Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/655792
38 FEDA News & Views griddles, was awarded the "Innovation Smart Label" for their innovative system Induct'Art, which maintains plate tem- perature as a hot pass (expo) in a fi ne dining restaurant. The system uses laser and thermal scanners to detect a plate and then heats it to the desired tempera- ture level in less than 15 seconds, and then maintains that temperature during the entire plating process. Adventys is sold by Equipex in the U.S. Desmon, an Italian refrigeration manu- facturer that is part of Middleby, had an innovative rapid cooling chest that has an interesting specialty application. The unit was developed for the Italian fi shing industry, where government codes now require fi sh to be chilled within a limited time frame once they are caught. This could be used for similar applications in the U.S. market, specifi cally for caterers and others who need a low-cost mobile chilling solution. If I had to choose just one product line at the show for availability in the U.S. market, it would be Casta. This Italian manufacturer offers a broad line of medium-duty standard and specialty ethnic cooking equipment that ranges from charcoal grills to a wide range of Japanese and Chinese cooking equip- ment. The charcoal grill is packaged with an oven to form a compact wood cook- ing suite. The Asian equipment can also be confi gured into an integrated suite. If Casta was imported to the U.S., it would be great one-stop shopping for almost any type of ethnic cooking equip- ment. Unfortunately like many European manufacturers, they are deterred by the prospect of dealing with our regulatory requirements. Neat and Useful Ideas Several display case and bar manufac- turers applied vinyl wraps to depict a wide range of materials including stone, concrete and metal. The simulated metal fi nishes on one service counter looked just like brushed pewter. Using these skins could offer fl exibility for a new look and/or refresh old counters at an affordable cost with no downtime. Enclosed heat lamps located inside the channel of over-shelves (with plates stacked below) has caused over-heat- ing problems with built-in controls. I noted that in several custom fabricators booths, over-shelves with heat lamps had louvers along the edge to release heat. A simple and effective idea for application in the U.S. Several European manufacturers listed the capacity of cooking equip- ment, ovens, and dishwashers based on the number of seats in a dining room. Although this is more oriented to res- taurants and hotels than to schools or hospitals, it's a useful guide for planning equipment purchases—something we could use in the U.S. Validex, a French conveyor manu- facturer, showed a wall-mounted unit that can dispense a cafeteria tray with a swipe of an ID card or key fob. With this solution, anyone in the servery with a tray would be recognized as "authorized" to collect food, thereby eliminating a checker. This is ideal for schools, col- leges, hotel staff cafeterias, in-plant feed- ing—anywhere meals are free or pre- paid and access needs to be controlled. Moving fully-loaded food or dish carts up ramps or down long hallways is a challenge for employees. Tenta, a large German caster manufacturer, offers a modular-powered caster system called "e-drive1" that can be added to the bot- tom of many existing carts or engineered into new carts. Good to know that Tenta has a factory in Kentucky and their prod- uct is sold in the U.S. The Irish manufacturer of the inno- vative Grease Guardian grease collec- tion system showed a compact under- sink fi ltration system called the Coffee Guardian. It's used for coffee ground waste from the back wash of brewers or espresso machines and prevents clog- ging drains. One model is sized just for the coffee machine, another is sized for the utility sink next to the machine as well as the brewer. Approximately 20 percent of Host was related to coffee equipment. In the show directory, there were more than 1,200 exhibitors of coffee-related equip- ment—roasters, grinders, and brewers of every conceivable size and automa- tion. There also was equipment for gour- met coffee stores to package their own K-Cups or pods right in the store. The passion for coffee worldwide, and readily available equipment, is likely to translate into even greater interest in gourmet and organic coffee in the U.S. It would seem that this niche market Foster Frable continued French manufacturer Adventys' "Induct'Art" uses laser and thermal scanners to detect a plate and then heats it to a desired temperature in less than 15 seconds.