Chefs and chef-consultants share what equipment they’re excited about this year and in general.
Chef Preston Madson, executive chef at Gravitas in Beverly Hills, has always preferred to make as much as he can from scratch — unless volume and labor costs make it prohibitive. He relies on his combi oven with the smoker attachment for a hands-off way to make his own pastrami and turkey, which Gravitas pairs with house-made sauerkraut. He also uses the combi oven to smoke veggies. “We made an awesome smoked tomato jam and a smoked shallot jam for our sandwiches. It was super easy,” he says, noting that using a combi oven with a smoker does not require enhanced ventilation, as is the case with regular smokers. “You just plug in the attachment, put whatever wood you want in it and now you can even select preset programs for different foods, or just play around with the settings on your own. I basically use the same timing I use at home with my barrel smoker.”
Chef Madson also loves his pasta extruder. “I would use it more but sometimes labor is an issue,” he says. Pasta cookers are also a nice touch, he says but adds they should never be placed anywhere near a deep fryer. “If water accidentally drips into the oil can cause the hot oil to splash and cause serious burns to cooks working on the line.”
Chef-Consultant Joseph Schumaker, FCSI, CEO of FoodSpace, has always been a fan of combi ovens and fully ventless speed ovens, but is getting really excited about a new commercial high-speed cooking oven that uses radio frequency (RF) technology (versus microwave tech) to cook food more gently, faster and consistently and to cook multiple types of food at the same time (like salmon and bacon) in the same vessel. The unit also “heats, learns and adapts,” by sensing changes in food in real time and adjusting energy delivery for consistent results. “I’m also excited to see what new induction innovations are coming out — rumor has it a couple of big manufacturers are both working on new products now,” Schumaker says.
Chef-Consultant Stuart Davis of Stuart Davis Design says he’s “really into European-style bars right now.” He’s referencing a couple of manufacturers that create modular, furniture-grade platforms which consolidate refrigeration, cocktail prep, storage, and display into a single, cohesive installation. These units also commonly feature flush construction, concealed hardware, premium finishes, and optional integrated lighting to deliver a clean look that’s very bar-tender-friendly (ergonomics-wise), Davis says.
Speaking of ergonomics, Davis says he’s been specifying taller kitchen prep counter heights than the traditional 36-inch units. “The 37-38-inch is where we are finding is the best ergonomic height right now,” he says.
Davis, who works with many fine-dining chefs and independent restaurant groups, notes that more clients are asking for high-temp thermostatic griddles (500 degrees F to 550 degrees F). These griddles are touted for their faster recovery and higher throughput, consistent surface heat cooking and rapid searing and browning for meats, steaks and even sturdy veggies, he notes.
Chef “Jay Z” Ziobrowski, CEC, corporate R&D chef, Morrison Healthcare, loves any multicook equipment right now — from multi-chamber ovens that can cook different types of food with different temp and cooking time requirements to multifunction appliances that can cook with different styles (fry, pressure cook, saute) in one unit. “We’re focusing on efficiency and using fewer ingredients across the menu; five or fewer in a recipe if we can help it,” he says. “If we can combine that with quality equipment that can cook multiple items in at the same time, high-volume chefs love that right now.” Chef Ziobrowski’s not afraid of advanced tech, either. “We’re always looking for advanced technology to improve our cooking and future production needs, whether it’s better quality, faster production, or more consistency. We also want to make it easy to train people. If you can put something in the oven for two minutes instead of teaching someone to cook it for six hours, that’s a win.”
