School nutrition programs across Maryland, Virginia, and the metro Washington, D.C. area have many considerations when it comes to foodservice equipment. Any given unit in a school kitchen needs to be versatile, durable, efficient, and provide the greatest benefit within a given space. And let's be honest, that space is usually limited.
So what are two essential pieces of foodservice equipment that every school nutrition program should consider?
MILK COOLERS
First and foremost, school nutrition programs exist to provide nourishment for students. In fact, there are school nutrition association guidelines that must be met, and one of those guidelines is the availability of milk.
Continental Milk Coolers make milk accessible to students and staff in an easy-to-use, safe, and energy efficient manner. They are available in both cold wall or forced air options. Cold wall use tubing within the unit's walls to maintain milk temperatures, while forced air units add cold air flow curtains to ensure proper temperatures during serving periods when the lid is frequently opened and closed. These heavy duty units are ideal for serving high volumes of nutritious milk to hungry students.
SONIC STEAMERS
School nutrition programs deal with high volumes on a daily basis, and often from limited kitchen space. Finding a unit that delivers high quality, high volume food without the need for water lines, drain lines, vent hoods, or fire suppression can be invaluable.
The Panasonic Sonic Steamer is a convectionless cooking unit that cooks hotel-sized pans using microwave technology. It is ideal for heavy volume steaming of items like vegetables at a fast cooking speed, making it ideal for school cafeteria service.