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28th January 2021
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US National Restaurant Association announces 2013 Kitchen Innovations awards recipients
Energy efficiency, intelligent controls, online tools, kitchen design and layout versatility lead advances in foodservice equipment for acclaimed industry award at NRA Show 2013.
The US National Restaurant Association announced on Wednesday the recipients of the 2013 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards, which honours the most promising and cutting-edge advancements in kitchen equipment for the foodservice industry.
An independent, expert panel of judges comprised of internationally recognised food facilities consultants, multi-unit executives, and design experts carefully selected award recipients to be showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Pavilion (booth 2440) at the 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, which is being held 18th - 21st May at Chicago's McCormick Place.
"This year's Kitchen Innovations Awards recipients address today's leading commercial kitchen equipment challenges with advancements in energy efficiency and sustainability, online tools for tracking and monitoring, intelligent controls, as well as versatility to conform to diverse restaurant layouts," said Jeffery W. Davis, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2013 and CEO of the US Beef Corporation. "These innovations will have a substantial impact on the efficiency and success of restaurant kitchens, as well as the profitability of the restaurant itself."
The 2013 Kitchen Innovations Awards recipients are:
Aerowerks: Mesh Belt Conveyor - A cafeteria conveyor made of a close-knit mesh belt, which eliminates the need for trays and allows the conveyor to turn without creating gaps that cause jamming and breakage
Alto-Shaam: 4.10cci CT Express - A compact combi oven with an integrated catalytic converter that transforms grease-laden vapours into harmless water vapour and CO2. No hood is required allowing the operator to place wherever needed
Blendtec: Stealth - This sound-dampening commercial blender features an online programming tool that allows users to build upon the 42 pre-programmed blend cycles and create new ones for franchise-wide sharing through the USB port.
Duke Manufacturing: X-Stream IH2 Wash System - A system featuring programmable cycles, plug & play components serviceability, pump and sanitiser monitoring and a clever wash flow that keeps wares in the impingement zone longer - resulting in consistently clean wares with greater water/energy efficiency
Ecolab Equipment Care Division: Smart Care Program A program for critical kitchen equipment that goes beyond scheduled maintenance to include proprietary asset management/reporting technology, customer-facing online tracking tools, equipment cleaning & sanitation products, and pre-programmed critical parts on technician service vehicles for same-day emergency fixes, reduced operating costs and maximum asset ROI
Follett Corporation: 7 Series Ice and Water Dispenser - A clever design that features built-in recycling to reclaim and refreeze melted ice, allowing for reduced water waste and flexibility to place the dispenser where a drain is unavailable
Franke Coffee Systems Americas: FoamMaster - A superautomatic espresso machine that produces hot and cold milk foam in variable textures, to provide traditional and novel coffee+milk combinations and help operators diversify their menus
Frontline International: M3 Data Management System - Intelligent management technology for waste oil systems, delivering detailed reports/analysis, diagnostic and 'tank full' status alerts, and real-time monitoring for increased savings and efficiency
Garland Group: Green Heat: Module Line Brazing Pan - A drop-in induction brazing pan design that features remote electronics placement, multiple depths and in-unit drainage, enabling island suite integration for grilling, searing and cooking with or without liquids
Hobart: The Advansys LXeR Undercounter - A high-temperature, undercounter warewasher that recycles hot water vapour to preheat incoming cold water significantly reducing steam release when the door is opened after cycles, and lowering overall energy consumption
Jade Range: Even-Broiler - A baffled Char-Broiler design that evenly distributes heat front-to-back for zero cold zones and better output - while individually controlled burners and boxes allow operators flexibility to manipulate individual 6in. sections.
KE2: KE2 Evaporator Efficiency - An advance beyond timed controls, this refrigeration control technology significantly reduces both energy consumption and temperature fluctuation by triggering defrost cycles only when necessary, reducing defrost cycles as much as 90%
Manitowoc Kolpak: ArticFox
A true on-demand defrost control for walk-ins that activates only when needed, rather than on timers, avoiding unnecessary defrost cycles by as much as 90% to significantly improve energy efficiency and temperature constancy
Master-Bilt : Parallel Glycol Rack System - A refrigeration system that builds on energy efficient glycol loop technology by utilising floating heat pressure technology, which adjusts to ambient temperatures to lower energy consumption by up to 25%
Meiko: CS-70 Sanitizing, Door-Type Dishmachine - A low-temp dishwasher featuring an automatic drain/refill feature that eliminates the need for a heater, plus advanced microprocessor technology and an auto prime feature for consistent chemical dispensing - all packaged in simplistic user- and maintenance-friendly design
Middleby Marshall: WOW 2 Oven - A conveyor oven that allows operators to control bake temperatures and conveyor speed - plus adjust airflow to the top and bottom impingement ports independently for faster, consistent baking and menu flexibility
Ovention: Ovention Matchbox - An intelligent, self-loading and unloading oven design that utilises two alternating cook surfaces using impingement only. Doesn't require a hood and enables food items to be cooked one after another at temperatures that vary by up to 100 degrees
Pentair: Everpure SimpliFlow Water Management System -vA wall-mounting manifold for water lines that keeps them organised, accessible and easily identifiable to save time and reduce error when servicing water-using equipment
Strahman Valves: Vari-Spray Pre-rinse Nozzle - A pre-rinse nozzle for commercial kitchens that allows users to adjust between an infinite choice of spray patterns (broad, focused, gentle, hard) by simply varying trigger pressure, allowing flexibility for various cleaning needs
Technologies Coffea: Coffea vacuum brewing system - A programmable, whole bean-to-cup system that uses a vacuum extraction brew process and infusion brew chamber for a calculated steep time and fast, precise extraction - producing the fullest flavour coffee consistently to preference
The Vollrath Company: Mirage Induction Soup Rethermalizer - An intelligent, countertop unit that uses induction heating instead of water to quickly re-thermalize and maintain optimal temperature for foods like soup, chilli, and macaroni and cheese.
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the US restaurant industry, which comprises 980,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of more than 13 million. The annual Show, which this year runs alongside the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event, attracts 61,000+ attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries.
To learn more about the KI program and this year's award recipients, visit:
T: +1-312-853-2522
E: [email protected]
W: www.restaurant.org
22nd February 2013