Catering Insight – February 2018

versatility and market opportunities
for this equipment.
“One example of this is the Electrolux
SpeeDelight High Speed Panini Grill,
with a 13A version of this already
popular solution being launched in

2018. RH Hall will continue to offer
      an exclusive package for this item –
      including demonstrations, food testing,
      onsite training and installation.
      “Another subject of current
      discussion is the use of RF Solid State
      cooking technology, which provides
      far better and more consistent power
      control, along with many other benefits.
      The cost of this technology is currently
      very high, but we will see it introduced
      to the market in time. The use of
      barcodes with microwave cooking
      continues to be exclusively marketed
      and developed by iWave. The company
      is currently planning an addition to the
      range which will be designed to appeal
      to the wider catering market.”
      Panasonic has seen success in
      this arena with the SCV-2 speed
      convection oven it launched last year.
      Iain Phillips, sales and marketing
      manager, Panasonic UK, detailed:
      “In a nutshell, accelerated cooking
      equipment offers high speed food with a
      crisped and browned finish; something
      that microwave energy alone cannot
      achieve. When space is limited, and
      even when there is no extraction,
      compact, super-fast speed convection
      ovens like the Panasonic SCV-2 are a
      great option.”

Nevertheless, he cautioned:

“To ensure that the oven under

consideration has enough power, make

sure you have a demonstration session,

cooking food from the site’s menu. As

for reliability, operators should resist

the chance to save a few pounds by

buying cheap – buy a quality product

from a quality brand. End users need to

make sure they employ regular cleaning

and maintenance regimes too.”

He further encouraged dealers:

“Specify a high quality piece of kit that

comes with the assurances of a known

2

Panasonic feels its

SCV-2 high speed

oven is compact

and requires no

ventilation canopy.

3

Welbilt’s Merrychef

e2s uses a

combination of

microwave, tuned

impingement and

convection heat

technologies.

brand and after sales support, as well as

a comprehensive warranty; Panasonic

offers a 3 year, onsite, electrical and

mechanical parts and labour warranty

on all of its microwave ovens.

“There are many different sectors

within the market that all have

different needs and some operators

will opt to buy a budget model, but the

real life cost and value for money that

you get from buying a quality piece

of equipment should always be taken

into consideration.”

Analysing the market, he

commented: “The consumer is

demanding better quality food and the

foodservice industry is happy to provide

it, but there is a cost. The consumer

seems happy to pay an enhanced price,

but they want it ‘properly’ hot, not just

warm; they want it fast – we’ve been

tasked by some operators to target

60 seconds for heated food as this is

the time it takes the barista to make a

coffee, and of course it has to be tasty

so the equipment cannot ‘spoil’ the

food. Foodservice retailers need kit

that is easy to use and will consistently

achieve all of this.”

Likewise the Merrychef e2s from

Welbilt has made waves in the market

since it was launched in 2015. UK and

Ireland sales director Steve Hemsil

outlined: “As cooking technology

3

2

27

PORTABLE HIGH SPEED OVENS / LIGHT EQUIPMENT

http://www.cateringinsight.com / FEBRUARY 2018 / C AT E R I N G INSIGHT