New Jersey Steak House Goes Above and Beyond on Food Safety

When David Walzog got the go-ahead to design the kitchen for Strip House at The Westminster Hotel in Livingston, N.J., the executive chef’s wish list drew on his experiences working at the Monkey Bar and Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C., both in New York City.

Walzog insisted on 14 sets of refrigerated drawers—where food is held below 40F—for mise en place. Several drawers were installed on the line, providing more space for plate assembly and enabling 14 cooks to keep surfaces clean and orderly.

Drawers and gaskets are cleaned daily, and twice a week they’re disassembled for bleaching. The quarry tile floor in the kitchen is graded and easy to hose down and power wash, he says.

Strip House’s five walk-in coolers are extra-spacious. The lowest shelf is 10 inches off the floor, two inches higher than health codes mandate, Walzog says, to facilitate mopping and cleaning. Rubber-coated shelving resists rust and cleans and moves easily to accommodate a variety of bin sizes. Safety glass and wire grating enclose two pairs of fluorescent bulbs for ceiling light. Read the rest of this entry »

Diagnosing Walk-in Coolers & Freezers Problems

A systematic approach to walk-in cooler and freezer maintenance is the technician’s best guide.

The ubiquitous walk-in cooler or freezer is an essential part of many cafeterias, restaurants and convenience stores. It is also a large energy user in these facilities but is rarely considered until problems emerge.

Problems include failure to maintain pressure and compressor failure, both of which can result in expensive losses to the products stored in the cooler. These problems, as well as unnecessarily high energy use, can be avoided by observing equipment and taking corrective action.

Evaporators
Moisture from the air freezes onto the evaporator coils (the cooling coils in the freezer) and forms an insulating barrier to heat transfer. Airflow also decreases as the passages narrow due to ice buildup. Each evaporator has a defrost cycle to melt frost/ice that has built up on the evaporator coils. Water from the melted ice is drained from the freezer . . . ideally. Read the rest of this entry »

Polyurethane: One More Option For Your Walk-in

It’s Your Choice.

U.S. Cooler is one of the few manufacturers who can now offer both extruded polystyrene and foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation for walk-in coolers and freezers. As any good business does, we are always seeking new ways to serve our customers better and stay competitive in the marketplace. One of these ways is to provide additional services to our customers and dealers. Recently, we have added foamed-in-place polyurethane to our product offering. Previously, U.S. Cooler only offered extruded polystyrene insulation.

U.S. Cooler’s new polyurethane panels are foamed-in-place filled with class 1 polyurethane foam made from CFC and HFC free materials. By utilizing state of the art horizontal presses and technology, panels lie flat during the foaming process which reduces voids in the insulation. The panels’ structural tongue and groove, cam-locking system provides an air-tight seal between the panels restricting air infiltration into the insulation core.

U.S. Cooler’s polyurethane walk-in products are made with the same exceptional quality and performance construction that has proven successful in the industry.  By adding a new product line to our manufacturing capabilities our product excellence has not changed.  U.S. Cooler still provides the same premium, high-quality products and customer service we have been offering for over 25 years. Every walk-in is pre-assembled in our manufacturing facility before shipment to ensure precise quality control and ease of assembly in the field. All our panels come with our standard 10 year warranty.

Polystyrene Walk-in Brochure

Polyurethane Walk-in Brochure

DOE Final Test Procedure Ruling Could Affect You

The EISA 2007 document required that performance based standards for walk-in coolers and freezers be published no later than January 1, 2012. The first step to completing the new walk-in cooler and freezer standards is to finalize the testing procedure.  This has now been completed and published. The next step is to publish the standards, which determines the required performance results of the mandatory tests.

The final test procedures for testing walk-in coolers and freezers have been finalized and released. There are test procedures for panels, doors and refrigeration systems.  The tests that have been adopted are designed to produce test results that reflect energy efficiency, energy use and estimated operating costs for industrial equipment.

DOE has finally made a ruling on definitions that were unclear in previous documents. The most important ruling that affects our dealers is who is now considered the manufacturer.

