maintenance routines to keep your restaurant equipment running in top form.
4. Check the accuracy of your cooking temperatures and recalibrate your equipment when necessary.
5. For gas-fired equipment, make sure the pilot lights are small blue flames, not long and yellow.

Stock up on efficient Energy Star equipment, cash in on available rebates, and visit Serv-U’s Restaurant Guru and restaurant efficiency page again soon for more money-saving tips.