Techno Kitchens

New equipment that speaks multiple languages, contains recipe files and alerts chefs to maintenance issues before they become a problem is changing the traditional notions of functionality and efficiency in kitchen operations. Thanks to innovative technology, "smart kitchens" are the wave

of the future as chefs and F&B managers see opportunities to improve operating efficiencies, cut costs and increase food safety. From plug-and-go automation to fully networked kitchens where pieces of equipment can "talk" to each other and a back-office computer, technology is becoming increasingly prevalent—and beneficial.

'Smart' Equipment

"The day-to-day technologies currently out there, from exhaust systems to fryers, are very efficient and can provide a substantial savings to operators," says Ken Schwartz, president, SSA Foodservice Consultants, Pinellas Park, Florida. "In my opinion the upfront cost is minimal to the long-term benefits." Yet, he cautions, high-tech equipment requires a well-trained staff. "Touch-and-go functionality is fantastic but it's very sophisticated equipment and requires a sophisticated user. Proper training is essential to make sure the equipment is being used correctly and the savings realized."

Suzanne Storms, executive sous chef, Fairmont Chicago, agrees. The hotel recently installed the new RATIONAL SelfCooking Center, which adds extra automation to its combination-oven/steamer technology. The high-tech equipment touts its numerous automated capabilities, including eliminating complicated programming, constant monitoring and the need for conventional temperature, time and humidity inputs, thus "liberating chefs from their routine daily chores."

While the hotel is using the SelfCooking Center in everything from banqueting to à la carte applications (and is installing more units), Storms says there is a definite learning curve when it comes to all the bells and whistles. "Basically this is a smart combi-oven that has some presets. In a normal combi-oven there's no monitoring system. This adjusts and readjusts cooking times based on the amount of product, from, say, a large prime rib to smaller steaks," Storms says. "I can choose how much moisture or dry heat I want without having to use a thermometer, so it takes a lot of the guesswork out. But you have to learn how to use it and adjust it to your own specifications." For instance, she explains, what the equipment engineers in Germany determine to be the proper time and temperature to cook a large roast may be different from the way a chef in Chicago wants to cook something. "While, yes, you can push a button and be done, we may not always want our meat cooked to well-done, for example," she says. "You have to know what you want your results to be. Timing is essential. You have to go through a lot of trial and error to get the results you want."

With such trial and error, chefs are becoming more tech friendly, especially when they see the time savings from such equipment. Convotherm's new Press&Go technology in its +3 series combi-ovens enables chefs to save recipes, up to 250 files, so that subsequent items can be prepared with the push of a button. Quality and consistency are more or less guaranteed while creating a significant labor savings. For large convention hotels the banqueting benefits are obvious. The company also is exploring ways to use technology to reduce energy usage and cut cooking times.

Such equipment is also gaining acclaim for its food safety measures. Ovens that keep heat at a safe level can eliminate many contamination worries. "Taking the guess work out of time and temperature is a huge sanitation issue in this business," Storms says.

Networked Kitchens

While these are just a few examples of numerous "smart" equipment launches this year from manufacturers across all equipment segments (from dishwashers to chillers to fryers and everything in between), beyond individual items that make chefs' jobs easier, next on the horizon are networked kitchens that use software to expedite the production process. "Smart kitchens connect all production and support equipment to a central computer in a back office. It's bi-directional communication between the equipment and the PC," explains Rick Cartwright, director of warewash engineering for Hobart Corp. and past-chairman of the data protocol steering committee of the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM), which has created a new standardized language by which the equipment communicates. "A standardized language allows equipment to share information over local network [or the Internet]. It can work on any type of equipment so long as it has the electronics [some sort of controls system] to support it."

This "meaningful data," as Cartwright explains, allows for better management of food safety, labor and food costs (via inventory management—for example, equipment that's linked to front-of-the-house POS systems to tell chefs how much product to cook or prep, and when) and energy usage. While still in its infancy—the protocol took nearly three years to develop and has yet to be widely incorporated—early adopters of the technology are seeing the biggest ROI with food safety issues. "To maintain safety standards, traditionally an employee walks around with a clipboard and a pencil and manually records and monitors temperatures—what food is cooked at, stored at, etc. Now equipment is there that will alert you if you have a problem and maintains HAACP logs. It's a huge efficiency and labor savings," Cartwright explains. The network also helps managers better monitor their equipment. For example, if there is a repair issue or a cooler breaks down, the system alerts the manager immediately.

Because of the food safety benefits, large institutions such as hospitals and schools have been the first to embrace this technology. But Cartwright believes it is more of a question of when, not if, such technology will find its way into the hospitality industry more broadly (and NAFEM already has had preliminary discussions with manufacturers outside North America about making the compliance a global initiative). The biggest issue for the hotel industry is education, he says. First, to get the word out that the protocol even exists, and second to let operators know that it doesn't require a complete overhaul of kitchen equipment. "There's a lot of legacy equipment out there, and there are ways to upgrade equipment or find an intermediary device that can talk to the network. The issue is that at this stage we haven't found a way to build the whole financial story yet, beyond the food safety issues," Cartwright explains. "Hobart's approach is to make its equipment protocol compliant with an optional device. It's an extra box that operators can buy when it becomes more widely accepted, which makes it more economical." As with Hobart, look for more and more manufacturers to be announcing their new "NAFEM Protocol Compliant" equipment lines in the coming months.

Direct comments to: kstrauss@reedbusiness.com