Saving Space and Enhancing Plates with the Rapid Steamer

SITUATION:	A family-owned, regional Italian restaurant chain features a number of made-to-order pasta creations on their menu and was looking for a way to make service more efficient without compromising quality.
EXECUTION:	With experience using another Antunes steamer, the chain was open to testing the company’s latest versatile product offering — the RS-1000 Rapid Steamer. Space is at a premium in the kitchen, especially on the gas range. The Rapid Steamer allows the operation to pre-cook pasta ahead of time and rethermalize it on demand, as opposed to having several large pots of boiling pasta water taking space on the stove and requiring individual attention.
RESULT:	The two 20-ounce steaming drawers of the RS-1000 allow for a flexible workflow, so orders are handled on demand with ease. The intelligent programming ensures that there is no waiting for the generator to recover and that the appropriate amount of water is used each time — a critical feature for operations looking to intuitively flash steam products rapidly without having to wait for the steamer to “catch up.” Additionally, the dry steaming process of the Rapid Steamer ensures that the food is thoroughly steamed but not coated with water. The chain’s sauces are all homemade with tomato juice as the constituent liquid (not water), so having pasta that does not drip on the plate or dilute the sauce is critical to serving a quality menu item. Pleased with the unit’s performance, the chain will implement the Rapid Steamer at all seven of its locations. During peak business hours, the Rapid Steamer will be used about 80 percent of the time.
ABOUT:	Antunes is a leading custom foodservice equipment manufacturer, specializing in countertop cooking and water filtration solutions for global operations. Headquartered in Carol Stream, Illinois, Antunes is driven by a commitment to provide reliable performance, customer-focused service and premium quality.