Food

Having a high-performance culinary blender is absolutely crucial in any commercial kitchen. A consumer-grade blender just isn’t going to cut it; you need power, precision, and durability.

But which type is best: A portable immersion blender or a countertop culinary blender? That depends on the day’s menu.

Your kitchen is cramped. Your counter space is limited. Your budget is tight.

For all of these reasons, many foodservice operators opt for a single back-of-house blender. They throw in everything from soups to smoothies and hit Blend. What’s wrong with that?

Well… There really is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all commercial blender for a restaurant kitchen. Blending frozen drinks is a lot different from emulsifying a vinaigrette. Here’s what you should know about the differences between culinary blenders and beverage blenders.

In the United States, food waste is a staggering problem. Approximately 20 percent of the nation’s cropland is used to grow food that isn’t consumed, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Wasted food produces more greenhouse gases than 37 million cars.   

School nutrition programs are a key touchpoint in reducing food waste, not only in how meals are served today, but in teaching children mindful eating strategies they can use lifelong. But it can be tough to implement strategies for reducing food waste in schools while still meeting federal school lunch nutrition standards and health-code regulations — and keeping kids happy!

 In the lunchroom, several strategies have been proven to work:

• Setting up a sharing table, where kids can place items they are not going to consume (milk, packaged items, or fresh fruit; only USDA food is allowed).
• Letting children take their food to go — specifically fruits, vegetables and healthy hand-held snacks
• Not pushing milk on children who don’t want it.
• Scheduling lunch after recess, which can reduce plate waste by as much as 30 percent
• Enlisting students’ help in reducing food waste with waste weigh-in competitions, taste-testing sessions for new menu items, etc.

 But what about the back of the house? Here are some best practices finding success in local school districts.

Your mother was wrong: Breakfast probably isn’t the most important meal of the day — from a health standpoint, anyway. From the perspective of restaurant operators, however, breakfast is very important indeed.

At a time when restaurant sales are slumping, breakfast consumption continues to climb. The NPD Group’s research forecasts breakfast occasions (both in restaurants and at home) will grow by 5 percent through 2019. If you’re currently offering breakfast, are you hitting customers’ sweet spots? And if you’re not, is it time to expand into this segment? It’s worth keeping an eye on current breakfast trends. 

Soups. Shakes. Sauces. Smoothies. Most chefs rely on their blenders to make a few, standard menu items. But a high-performance blender, like the EXPEDITOR Culinary Blender series from Hamilton Beach Commercial, can lend its talents in a few unexpected ways. We found seven recipes for blenders that might surprise you, from pizza crust to lemonade. Why not give them a whirl?

We take great pride in our partnerships with leading foodservice equipment and supply dealers. To that end, Hamilton Beach® Commercial products were recently showcased by Hillphoenix, a pioneer in designing environmentally sustainable refrigeration systems and refrigerated display cases, in their presentation to grocery stores about creating Destination Centers to draw in more customers to the fresh perimeter areas of their stores. This piece was originally published on their Fresh Thinking blog on July 5, 2016. Read on to learn more about their strategy and recommendations for boosting business.              

The chefs spoke. And we listened.

Chefs in kitchens around the world told us they needed an advanced culinary blender at their side. They needed a blender that was versatile enough to allow them precise control, but had enough power to handle all the fresh ingredients that are the mainstay of modern kitchens. Most importantly, they needed a blender that could unleash their creativity and help them to put their signature of flavor in every dish, no matter what the style of cuisine. We took note of everything they said — and we delivered.

A blender may seem like a simple appliance — blades, motor, jar. But every time a chef turns a blender on, complex forces of physics combine to turn multiple ingredients of varying textures into a single perfect consistency. That is to say, culinary blenders are powerful machines. 

At first glance, a culinary blender looks similar to one used for drinks. But “they're not interchangeable tools,” says Karen Williams-Roman, product manager for Hamilton Beach Commercial's line of culinary blenders, "there really are differences." Three important features to look for in a culinary blender are variable speed, the ability to blend difficult ingredients, and container options.