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Foodservice Equipment & SuppliesJohn Stack (783)   ACityDiscount Selling Your Used Restaurant Equipment & SuppliesPosted Thursday, November 12, 2009 (13 days 3 hours ago.) Viewed 19 times. Operating a restaurant can be a challenging, yet rewarding business. Like any small business, it demands long hours and hard work. Unfortunately, the failure rate for a restaurant in its first year is high, so a restaurant owner needs to know how to resell their used commercial kitchen equipment when they are closing their foodservice business. This advice also applies for successful foodservice business owners who are looking to upgrade to a new or larger piece of commercial cooking equipment or commercial refrigeration, and wish to sell, for example, the second hand restaurant range or commercial refrigerator they are replacing. Here is some advice to help you obtain the best value for your used restaurant equipment and make the process less intimidating. 1. Organize the equipment that you want to sell. A restaurant can employ several different items of commercial cooking equipment, a grease hood system, refrigeration and food preparation equipment. It is easy for small parts and accessories to be misplaced, so make sure everything is together prior to contacting a restaurant equipment buyer. If you have the original paperwork and manuals for the equipment, which is a major advantage over another business that is trying to sell similar items, make sure each manual is matched up with the appropriate item. 2. Take descriptive photos of each piece of equipment that you want to sell. In many cases, to attract a buyer, the person interested may want to see digital photos of everything that you want to sell, including the flaws. You want to give the buyer an accurate expectation of what they are purchasing, so if there is any damage due to excessive wear, abuse, etc., then the buyer should be aware of this before making a trip to your location. Also, make sure that the equipment is cleaned to increase the chance that you will receive top-dollar for your investment. 3. Find a used restaurant equipment buyer. You will have the greatest chance to sell your restaurant equipment quickly by directly contacting pre-owned restaurant equipment buyers in your region. Alternatively, look for a company selling new restaurant equipment. They may be prepared to sell your used equipment on consignment, or refer you to an auction house they know in the foodservice industry. Restaurant equipment liquidators often advertise on your regional Craigslist, so you may want to start there. Search phrases such as " used restaurant equipment" or " we buy restaurant equipment" or " used restaurant equipment purchasing" on Google will also net you results. Following these three simple steps can make the process of selling your used restaurant equipment extremely quick and maximize your return. Contact ACityDiscount for specific advice if this list does not answer all your questions. We understand that selling your foodservice equipment often happens during difficult circumstances. Our restaurant equipment buyers will assist you to make the process less formidable. 
Permalink Comments (0) Sizing Guide for Restaurant Grease & Exhaust HoodsPosted Friday, July 28, 2006 (3 years 121 days ago.) Viewed 944 times. Please note that this is a reference guide and should not be viewed as a substitute for National or Local Fire Code. Also you must have a Licensed HVAC or Mechanical Contractor to do all of the installation and permitting. A Commercial, Restaurant, Kitchen, Grease, Exhaust, Type-1, Vent, Hood is essentially comprised of 3 main components: The Shell of the Hood , the Baffled, Grease Filters , and the Trough at the bottom of the Filters. You have to then produce negative pressure or a vacuum to ensure that all of the Heat, Smoke, Soot, and/or Grease-ladened Vapors are expelled from the Facilities. An Upblast, Grease Fan that is on the exterior of the Facilities, accomplishes this. An additional Fan may be required as dictated by the amount of exhaust or by local Code. Sizing a Hood: To determine the correct size Grease, Exhaust Hood to install, National Fire Code (NFC) dictates that the Hood should be 6 inches larger on all sides compared to the equipment that is under it. Please consult your local Building Code Office to see if they require more overhang. For example if you have a 36 inch wide, 6-eye Range, 24 inch Char Broiler, 36 inch Flat Grill (Griddle), and 2- Gas Fryers (average 16 inches wide), you would add the total widths to come up with 128 inches. With the additional 12 inches (may vary) for the overhang of the Hood, this comes up to 140 inches or 11 feet, 8 inches. Rounding up to the nearest foot, you would therefore need a 12-foot Hood. You should also keep in mind what the future may dictate in terms of additional or larger items. You may outgrow a 24 inch Broiler and swap it out with a 36 inch or larger model and thus, would need the Hood to be larger. Also keep in mind that certain Code dictates certain spacing betweens items. Sizing an Upblast, Exhaust Fan: The Hood Manufacturer dictates the Volume of Airflow (Cubic Feet per Minute or CFM ) for their Hoods depending on the equipment under the Hood and whether the Hood is against a Wall or in the middle of the Room (Island