The moment a dish of hot food is prepared, it enters a race against time. As every second ticks by, the optimal serving temperature becomes compromised, and the quality of the product degrades. This is a matter of preserving food safety and peak taste. If too much time elapses, food is exposed to the “danger zone” (not the kind Kenny Loggins sings about) and loses that fresh-cooked integrity, resulting in a mushy, unappetizing meal.
The right strip heater can put time back on the clock.
If your customer is undergoing a new kitchen build-out or remodeling an existing one, remember that strip heaters are as customizable as any other piece of Hatco equipment — and for good reason. Getting the right sizing, hanging clearance height and emitter type optimizes the food-saving power of their strip heater.
Effective food warming equipment can be beneficial for your customers beyond the kitchen. Expediting stations, waitstaff pickup locations, customer serving counters and other quick-turn holding scenarios can all benefit from the effective warmth of a strip heater.
Let’s look at some best practices when recommending Hatco strip heaters to your customers and how to expand upon that sales relationship.
Customization
Creating the right fit begins by looking at the width and length of the space you’re trying to heat. Width is determined in part by how a heated foodservice area will be used and how quickly food moves. Meanwhile, the length can match the span of the heating area.
Strip heaters have three widths to consider: narrow, single and dual. The determining factors are space and volume. Narrow is perfect for a tight space with a low volume of food passing through. A single unit is ideal for waitstaff pickup areas where food is expected to be picked up quickly to make room for the next hot dish. In this case, the heating area and speed of food pickup will factor into determining if there’s enough space to meet an operator’s holding needs. If the depth of the target area a customer needs to heat is greater than 12 inches (305 mm) or used for heavy volumes of food, a dual unit should be installed. Dual units have nearly three times the heating coverage of a single unit.
Determining the length of the space your customer needs warmed is as simple as measuring it. Any span between 18 inches (457 mm) to 144 inches (3658 mm) can be accommodated in 6-inch increments until you hit 72 inches (1829 mm), and then in 12-inch increments until 144 inches (3658 mm) in length.
Your customer’s specific modifications wouldn’t be complete without options for all the bells and whistles. Lights can be useful if the strip heater is in a dimly lit area or used for customer-forward displays. One Hatco strip heater model comes with optional dual-colored LED lights that have the added bonus of working even if the warming function is off. Controls that give your customer the ability to calibrate heat depending on the time of day or level of business are important. Hatco’s line of Remote Mount Boxes (RMBs) allows operators to safely locate those toggles, infinite switches and indicator lights away from the heat zone, which will extend the unit life and reduce long-term servicing costs (a huge competitive advantage for Hatco). Standard and high-watt options are available for most strip heaters and typically align with the width of the unit selected.
Hanging height and emitter type
The hanging height and emitter type go hand-in-hand. They are the most important factors in setting up a strip heater. Most hot foods are cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C) and then need to be held in a safe zone of 140 to 160 °F (60 to 71 °C). Following this hanging guide explicitly lays out the recommended hanging range above target and spacing requirements.
The three emitter types, as they escalate in intensity, are Infra-Black®, infrared metal sheathed and Ultra-Glo® durable ceramic. The different emitter types also have better-performing “sweet spots” depending on clearance levels from the surface below them.
- Infra-Black heating elements create a gentler infrared heat than any of the other emitter options, ideal for narrow clearances. The Infra-Black emitter has a minimum clearance level of four inches (102 mm) above the counter, hence the less intense heat source.
- Infrared metal sheathed elements are the most popular and economical emitters on the market, accounting for 90% of all strip heaters. They create an optimal heat wavelength for holding most food and are versatile due to their variable sizes and wattages (standard, high or max).
- Ultra-Glo durable ceramic elements create a strong and intense heat, allowing the heat to travel longer distances. The clearance can range from 14 to 26 inches (356 to 660 mm), perfect for heat-intensive stations dealing with fried foods.
It is important to keep in mind that distance affects the efficiency that radiant heat warms food. The more distance between the heating source and the targeted warming zone, the easier it is for the waves to be interrupted. Other sources of wave interruption to be aware of are nearby open windows and fans.
Aftermarket support
By continuing dialogue with your customers, you can turn their focus towards aftermarket support, not only to enhance customer satisfaction but also as an opportunity to generate new revenue. As kitchen functions evolve, menus change, and trends come and go, you can be a consistent source of solutions. Building great personal relationships is essential to crafting a steady pipeline of repeat business.
One of the most overlooked add-on sales is also something you look through — sneeze guards. If back-of-the-house equipment is now public-facing or if buffet operations are expanding, it is in the best interest of food safety for your customers to incorporate Flav-R-Shield® Sneeze Guards. Whether self-service, full-service or portable, the Flav-R-Shield line can be configured for any need.
In the life chain of hot prepared food, strip heaters play the pivotal final role in safe holding. But, there are a slew of other hot-holding solutions that customers may require. Holding cabinets and proofers are ideal for staging food because of their long hold times. Hot food merchandisers hold hot food for that “last mile” while creating impulse sales and offering on-the-go convenience. Warming drawers are designed to keep a variety of foods hot and flavor-fresh for serving. To-go lockers and pods are a game-changing way to elevate delivery and to-go experiences. There’s so much to explore and recommend.
Customer satisfaction.
For food safety and food quality concerns, strip heaters are a necessary cog in the kitchen machine. To better engage customers with real purpose and a strong connection, it is important to understand your customer’s strip heater needs. You have the expertise to recommend the right fit, the right style and the right solutions for ongoing aftermarket food holding needs — whether strip heater or beyond.
