Food

Tough times demand unfailing courage and hard work — as restaurant operators know all too well. Some days, it feels impossible to succeed when you’re facing rising expenses, unpredictable business patterns, and stressed-out staff.

But guess what? You can alleviate all of these challenges. All you need is a clever strategy for making the most of what you have. Hamilton Beach Commercial’s vacuum-sealing and immersion circulator solutions can help.

Challenge 1: Rising food costs. 

Food costs increased 38 percent from February to May, according to an analysis by restaurant supply-chain company Buyers Edge Platform. Beef cuts cost 87% more; pork cuts 70% more; and chicken breasts cost 23% more.

Besides raising menu prices, what can restaurants do to adapt? Control costs where you can, which means buying in bulk and reducing food waste. These two strategies might seem at odds: If you’re buying more inventory, won’t it spoil? Not if you vacuum-seal it.

Toss a cardboard box of romaine in the walk-in, and its shelf life might be three days. Wash and vacuum-seal it, and now it’s fresh and crisp for 6 to 8 days. 

Our customers have found that a PrimaVac™commercial vacuum sealer can pay for itself in just 5 to 7 weeks, as they’re seeing $200-$300 savings per week in spoilage/waste prevention. Just be aware that it’s essential to follow food safety guidelines and train kitchen staff in safe handling practices when using vacuum packaging.

Challenge 2: Unpredictable order volume.  

Tuesday evening is a total bust. After an initial trickle of takeout orders, the kitchen’s quiet for the rest of the night.

Wednesday evening, you’re in the weeds. Two hundred orders pour in. The parking lot’s packed with delivery drivers.

Is it the weather? The full moon? All you know is that you can’t afford to be caught off guard by demand — but you can’t afford to let prepared food go to waste, either. PrimaVac™ and the AcuVide™1000 immersion circulator are the killer duo that help you adapt to unpredictable swings in volume.

Vacuum-seal prepared foods — proteins, vegetables, even sides — for precise portion control and safe refrigerated storage. Then, they can be rethermed or cooked sous vide and held at temperature for an extended time. Finish meats and poultry with a quick sear or grill, and you’re set. No more throwing away food because it’s overcooked or spoiled!

Challenge 3: Managing staffing levels.

Most restaurants are operating at partial capacity with reduced staff, which throws cost and revenue equations for a loop. Your team is either idle or overwhelmed — there’s rarely a comfortable middle ground. The PrimaVac™ and AcuVide™ can make their lives easier in countless ways. How?

The PrimaVac™ line of commercial vacuum sealers can:

• Help make the most of prep time, as portions can be seasoned and sealed
• Allow chefs flexibility in deciding when to prepare, cook or chill products
• Prevent cross-contamination and spills
• Reduce cleanup time (fewer containers to wash)
• Simplify takeout packaging, whether you’re serving a whole beef brisket or cocktails to go

The AcuVide™ 1000 commercial immersion circulator can:

• Maintain food at the ideal temperature, freeing chefs to focus on other tasks and speeding service. The timer goes up to 99 hours, permitting precise cooking of even large, tough cuts of meat.
• Heat food simply and safely. AcuVide is one of the few immersion circulators that’s both NSF-certified and IPX7-grade, which protects the unit from water ingress, should it accidentally fall into the water. An alarm and auto shutoff alert staff if the water level is too high or too low.

Here at Hamilton Beach Commercial, we’re invested in your success during uncertain times. We built both PrimaVac and AcuVide to meet exacting European quality standards while keeping them at a price point far below their rivals, so they’ll be power players in your kitchen lineup for years to come.

We’re saluting Foodservice Heroes: the operators, chefs and hospitality professionals who are stepping up to help their community. Meet some of our heroes and suggest someone you know!