The Caterer – Prime Cooking Equipment Feature
The modern kitchen is changing in many ways – some very obvious, some more subtle. Electric based solutions are becoming more and more popular as energy efficiency continues to climb the list of priorities and even though we are still approached by clients looking for a solution that balances gas and electric components more often than not they will opt for 70%+ electric, sometimes even 100%, once they have compared the relevant benefits. In addition, gleaming environments packed with as many components as possible are slowly giving way to carefully balanced solutions that optimise workflow, heat management and maintenance.
In short, kitchens are streamlining to become high performance hubs capable of enhancing productivity and ensuring energy efficiency through the use of equipment that is multi-functional, adaptable and reliable. It is this strategic thinking that Grande Cuisine has been building into its recent installations and projects. For example, one high profile client recently changed the format of his cook suite from 30% electric to 95% electric, opting for a mixture of Plaque Athanor planchas along with induction, and only retaining one traditional style gas solid top as part of the overall cook suite design. Increasingly, we are seeing our clients opt for specialised solutions with fewer components, but greater performance and efficiency. This is true not just in relation to the cooking suites we supply but also the wide range of other equipment we offer.
A good example of this would be the award winning ICHEF range of equipment from Mareno. ICHEF is the industry’s first, and only, fully touch-controlled range of commercial cooking equipment. Gone is the traditional equipment profile of knobs and buttons and in its place is a new, ergonomic design that facilitates work in the kitchen, makes cleaning easier, simplifies the cooking process across multiple appliances and saves energy.
ICHEF units have no mechanical buttons or knobs and allow the chef to combine traditional and modern cooking techniques with science and precision thanks to the exclusive Control Cooking System which Mareno has specifically created to control the ICHEF’s multiple functions. The groundbreaking touchscreen control panel not only allows the chef to maintain complete control of each individual unit but it also helps to save energy. The bright display panel is always clearly legible, under all lighting conditions, so anyone working at one of the ICHEF units can monitor and adjust the settings on any appliance. Throughout each cooking phase the display not only communicates the settings selected, but also the current temperature, meaning that the chef can monitor the precise temperature at any given moment and decide the best moment to intervene, if necessary.
Equipment in the ICHEF ranges includes: electric hotplates; ceramic glass and induction ranges; fryers; fry tops and multi-cooking units; pasta cookers and other invaluable essentials such as bratt pans, boiling pans and bain maries. Perfectly suited to kitchens in hotels, restaurants, cafés, schools, hospitals and quick-service restaurants ICHEF recently won the “SMART label” award at HOST 2017 in recognition of its innovation in the hospitality industry.