The Manitowoc Ice Machine SD-0302A is a top-notch piece of ice-making, restaurant kitchen-pleasing piece of restaurant equipment from Manitowoc, the leader in ice machine technology.  This particular model, a nifty head-and-bin combo number, churns out a cool (actually frozen (groan)) 325 pounds of ice cubes in any given 24-hour period.  Those cubes are dice-style, by the way.  Like many Manitowoc ice machines, the SD-0302A is renowned for its low maintenance costs and overall efficiency.

Sure, the Manitowoc Ice Machine SD-0302A is merely one Manitowoc ice machine among many, and virtually all of them are roughly equally worth of the praise we’re giving this one.  But you know what?  We just have a soft spot for this number, so we’re going to write about this one in particular.  Here’s some info about the Manitowoc Ice Machine SD-0302A:

Manitowoc Ice Machine SD-0302A: A Brief Overview

The Manitowoc Ice Machine SD-0302A is a virtually peerless machine.  Well, that is, of course, if you take all other Manitowoc ice machines out of the running. It accomplishes some amazing feats of engineering, some of which include producing large amounts of ice (see the previous paragraph) and can store 150 pounds of it at any given time, all while taking up a measly 30 inches of wall space.  That’s crucial when your restaurant kitchen space is at a premium—and, if you’re a restaurateur, or have worked in the restaurant industry, you know kitchen space is always at a premium.

Manitowoc Ice Machine SD-0302A: Leader of the Pack

The Manitowoc Ice Machine SD-0302A, along with a host of other Manitowoc ice machines, has had the honor of being designated Best in Class by Food Service Equipment Supplies Magazine.  That’s high praise, but it doesn’t stop there: The editors here at Short Order have bestowed the SD-0302A with a five-star rating, the highest we offer, and have market it as an Editor’s Choice product.  Those are designations we don’t take likely, nor toss out willy-nilly around here.

But the Manitowoc Ice Machine SD-0302A, along with an impressive array of other restaurant equipment, from here at Short Order today!

Last week, we got a little bit into commercial steamers.  Well, let’s clarify that statement, since that can mean a host of different things, and we mean one thing in particular.  We’ve always been into commercial steamers, in the sense that we’ve always thought they’re magnificent machines, essential pieces of restaurant equipment for any commercial kitchen.  There are a host of wonderful commercial steamers out there, made by manufacturers of high repute.  (“Manufacturers of high repute.”  Hmm.  Sounds high-falutin’.  Nevertheless, we mean it!)

Some of these manufacturers include Vulcan (celebrated in this very space for the wonderful Vulcan ranges they produce), Cleveland (not the city!), Groen, and Panasonic.  No matter which manufacturer you ultimately choose to select, you’ll be getting a wonderful product at a great price from Short Order.

How can we be so confident in our stock?  It’s easy: If we don’t like it, we don’t sell it!  There’s a reason that the lowest rating we’ve given any product we offer is three stars on a one-to-five scale, and it’s not because we like to fluff our own egos.  It’s because we only sell products we feel like we can wholeheartedly get behind.  And we feel no hesitation in getting behind commercial steamers made by Vulcan, Cleveland,  Groen, and Panasonic.

Not looking for commercial steamers?  No sweat!  We’ve got a whole range of other restaurant equipment you can choose from.  In addition to the aforementioned Vulcan ranges, we also have Frymaster fryers, Hobart slicers, our beloved Manitowoc ice machines, Globe slicers, and Beverage-Air refrigerators.  All of these manufacturers make excellent products, ones we’re just as proud to offer as our commercial steamers.  (Of course, if you are looking for commercial steamers, we think you’ll probably understand by know that we have those too!)  And of course, all of it’s backed by our unbelievable Low Price Guarantee!

With New Years Eve, comes New Years Resolutions. I’m sure many of your customers are taking the healthy challenge and will be interested in steamed vegetables. Besides steaming the perfect carrot, food steamers can be a valuable addition to any kitchen!

Multiple Uses!

Steamers are quickly becoming a work horse in the kitchen for fast vegetable cooking and reheating. They retain more nutrients and natural colors and flavors while cooking with water instead of oils and butter. Steamers produce faster cook times and increased productivity.

Tips!

1. Always preheat your steamer
2. Break up frozen vegetables and season after steaming, not before.
3. Always steam vegetables in perforated pans.
4. When steaming meat in perforated pan, use a solid catch pan underneath.
5. Use a drain that is 6 ft away from the steamer.

Convection vs Convectionless

Like convection ovens, convection steamers have a fan to get more even cooking.

Steam generator vs “Boilerless”

Steam generators, or boiler models, require water and drain connections, are more difficult to delime, but are higher production. Boilerless models have a heating element directly under the bottom of the interior cavity; simply add water directly to the cavity. They are simple to clean and generally last longer, but have smaller productions capacity.

Things to look for:

Groen’s polished mirror stainless steel interior and their top quality make them a top consideration. Always size your needs carefully.

As with any gas appliance, be sure and include a new AGA commercial gas flex hose. They are designed to be extremely heavy duty, usually with a brass quick connect. Standard, plumber supplied home-type flex hoses are not designed for commercial applications and are not NSF approved.

Shipping! All of our products ship directly from the manufacturer. Once you place the order, we send the request over to them. When they ship it, we’ll email you the tracking information. These items MUST BE INSPECTED upon delivery. If there is any damage, DO NOT sign for it, just refuse shipment and we’ll get a new one right out. Most things on our site, you should have in 7-10 business days and unfortunately, we cannot offer expedited shipping.

