If you’ve been keeping up with What’s Cooking, you know we’ve recently been looking at how you can utilize commercial restaurant equipment to increase the quality of your restaurant’s beverage menu and level of operation. We’ve examined ways to make the most of your bar equipment for serving craft beer, ice machines for updating your drinks menu, and plenty of other ways to improve the way your restaurant runs. This week at What’s Cooking, we look into the world of drinks once again to focus on ways to make the most of your commercial restaurant equipment by checking out popular beverage trends, innovations from a variety of restaurants, and what’s ahead for the beverage business.

So, why the focus on commercial restaurant equipment? While we admit that we’re a little biased in favor of it, the fact is that a successful kitchen needs the right tools, and quality commercial restaurant equipment can make a huge difference in a restaurant’s success. Staying equipped with the best commercial restaurant equipment brings an enormous advantage to your establishment. A restaurant with top commercial restaurant equipment is able to function more smoothly and efficiently, leading to increased revenue. Investing in quality equipment from the start and caring for it during its lifetime will mean fewer breakdowns that require servicing (which also means more funding), and ultimately results in greater productivity.

Just as important as using quality commercial restaurant equipment, however, is keeping up with, and even anticipating, trends in the restaurant business. The rising popularity of craft beer, the locavore movement, gluten-free menus, and other trends can prove to be advantageous to your business if you use them draw customers. So what’s coming up in the world of beverages? Check out these developments.

Chipotle Tests Freshly-Made Margaritas

Restaurants like Chipotle are finding success through a major menu change that both complements its current menu and brings something totally new to the table. Introducing the Chipotle margarita. At the end of April, the fast-casual Mexican food chain introduced a premium version of their pre-mixed margaritas, which are made with Patrón Silver tequila, Triple Sec, fresh lime and lemon juices, and organic agave nectar. Since their introduction, margaritas (along with pre-existing beer choices) account for 1-2% of Chipotle’s total sales.

Burger King’s Coffee Makeover

Burger King has revamped its coffee choices several times, and its latest round of changes includes new flavors from Seattle’s Best Coffee in the form of 10 new drinks. Burger King’s vice president of global innovation, Eric Hirschhorn, says this drink renovation is a response to consumer trends and customers’ desire for specialty coffee beverages. It is also a response to a growing trend with its competitors, however. By introducing new coffee menu items, it attempts to compete with options available at major chains like McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts.

Beverage Flights on the Rise

Several chains have added beverage flights to their menus, including California Pizza Kitchen and Smokey Bones. Beverage flights are small tastes of a variety of drinks that can be served before, with, or after a meal. CPK offers wine flights, while Smokey Bones offers a flight of craft beers. Beverage flights saw a surge in popularity at the end of 2012, and the trend has continued well into the spring of this year.

More Beverages and Commercial Restaurant Equipment

What beverage trends are you taking advantage of in your restaurant? What do you think is next for the beverage biz and commercial restaurant equipment? Find ShortOrder on Twitter and Facebook and tell us!

As a restaurant owner in the digital age, it pays to keep up with current technology—literally. Whether that means investing in advanced, energy-efficient Manitowoc ice machines, engaging with your customers on social media, or creating a mobile-friendly version of your restaurant’s website, staying on top of the newest technology for business can save you time and money, and in some cases can even help turn a profit! One such way the restaurant business has evolved to take advantage of apps available for mobile devices. This week, ShortOrder has compiled a short list of apps from which your restaurant could benefit.

Manitowoc Ice Machines’ Resource Library

At the beginning of April, Manitowoc Foodservice (of the much-lauded Manitowoc ice machines) announced a new app designed to help you better operate your Manitowoc ice machines. The app allows users to access important Manitowoc ice machines’ documents all in one place. Called the “Resource Library” app, it offers mobile viewing of product specification sheets, operations manuals, literature, CAD symbols, and more. The app is currently only available for the iPhone and iPad, but Manitowoc is currently developing the app for the Android as well.

Ambur – Point of Sale (POS)

Ambur was built by a team of former restaurant owners and employees, and is meant to increase a restaurant’s efficiency when it comes to ordering, reporting, running payroll, and more. Reviewers agree that Ambur is reasonably-priced, boasts excellent support and customer service, and has major potential to streamline a restaurant’s day-to-day operations.