Hood). The Manufacturer derives the airflow from parameters set out by National Fire Code (NFC). NFC dictates that, depending on the Cooking Equipment the Volume of Airflow can vary depending on low, medium, high, or very high heat cooking. Essentially, 10 feet of Open Flame, Wok Cookers will need significantly more Exhaust than the standard equipment of a Range, Griddle, Fryer, etc. As an example we can use the aforementioned set up referenced in the "Sizing a Hood" Section, the 12' Hood with the equipment listed would need an average of 4000 CFM. Determining if you need a Make-up or Supply Air Fan Make-up Air (MUA) Fans blow air into the Facilities to compensate (make-up) for the Air being pulled out by the Exhaust Fan . For some it may be a Local Code issue as to whether they need a MUA Fan. For others, it may be a matter of convenience and/or efficiency. The general size and rule of thumb for MUA is a 6' Hood or larger or 2000 CFM or more of Exhaust flow. If your Conditioned Air, whether heated or cooled, is getting pulled out of your Facilities at a rate of 2000 CFM or greater it will cost you allot more money in the long run than the initial cost of a MUA Fan. You could even find it rather hard to open the Door or the Door gets slammed shut by the large amount of negative pressure being produced by the Exhaust Fan. To ensure that all of the Smoke, Grease, or Odors get pulled out of the Kitchen, it is necessary to have a little negative pressure. The general rule of thumb is about 85% of Exhaust. Therefore the proper MUA Fan for 4000 CFM of Exhaust would be about 3400 CFM.
Permalink Comments (0) Everything about Convection Oven CookingPosted Thursday, July 27, 2006 (3 years 122 days ago.) Viewed 9,556 times. While more expensive than traditional ovens, convection ovens offer various advantages over non-convection models. They can cook food in as little as half the time of static air, and do so at lower temperatures. As a result, foods shrink less increasing yield and lowering effective food cost. Meats such as prime rib finish crispy on the outside, but remain tender and juicy on the inside with convection oven cooking. The crusty exterior provides a seal retaining moisture and flavor. Convection ovens speed up chemical reactions that occur when food is cooking as well. The sugars in vegetables caramelize faster, baked goods release steam more quickly, and roasted meats render fats in half the time as with conventional roasting. ‘Convection’ is defined as heat transfer in gas or liquid form by the circulation of currents from one region to another. Water boiling in a pot and hot air moving in an oven are both examples of using convection to heat food. In a convection oven, electric elements or gas burners heat the air while a high-speed fan blows it around the oven cavity, thereby speeding up the cooking process. When food is heated in a conventional oven, the heat exchange between the hot air and the cold food and the evaporation of moisture in the food create an actual layer of insulation on the food’s surface. As this insulation barrier forms, the cooking process slows down. The forced air currents in a convection oven blow away this insulation layer and replace it with hot air, so the heat transfer is far more efficient. Air currents serve to amplify the effects of temperature. For example, the same principal that causes the wind chill factor on a blustery winter day works to increase the effectiveness of heat in an oven. When baking, the convection oven temperature may be reduced by 25° F, keeping the cooking time and temperature approximately the same as conventional baking, and one will achieve optimal cooking results. You save energy, decrease shrink and put more profit on the bottom line. In a static air oven, food must be placed near the center because the bottom rack is more susceptible to overcooking or burning. Likewise, food placed near the top of the oven often overcooks because rising heat can accumulate there. Convection ovens have both upper and lower heat sources to prevent hot spots as well as a third heat source placed in the back of the oven near the fan to ensure that the fan will be blowing hot air. The oven’s internal temperature remains constant top to bottom, and side to side because the air in the cavity is constantly circulating. Since the heat-circulating fan is not inside the oven cavity, the oven can be almost completely filled as long as an inch of space is left for the air to circulate between the food and the oven walls. This delivers a greater yield as well as saving energy! As versatile and efficient as convection ovens are, they are not for everything. Meat, poultry, fish, and seafood all cook extremely well by convection. However, convection cooking only works when the moving air comes in direct contact with the food meats cooked in a closed roaster, casseroles, cobblers, etc. will not cook much differently in a convection oven than they do in a standard model. Dark and dull pans will tend to cause over-browning when used in convection oven cooking. Anything covered or partially sealed is best baked in a conventional oven. Overall, convection ovens are a great investment to make in order to increase productivity and effectiveness in the kitchen. With many models and sizes available, you should be able to find one to fit your needs, from home to commercial use.