Back-to-back posts about Vulcan ranges?  What is this?  Might our fascination with Vulcan ranges be 2011′s version of 2010′s Manitowoc ice machines obsession?  (Somehow, we doubt it, if only because we’ll never fall out of love with Manitowoc ice machines.  After all, we prefer cold over hot, and a machine capable of producing hundreds of pounds of half-dice ice cubes every 24 hours will always have a special place in our hearts, even while we do acknowledge the unique beauty of a range pumping out 32,000 BTUs of energy, heating our food with undeniable precision and grace.  Nevertheless, we love all our children, and stranger things have happened than a sudden, temperature-based preference change.)

Talk about a digression with a capital D!  Back to the matter at hand, that matter being the uniquely excellent line of Vulcan ranges we offer.  They run the gamut from space-saving, efficient models to rangy (groan), expansive ones.  One thing they all have in common, though, is that they’re industry leaders in their field.

Take the Vulcan Range 60-SC-6B-24GB-NAT.  (A mouthful, we know!)  We’ve bestowed this excellent model a five-star rating, the highest we offer.  Our editors have gone one step farther, indicating that it’s an “Editor’s Choice” pick.  That means that we consider this Vulcan range to be one of the very best out there.  We’re not alone in that assessment, as Food Service Equipment Supplies Magazine, a noted industry publication, has designated the 60-SC-6B-24GB-NAT Best in Class.  Heady praise, but we stand by it.

Not looking for ranges?  We understand!  After all, ranges (Vulcan ranges included) aren’t all you need to have a smoothly running commercial kitchen.  If that’s the case, then check out our other lines of restaurant equipment, from Hobart slicers to Beverage Air refrigerators.  No matter what you need to complete your kitchen, chances are we’ll have it in stock at Short Order, and at a spectacular price, to boot.

Pretty lofty title, maybe, but it’s true: Vulcan ranges are of unparalleled quality.  We believe that you’d be hard-pressed to buy better restaurant equipment for the money than Vulcan ranges.  Vulcan ranges are sturdy, built to last, efficient, and incredibly effective.  What’s more, they’re sleek and well-designed, which means your kitchen will look as good as it cooks.  And when using Vulcan ranges, you’ll be cooking pretty darn well.

Vulcan ranges, for the most part, come in two categories: medium- and heavy-duty.  The difference between medium- and heavy-duty Vulcan ranges is that the heavy-duty ones offer more in several areas, including work surface area, customizability, and BTU output, than their medum-duty counterparts.  It’s a useful distinction that goes a long way toward demonstrating the myriad ways Vulcan ranges can help you get the job done as efficiently as possible—that job being, of course, the rapid and effective cooking of whatever food your you (and your customers) fancy.

So, whether you’re responsible for a countertop-only, small-capacity diner or a massive hotel kitchen, there are a set of Vulcan ranges that can fit your needs perfectly.

Take the Vulcan G36L-1-NAT, a model in the impressive Vulcan Endurance line of ranges.  The Vulcan G36L-1-NAT offers an impeccable burner system that delivers precisely controlled levels of heat applied to whatever you’re cooking.  Other impressive Vulcan ranges include the Vulcan VG60-59-NAT and the Vulcan VG36-66-NAT, two highly rated, well-respected products in the field.

Of course, there’s more to Vulcan than just Vulcan ranges.  They also make a host of other incredibly well-made products, including cheese melters, griddles, steam tables, ovens, fryers, char broilers, and more.  Along those lines, we here at Short Order offer more than just Vulcan products!  We also carry superb models of product lines such as Manitowoc ice machines and Hobart slicers.  No matter what sort of restaurant equipment your commercial kitchen needs, we’ll have it—and at incomparably low prices, as well.

Globe slicers are a top-notch choice when it comes to slicing deli meats to perfection.  Along with Hobart slicers, another line of products we’re particularly fond of, Globe slicers are virtually unmatched, finely tuned pieces of restaurant equipment brilliance.  You want thinly shaved chicken breast piled high on that deli sammie you’re selling?  How about some super-thick buffet-style slices of ham for a banquet your restaurant is catering?  How about some perfectly uniform, hole-y (not holy!) slices of Swiss cheese for patties at your burger joint?  Opt for Globe slicers each time and you’ll be one happy restaurateur!

Globe Slicers: Accolades

Globe slicers are well-respected throughout the restaurant community.  We rate many of their products highly and have even bestowed some Globe products with Editor’s Choice ratings.  Our Editor’s Choice designations are a signal to you, the reader, that we consider them among the best in their class.  Think of it as added reminder from us that we are proud to carry said products.

Of course, we simply wouldn’t carry something that we weren’t proud of.  There’s a reason why we don’t rate anything below three stars on our site: If we didn’t like the product, we wouldn’t carry it!

Globe slicers are also famously efficient and are a breeze to clean.  Globe slicers are built with stainless steel and include antimicrobial protection.  That means a simpler cleaning regimen for you and your slicer, which means you have more time to enjoy the sliced fruits of your labor.

Globe slicers are incredible, but that’s not all they offer.  In addition to slicers like the Globe Slicer 3600P, Globe also manufactures a host of other excellent restaurant equipment, including meat choppers (the aforementioned Editor’s Choice products) and mixers.  They have an all-around product list that suits a wide variety of elements in your kitchen very well.