Manufacturer of a walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer means any person who:

1. Manufactures a component of a walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer that affects energy consumption, including, but not limited to, refrigeration, doors, lights, windows, or walls;

Or

1. Manufactures or assembles the complete walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer (76 FR 12504).

This definition extends the compliance responsibility to both the component manufacturer and the assembler. In the final rule, DOE clarified that the component manufacturer would be the entity responsible for certifying compliance of the components they manufacture for walk-in applications. The manufacturer is responsible for the products they manufacture. If a manufacturer puts the entire system together, including the walk-in and refrigeration, the manufacturer is responsible for the equipment to meet federal standards. Read the rest of this entry »

U.S. Cooler Turns 25

2011 marks U.S. Cooler’s 25^th year of providing exceptional quality and service to the marketplace. 25 years ago, U.S. Cooler set out together to develop a commitment to the basic desire to “provide a quality product at a reasonable price with exceptional attention to the customer’s needs”.  Today, U.S. Cooler still puts the customer first by manufacturing product that fits their specific needs. U.S. Cooler offers several tools and services to help create a positive experience for their customers.

U.S. Cooler is a family owned business dedicated to providing customized solutions for cold storage applications. The company’s “customer first” marketing focus along with producing a high-quality product has resulted in U.S. Cooler’s 25 successful years of business. We look forward to another successful year!

Time is Running out for Foodservice Equipment Tax Incentives

You have eight months left this year to secure important tax perks for purchasing new equipment. If you are thinking of replacing your walk-in cooler or freezer, now may be the time to act. The Small Business Act that President Obama put in place in September 2010 provides tax relief and assistance in gaining access to capital for foodservice operations.

The legislation allows foodservice operators to write off up to $500,000 of equipment costs immediately rather than recovering the purchase over multiple year of depreciation. The equipment purchase must be completed during the 2011 tax year.

Check out our New Equipment Tax Breaks post from November 2010 for more information.

New Kodiak Glass Doors for Beer Caves

Over the last several years the trend in the convenience store industry has been to add “beer caves” to the retail area.

This environment has proven to increase bulk beer sales by over 300% in some studies. These types of success stories have convinced some store owners to offer bulk product in temperatures at or below 35 degrees.

The result of this success in sales has increased customer traffic in the cold rooms and therefore caused an increased performance demand on conventional style “walk-in entry doors”.

SCHOTT Gemtron has been evaluating this environment and determined that the best solution is a walk-in entry door that can hold up to this demanding retail area.

Tim Dye, Director of Sales and Marketing announced today that SCHOTT Gemtron has introduced the Kodiak® line of commercial refrigerator doors. “This innovative design will offer the store owner a product that will withstand the high volume usage that beer caves generate”. He continued by stating “our engineering team has studied the harsh environment and developed a product that will withstand the demanding conditions”.

Standard features include a hydraulic door closure with door stop, lock, push bar, and 2-3/4” door rail. The Kodiak is available as a 36” wide door with either a single or double configuration. Customers can specify an energy free design or a heated glass option for high humidity locations. Both black and silver satin finishes are available.

One feature that will set Kodiak apart from all other walk-in entry doors is the locking mechanism. The lock itself is industrial-grade and is used on both the single or double door design. When the double entry door is installed the right hand door has “thumb lifts” that when engaged inserts a rod upward into the frame and another one down into the rod receiver. This design assures that the doors are locked and secured at 3 points instead of the traditional one location. Dye also stated “SCHOTT Gemtron continues to lead the commercial refrigeration industry in innovation. While listening to our customer base and the industry the new Kodiak Heavy Duty Walk-In entry door will redefine the standards for beer caves”.

Kodiak® Doors Feature:

• Industrial-Grade Components
• Designed for Harshest Environments
• 5 Year Warranty

For more information contact SCHOTT Gemtron at 800-326-2717 , email sales@gemtrondoors.com or view the Kodiak Glass Door Brochure

Organize Your Walk-in Cooler or Freezer

Temperature control and organized inventory are food-safety watchwords.

When Connie’s Pizza, a nine-unit Chicago-based chain, reorganized its walk-in coolers for better efficiency and improved food safety, management liked the results.