Permalink Comments (2) How to select the right Commercial Ice Machine.Posted Tuesday, July 25, 2006 (3 years 124 days ago.) Viewed 135 times. So, it's time to purchase a commercial ice machine. Whether this is your first ice maker, a replacement or an addition to the ice making equipment you already use, these tips should help you select the perfect ice machine to meet your needs. WWhile various manufacturers coin terms like tube ice, crescent cube, nugget, top hat, and more, to describe their machine's harvest, there are three basic types of commercial ice: cubed , flaked and nugget . Typically nugget and cubed ice are used for beverages while flaked ice lends itself better to fast cooling and use in displays such as salad bars and seafood cases. Nugget ice consists of small, irregular pieces made by crushing larger chunks of ice. Ice nuggets, made by extruding and freezing slushy flake ice into small pieces, are used primarily to cool soft drinks. Flaked ice is the most economical to produce and also gives the customer the perception of freshness. Cubed ice has a slower melting time and better displacement in a container thus, contributing to increased profits from the service of both soft and mixed drinks. More than 80% of commercial ice consumption in the US is in the cubed form. Size does matter! As a base guide, full service restaurants use 1.7 pounds of ice per customer fast food restaurants, 0.9 pounds per customer and cocktail lounges, 3 pounds per customer. In other words: a full service restaurant anticipating 150 customers at lunch and 100 customers at dinner would use a minimum of 425 pounds of ice per day. In cafeterias and C-Stores where customers dispense their own ice, a 12 ounce beverage will consume 4 ounces of ice, 7 ounces for a 20 ounce cup and 10 ounces of ice in a 32 ounce cup. When looking at production figures, is best to use the test standards set forth by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) of 90 F ambient air and 70 F water. Also, don't forget that you are making an investment in a piece of equipment which will be with you for many years as your business succeeds and grows. The environment where your ice machine will be located is an important factor to consider. Air-cooled ice makers use the most energy but are usually less expensive initially than water-cooled models. Water-cooled models are far more efficient than air-cooled units and suitable for hostile installation conditions where high water and ambient air temperatures would virtually shut down an air cooled machine. Remote air-cooled condensers transfer heat generated by the ice-making process outside of the building. Like water-cooled units, they reject heat outside of conditioned spaces and therefore do not increase air conditioning loads. There are extra installation costs for running refrigeration lines to a remote location. A hundred pounds of ice is equal to about 12 gallons of water. The amount of water used to make this amount of ice varies widely by manufacturer and model (from 14 to 35 gallons). Where water prices are average, water cost for ice making is 25% or less than the electricity cost. In areas where water is expensive, water use may be an important consideration. Whenever possible, select a location for the machine where the temperature will remain moderate throughout the year and where there is adequate perimeter clearance for your ice maker to "breathe". Manufacturers such as Hoshizaki America Inc. IMI Cornelius Inc. Manitowoc Food Service Group, Mile-High Equipment Co. Ice-O-Matic (Enodis) and Scotsman have helpful and informative websites to further assist you in your choice.
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