Content sponsored by: Alto-Shaam
Smaller spaces are trending in the restaurant industry. In an effort to save money on building costs, monthly rent, labor and overhead, foodservice operators now have to do more with less room.
Operators are discovering ventless cooking equipment as a solution to their space challenges. Ventless equipment provides added flexibility in terms of kitchen design. Operators are able to place this equipment anywhere—maximizing floor space inside and outside of the kitchen while improving efficiency and workflow.
Additionally, ventless equipment makes sense financially. Operators are able to save on expensive traditional ventilation systems, which cost as much as $2,000 per linear foot to install and approximately $30 per hour to operate.
In order for cooking equipment to be certified ventless, it must meet EPA emission standards. Most commercial cooking equipment releases some combination of smoke, heat, steam, odors and grease, which must be scrubbed and evacuated from the building by an overhead ventilation system. Ventless equipment does not produce these byproducts or utilizes built-in technology that eliminates cooking emissions and releases clean air.
Ventless Options
Today, there are many ventless cooking options, including Combi Ovens, Cook & Hold Ovens and Multi-Cook Ovens. Offering an optional ventless CombiHood®, the CT Express™ is the most compact Alto-Shaam combi oven that matches the performance of full-size models. It holds five full-size hotel pans or 10 half-size sheet pans. The high-power fan draws steam and fumes into the hood intake and out the top surface exhaust vent, trapping grease and vapors as the air moves through the ventilation system. Geared for kitchens with limited space, the oven can bake, roast, steam, poach, grill, braise, oven fry and more.
Another ventless option is Alto-Shaam's Original Cook & Hold Oven featuring exclusive Halo Heat® technology. Due to the unit's extremely low emissions, operators do not need to place the Cook & Hold under a ventilation system.
Halo Heat's gentle, even and radiant heating properties save time and money in a crowded kitchen by providing higher protein yields, lower energy usage and reducing the need for additional equipment. These ovens can roast, cook, proof, hold, braise and more. Eliminating the need for extra labor, the Original Cook & Hold Oven is highly efficient and designed to work overnight. Unlike traditional convection ovens, the Cook & Hold also reduces meat shrinkage by 18 percent while producing a more tender product.
Alto-Shaam's ventless Vector® Multi-Cook H Series Countertop models offer up to four independently controlled oven chambers with half-size sheet pan or full-size hotel pan capacity in a small 21-inch footprint. With Structured Air Technology®, the Vector delivers high-velocity, vertical upward and downward airflow. This optimized, focused heat allows faster, more even and consistent cooking that produces twice as much food as a traditional convection oven in the same amount of time.
To learn more about how you can save space and money with ventless solutions, please visit Alto-Shaam.com.
