Easy-to-clean, easy-to-operate, easy-to-maintain -- and easy on the eyes. That's what retailers want in food-service equipment.
In turn, equipment manufacturers are designing new ovens and other common pieces of equipment with simplicity -- and good looks -- in mind.
BKI of Simpsonville, S.C., makes a single revolving oven that's accessible from two sides for easy cleaning. The unit also has "excellent lighting," which heightens the unit's visual appeal, according to the manufacturer. In describing another model, the manufacturer claims a rotisserie and deli case with a double-revolving mechanism creates "show-and-sell excitement."
Hobart's rotisserie ovens include nonstick-coated interior parts and accessories to reduce cleaning downtime. Those features save "a minimum of 45 minutes per unit, per day, in labor," a Hobart official told SN.
"If you can save a supermarket an hour of labor a day, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out their unit will be paid for a lot quicker," said Kent Kazmaier, manager of deli systems for the Troy, Ohio-based company.
Manufacturers keep theater in mind when they design new models. The latest rotisserie ovens made by Hobart have a curved glass viewing area that's 30% larger than the older models. And while the company has been "very successful" selling only electric-powered units, Hobart is developing a natural gas-powered rotisserie to court retailers who believe a gas flame will attract customers, Kazmaier said.
"Many retailers want the gas flame," he said. "They're willing to pay more for it. The gas flame draws people in."
Operators don't need much cooking know-how to run the new ovens manufactured by Alto-Shaam, Menomonee Falls, Wis. The company added temperature probes to its cook-and-hold ovens, which only require operators to set the cooking temperature. The oven does the rest.
Alto-Shaam also makes deli cases with timer bars, which remind the operators -- with a beep -- when it's time to stir or rotate the food.
"The computers on the equipment are taking over, so all you have to do is push a button and tell it what to do," said Judy Nagel, national sales manager for Alto-Shaam. "It doesn't take a chef to run these things."
Operators clean the new combi ovens in a jiffy, using a spray cleaner and turning the units on the steam setting for a few minutes.
Naturally, the new features come with a higher price tag, but the additional cost isn't much, Nagel said, noting that customers can get some options for just a few hundred dollars more. When retailers look at the number of labor hours saved, "it becomes very competitive," Nagel said.
