This year’s NAFEM Show saw more attendees than ever before. And the amount of innovative foodservice equipment solutions that were unveiled at the show certainly left folks in amazement. From automation to efficiency, improving the foodservice operator experience proved to be a central theme at almost every booth we visited.
While it proved to be an incredible challenge to narrow down our list of must-see items, we wanted to share six of the coolest foodservice equipment solutions that we saw at NAFEM this year.
Eagle Group
For school cafeterias that serve elementary students one hour and high school students the next, an efficient serving line is key. Eagle Group’s Director’s Choice serving counter with an adjustable height option allows school nutrition staff to customize the serving line height with ease. Lower the counter with the press of a button or turn of a crank for younger students, and quickly raise it up when the older students come through the serving line.
Bally
Not every foodservice operation keeps their walk-in coolers and freezers out of sight. For those that have front-of-house facing walk-ins, or operators who want add custom finish to their walk-in doors, Bally introduced custom wood doors to make any walk-in blend in or stand out. Bally also unveiled a unique trap door ceiling panel for walk-ins. Now, operators can access cables and wires that run across the top of a walk-in, without climbing on top of the fixture. This makes access easier, but safer as well.
BSI
BSI’s newest adjustable breath guard is the AdvanceGuard. AdvanceGuard sets the bar for adjustability with glass than can slide vertically up and down. Depending on the food or the customers, operators can quickly adjust the height of the class with ease. The challenge for all food guards like AdvanceGuard, is meeting NSF standards, which BSI consistently exceeds.
InSinkErator
Reducing environmental impact and food waste was a sticking point at the Insinkerator booth this year. First, the Tri-Cycle System is a next-generation pulper from Insinkerator that reduces food waste volume by 90%. This grinder is operator friendly with a digital display and easy to clean thanks to an automatic self-cleaning cycle. Another state-of-the-art innovation from Insinkerator is the Grind2Energy food waste recycling system. Grind2Energy is a disposer that turns food scraps into clean water and renewable energy, which decreases contributions to landfills and creates a cleaner more efficient facility. All while saving on energy costs.