Best in Class Reports

For 17 years, FE&S published the results of Best in Class surveys, naming the top brands as named by readers.

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2015 Best in Class Awards Overall

Our subscribing operators, dealers and consultants cast their votes for the best of the best among foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturers.

 The business environment for foodservice operators across all industry segments remains as complex as it ever has been.

Consumers continue to heed the value-conscious spending habits that took shape during the recession, labor pressures in the form of municipally mandated wage increases, competition from an improving job market, and the need to come to terms with the Affordable Care Act — these are just some of the pressures operators continue to face.

As a result, operators, consultants and dealers need to pick manufacturer partners that will meet a variety of performance targets, including product quality, product value, product design and aesthetics, service and support, sales representation, product inventory and availability, and product specs as they search for solutions to complex business requirements. In FE&S' annual Best in Class study, our subscribing foodservice operators, consultants and dealers evaluate the manufacturer community on these very attributes.

Individual results were combined with those from other participants from the category to create a composite score and identify those manufacturers that the readers of FE&S feel are the Best in Class for each product category.

While every foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturer contributes to the industry's success in their own way, these comprehensive results highlight those factories that establish the benchmark for understanding and meeting the needs of the entire distribution channel.

Here we proudly present the winners from our 2015 study.

 

Heavy Equipment Category Winner
Blast Chillers Traulsen
Braising Pans/Tilting Skillets Cleveland
Charbroilers Vulcan
Chef Counters - Prefabricated Randell
Combi Ovens Alto-Shaam
Convection Ovens Blodgett
Conveyor Ovens Lincoln
Cook and Hold Ovens Alto-Shaam
Custom Stainless Steel Fabrication Advance Tabco
Deck Ovens Blodgett
Dishwashers/Warewashers Hobart
Floor Mixers Hobart
Free Standing Floor Fryers Frymaster
Ice Makers Manitowoc Ice
Mobile Hot Food Holding Equipment Hatco
Ranges, Gas and Electric Vulcan
Refrigerated Prep Tables True Manufacturing
Steam-Jacketed Kettles Cleveland
Steamers Cleveland
Upright Reach-In Refrigeration True Manufacturing
Ventilation Systems CaptiveAire
Walk-In Refrigeration Thermo-Kool
 
Light Equipment Category Winner
Beverage Blenders Vitamix
Coffee Brewers Bunn-O-Matic
Conveyor Toasters Hatco
Countertop Griddles Vulcan
Disposers Salvajor
Electric Food Processors Robot Coupe
Electric Slicers Hobart
Heat Lamps Hatco
High-Speed Ovens TurboChef
Induction Cooktops Vollrath
Manual Food Choppers Vollrath
Microwave Ovens Amana
Parts and Accessories Franklin Machine Products (FMP)
Scales Edlund Company
Shelving Metro
Sinks, Prefabricated Advance Tabco
Underbar Fabrication Perlick
Underbar Refrigeration True Manufacturing
Worktables, Prefabricated Advance Tabco
 
Smallwares Category Winner
Cookware Vollrath
Cutlery Dexter-Russell
Food Storage Containers Cambro
Tabletop and Buffet Serving Accessories Vollrath
Thermometers/Sensors Taylor