“By reconfiguring the coolers we were able to reduce stock and rotate it more effectively,” says owner Ivan Matsunaga. “We saved 3% to 5% on shrinkage and perishables.’’

The reorganized walk-ins also are easier to navigate, which encourages employees to keep the coolers tidy. In accordance with health and sanitation practices, raw meat and poultry is kept on lower shelves. Prepared and ready-to-eat foods and salads, cooked meats and ham are stowed on higher racks. Walk-in temperature is kept at 37F, and foods are tagged and dated upon arrival to ensure proper rotation.

Connie’s cooler remodel was part of a company wide initiative to improve food safety during which the chain’s 250 employees attended demonstrations on sanitation, stock organization and rotation. Because staff participated in the food-safety update, everyone now is held accountable.

Temperature and organization are critical to maintaining a food-safe walk-in cooler, says Kristie Grzywinski, senior program manager for food safety at the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation, Chicago. Keep foods in the cooler at an internal temperature of 41F. “Some restaurants have the luxury of several walk-ins. Most don’t,” explains the microbiologist. “That’s why organization of shelves and inventory is critical.”

She advises designating separate sections for raw and ready-to-eat foods to minimize risk of cross-contamination. Additionally, Grzywinski warns operators not overload racks, which taxes shelving integrity and impedes air circulation. Be aware of temperature variations inside the walk-in: warmer by the door, cooler in the rear. (Store meats, fish and dairy products in the cooler back area and produce closer to the front.) Shelves must be no closer than six inches from the floor to ease cleaning under racks. And allow plenty of headroom in the cooler to ensure adequate air circulation for steady temperatures and lower utility bills. Read the rest of this entry »

The Downside of Open Air Refrigerated Display Cases

Open air refrigerated display cases commonly seen in grocery stores can provide easy access to products for customers. The main problem with these refrigerators is that they are constantly fighting the ambient air, causing their refrigeration units to work much harder than if they were enclosed. They also increase heating bills for grocery stores in the winter as they constantly dump cold air into the heated building. Grocery stores are starting to catch on to the benefits of walk-in coolers and substituting glass-door merchandising walk-ins and walk-in dairy rooms for these cases. The following article details the energy saving efforts of a grocery store chain in Britain.

Makro is to install walk-in dairy rooms at 17 of its 30 cash & carries by the end of the year.

The move is part of an energy saving drive which will enable pubs to source supplies with a smaller carbon footprint. The dairy rooms save energy compared to fridges and chillers in the main store area. Read the rest of this entry »

Passing Restaurant Inspections for your Walk-in Cooler or Walk-in Freezer

Restaurants are supposed to be checked by health inspectors twice a year. Walk-ins can be a source of food safety violations if not properly maintained and cleaned. If you run a restaurant you can also be stuck with fines totaling thousands of dollars or face temporary closure of your establishment. After the restaurant is closed, an inspector will generally return within 24 hours and will continue to visit until these violations are resolved and the restaurant can reopen.¹ Lost days of operation can cost your business not only revenue, but your reputation as well.

One restaurant in New York paid a total of $8,600 in fines from a food inspection, including $1,200 directly relating to their poorly maintained walk-in cooler.

· $600 – The walk-in cooler was dripping water from the ceiling. Ice build-up on the condenser was present in the walk-in freezer dripping into extra ice storage in a garbage can below. Shelving in multiple refrigeration units was rusted and therefore not easy to clean and particles of rust able to flake off into food products below. The condensation line for the cooler was not connected and the condensate was dripping into a pan at the bottom of the unit.

· $600 – The floor in the walk-in cooler was in disrepair and no longer an easy to clean surface.²

Health code regulations and requirements vary from state to state. The following are areas you could be cited for in your walk-in or other refrigerators:

Lack of interior release in walk-in.

Spoiled or improperly packaged food in your walk-in.

Any spills or pieces of food in the walk-in not cleaned up.

Mold present in the walk-in cooler.

Refrigeration unit poorly ventilated and in close proximity to combustibles.

Walk-in not held at the proper temperature for food storage.

Improper organization of the walk-in or obstructions in the area around it, making it hard to service or clean. Read the rest of this entry »