General

Most people assume grocery stores and convenience stores are the same. After all, they both offer the same services and seem to have a similar approach towards design, inventory, and even staffing. However, while there’s some truth in that, grocery and convenience stores are worlds apart. 

Freezing berries for use in your restaurant will not only save you time in the future, but also money. You won’t find yourself constantly buying berries, or desperately trying to find ways to use them before they go bad. The use of frozen berries provides numerous benefits to your kitchen, and to your customers’ health.

Blast chillers freeze or cool food items far faster than a traditional freezer. The quick action freezing capabilities offer many benefits compared to a standard commercial freezer. If you are unfamiliar with how these devices work, take a minute to find out what they are and what benefits they can offer you and your business. 

Whether you are at a seafood restaurant, an elegant party, or just hungry at home, you may find yourself with a surplus of shrimp, unsure how to make it all last. Fear not, for the answers are all here.

With chicken being such a popular menu item, it’s crucial that you know how to answer one of the most asked questions regarding poultry: “how long does chicken last in the fridge?”

You don’t have to be Italian to appreciate a good carpaccio. You also don’t have to be Italian to make a mouth-watering carpaccio dish. With so many versions of this delicious dish, how do you choose which to make?

Italian restauranteur, Giuseppe Cipriani, opened a bar and restaurant in Venice, Italy, named Harry’s in 1950. Upon opening his popular establishment, Cipriani developed both the famed drink bellini and the appetizer he called carpaccio. The dish was favored among patrons and often sold out nightly.

It is said that Capriani invented the famed dish after a guest at Harry’s Bar requested a plate of raw meat and was served carpaccio.     

If you are constantly dealing with freezer defrosting issues, it’s time you consider a frost-free freezer.

While modern freezers come with an element of defrosting, there are critical differences between manual defrost and frost-free freezers.

The first step to deciding if the unit is right for your business is finding out what is a frost-free freezer? Next, you can weigh the advantages and disadvantages of owning the freezer.

Indulging in fresh oysters straight off the shell is always a satisfying experience.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy this seafood delicacy. You can eat them fried, baked, or even stuffed. Regardless of how you want to consume oysters, freshness plays a critical factor in how the flavor turns out.

Eating stale oysters can go beyond the unsettling taste – it can even pose health risks.

Oysters can be good for up to two days after they are bought fresh from the market. If you want to eat them raw, you must know how to store oysters to keep them alive during this period.

If you work in the foodservice or hospitality industries, you likely require a refrigeration unit. Commercial refrigerant is an essential part of your refrigeration system, but it doesn’t typically come up during your research unless you are working to make your business efforts more sustainable through the use of more eco-friendly refrigerant types.

When working in the foodservice and hospitality industries, it's vital that you take all necessary precautions to ensure that your customer's needs are met. When it comes to the necessary equipment to do this, one of the most important investments you'll make is in your refrigeration unit. Unfortunately, it's not always as simple as choosing between a standard or commercial unit. In fact, those in this industry typically must decide between a self-contained refrigeration unit or a remote refrigeration unit.

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in America. 

Americans consume an average of 2 to 3 cups of coffee every day. A study by the National Coffee Association showed that 62% of Americans drink coffee daily, while 7 in 10 people admitted to drinking coffee every week. 

Many people drink coffee to improve their mood, increase energy levels, and boost brain function. With hectic schedules, working-class Americans often drink coffee throughout the day and prefer on-the-go options such as mobile coffee carts.

This incessant demand for coffee shows no signs of dwindling any time soon. In fact, coffee consumption is on the increase, making a mobile coffee cart business a lucrative business idea worth exploring.

With its affordable start-up costs, reduced staffing expenses, and flexibility on location and opening hours, the perks of opening a mobile coffee business are attractive.

Crème fraiche vs. sour cream – is there really a difference? The same can be asked when comparing these two dairy products with cream cheese and even mascarpone. If they look so similar, can they be used interchangeably? Can they be stored in the same bakery refrigeration setups? Do they require the same types of mixers to create similar textures?

Before you can decide what to include in your bakery equipment list and how you can include these various products in your recipes, you'll need to first understand the difference between these four commonly confused dairy products.

When choosing their lodging location, travelers will also consider whether or not a hotel supplies a continental breakfast as part of their stay. The continental breakfast definition tends to vary by location, although they do share several characteristics.

When working in the food and beverage and hospitality industries, you'll need to work with various chilling and freezing equipment. Whether you're storing goods for shipment or for selling directly to consumers, you'll want to make sure you aren't confusing one type of equipment for another. Two pieces of equipment that are often confused are blast chillers and blast freezers. When it comes to the great debate between blast chiller vs. freezer, it's important to understand that they are two vastly different pieces of equipment. 

If you're just getting started with your restaurant's design or are looking for updated equipment to replace older units, you'll want to make sure you are carefully considering all your options for commercial refrigeration equipment. Your restaurant will require more than just a large unit in the back of the house to store your ingredients. It will likely also require smaller units throughout your setup, such as beverage coolers to keep drinks at the proper temperature for immediate serving. Choosing from the best undercounter beverage coolers doesn't have to be a complicated process with the right knowledge.

Whether you're just beginning to look at commercial refrigeration units or you are simply looking for a replacement unit, there are many things you will need to consider before making your final purchase. While you will want to consider where the unit will be located, internal capacity, and overall design, you will also want to familiarize yourself with what makes up a basic refrigeration system and how it works.

Commercial refrigeration systems are most often used in restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores, and most hospitality industry facilities. These units are different from your basic refrigeration system in many ways, including what foods and beverages can/should be stored in them, their storage capacity, and so much more. 

When you are working with perishables, you are in a constant battle against time and food spoilage. Your arsenal requires a reliable line of commercial refrigeration equipment fully capable of maintaining product freshness and preventing food waste to ensure the satisfaction and safety of your customers. Each machine on the lineup should be in service of your operation. So before you make your purchase, there are a few things you need to consider before you pull the trigger on this important investment. If you wish to learn about walk-in refrigeration, we have a separate blog you can read right here.