No two kitchen operations are exactly the same — and therefore, their equipment shouldn’t be the same either.
There are a variety of aspects of countertop cooking equipment that can be configured for an operation — either at the manufacturing level or adjusted by the operator on site. Through a combination of innovating to meet foodservice trends and addressing requests from customers, Antunes has created a number of configurable product features, including:
Toasters
- Toast time
- Platen temperature
- Compression settings
- Toaster orientation (horizontal or vertical)
- Bun feeder profile
- Number of toasting lanes
- Non-heated or heated landing zone
- Addition of a butter wheel, either manual or mechanical
Steamers
- Time between steam shots
- Number of steam shots
- Length of steam shots
- Direction of steam
- Recipe programs
Egg Stations
- Egg ring sizes and shapes
- Cover orientation (opening left to right, right to left or front to back)
- Grill temperature
- Cook time
- Split cover option
Offering this level of customization provides a number of benefits to operators:
Flexibility for New Menu Items
When looking to add a menu item, operations typically start by seeing what they can do to use existing equipment in an innovative way. If a new piece of equipment does need to be purchased, operations are looking for ones with versatility to potentially handle other menu items in the future.
Consistent Quality
Menu item consistency is critical for operators, and adjustable equipment features can make up for product variations. For example, an operation may need to adjust their light-dark setting daily based on quality of buns they are using. The quality could vary from bakery to bakery and could change throughout the product’s life due to decreased moisture content. Adapting the equipment to meet the situation can ensure that the toast stays consistent.
Optimized Kitchen
Equipment can be configured to not only fit within the kitchen footprint, but also to optimize productivity. Equipment orientation and customizable components allow operators to maximize the space and streamline the flow of operations. For example, the Antunes’ Miracle Steamer is available with a direct water hook-up or self-contained water reservoir for flexibility in installation.
Speed of Service
To keep the kitchen moving, operators need products that are thoughtfully designed with efficient service in mind. Features like continuously moving dual belts in a toaster and a spilt cover on an Egg Station for cooking staggered batches of eggs allow operators to toast and cook on demand without delay for the customers.
From custom equipment and specialized configuration to adjustable features, Antunes has partnered with operations throughout the world to develop equipment solutions with enhanced capabilities to meet their exact needs. Learn more about Antunes product categories — and their features and benefits — with this video.
Expansion Update: Summer 2017
