Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/128820
Foster Frable Foster's Favorites and What's Trending at the 2013 NAFEM Show By Foster Fr able, Cleven ger Fr able LaVallee foster f@ cfldesign .com ike many of you, I traveled to Orlando to walk the aisles of the 2013 NAFEM Show in February. Below is a list of the products that caught my eye as well as the trends and directions I see coming in the future. L My Favorite Products Vulcan has a new option for left-hand controls on its convection ovens. This feature is a big benefit when close-by fryers or grills on the right side of an oven would "cook" the electronic mechanisms. Vulcan also provides an option called a "Sabbath" mode for operating the oven without using an electrical switch for observant Orthodox Jewish caterers. Hoshizaki is now offering a 500pound large-cube ice machine that was previously only available overseas. It will satisfy operators who have begged for one-inch-plus sized cubes. The machine is part of a family of large-cube offerings that can be triple-stacked for 1,500-pound capacity and is Energy-Star qualified. Competitors of Hoshizaki had been insisting that this wasn't feasible in a large cube machine, but the product is now on the market. South Bend's 48-inch wide underrange oven ensures large capacity roasting. Going whole hog or whole lamb is getting "big" in ethnic restaurants, and it's difficult to accomplish this in a standard oven. It's a niche product that exemplifies a company that listened to customers and designed a product to meet their needs. Halton has two simple ideas that show this company is thinking about 24 FEDA New s & View s accommodating end users who want to renovate or update an existing kitchen. A lay-in tile ceiling diffuser makes it easy to add make-up air to the front of the hood without major ceiling surgery.The ability of a retrofit kit that adds a Marvel energy management system to an existing hood helps tie new and existing ventilators together. Brilliant! Summit'sThermoelectric Four-Bottle Wine Chiller (STCQ) is a simple self-contained unit for chilling and displaying up to four bottles of white wine and/or champagne without the need for messy ice buckets and dripping bottles at the dining table. Strahman Vari-Spray's new faucet designs are focused on water and energy savings through reduced flow rates. Pre-rinse hose manufacturers have challenged each other to win the engineering prize for the product with the least amount of water per spray.The assumption has been that users only want a hard, focused spray on the center of a plate, tray, or bowl—even though in other applications (such as washing cars continued on page 32