National Restaurant Association Show 2013 App

If you are planning on attending the NRA Show 2013 between May 18th and 21st, this app is a must. It allows you to view the show’s events and speakers, create your own schedule, see a list of the exhibitors, connect with the NRA via social media, access maps, and more. Among this year’s attendees are various international buyers; Starbucks’ Chairman, President, and CEO Howard Schultz; and Anthony Bourdain.

ChowNow

ChowNow lets customers view a restaurant’s menu items, customize an order, and check out right on their mobile device. ChowNow incorporates your restaurant’s logo into the app’s easy-to-use interface, allows you to send push notifications to customers with the app, and lets customers access contact information, hours, and location for your restaurant. ChowNow is ideal for restaurants targeting busy professionals who need a way to order meals or large orders at their convenience and without wait time in the actual restaurant.

ShiftPlanning

Designed to make employee scheduling easier, ShiftPlanning is an app that lets you create, edit, and manage time clocking, payroll, HR, and schedules. You can do it from pretty much anywhere, since ShiftPlanning is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, and WAP devices.

More News and Manitowoc Ice Machines

Want to know about the advantages that Manitowoc ice machines could give your business? Read more about it here and here. For more news about the restaurant business, restaurant equipment, Manitowoc ice machines, and beyond, visit ShortOrder on Twitter and Facebook.  Tweet or write on our wall and tell us: which apps do you use in your restaurant?

At ShortOrder, we’re always looking for new ways to help the enhanced professional kitchen make the most of its restaurant equipment. This week, we’ve got some great steps your restaurant can take to become a sustainable business. Making a greater effort toward sustainability has many benefits. According to the National Restaurant Association’s president and CEO, Dawn Sweeney, “Many restaurant operators have been working on sustainable practices for years, finding it’s good for business by helping attract new guests, boosting communities, and driving savings as operations become more efficient.” With that in mind, read on for our top tips and tools for using your restaurant equipment and turning your business into an environmentally-conscious operation.

Turn off the Lights

Not all night, of course, but it’s a good idea to be mindful of when you have all of the lights on in your restaurant. Equipment in your kitchen uses plenty of energy, so why not save a little on the electricity bill? Turn off the lights during breakfast and/or lunch hours, especially in the summer when the days are longer. If there are lamps on or above each table, make sure their bulbs are low-watt. Also consider investing in LED lighting, which can save thousands of dollars per year in electric bills.

Use Efficient Restaurant Equipment

Part of being a sustainable restaurant includes saving energy wherever possible. One way to cut costs is to invest in quality, energy-saving restaurant equipment. Lower costs don’t mean you have to sacrifice value, however. Brands like Scotsman ice machines are Energy Star certified, meaning that they provide significant energy savings to consumers, have increased energy efficiency, and maintain a higher quality of performance than other products of its kind.

Maintain Your Restaurant Equipment

You should also be sure to regularly maintain your kitchen’s restaurant equipment so it remains in proper working order at all times. Equipment that uses up more energy than necessary can be a drag on your business’s expenses. For example, click here for energy-saving tips for your restaurant’s ice machines.

Donate Uneaten Food

A study by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found that 40% of all edible food in the U.S. goes to waste. Restaurants can reduce this number by making an effort to donate or compost un-served food. Find out about “food-rescue” programs, including national organizations like Food Donation Connection, 2nd Harvest, and Feeding America in your area, or start your own program!

More Restaurant Equipment Tips

For more tips about keeping your restaurant sustainable and making the best use of your restaurant equipment, keep reading our What’s Cookin’ blog! You can also follow ShortOrder on Twitter and like us Facebook.

Have you ever been faced with a need to fill gluten-free requirements, but don’t know how to meet those needs with your restaurant equipment?  This week we offer some valuable tips about what gluten-free really means and how to incorporate it into your menus.

About Gluten-Sensitivity
Gluten is a protein composite (made up of two other proteins) found in foods processed from wheat and other grain-related species like barley and rye.  There are different levels of gluten sensitivity.  Those with only mild gluten sensitivities might be able to eat some things those with celiac disease (an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that causes, among other things, a complete intolerance to gluten) can not.  For example, be extremely careful about cross-contamination!  If foods are cooked in the same restaurant equipment that was used to bake, cook, stir-fry, or dice a food with gluten in it, those with high gluten-sensitivity will be affected.  Likewise, a food that is technically gluten-free may sport a label that says “Processed in a facility that also handles wheat.”   You can’t tout your menu as truly “gluten-free” if you aren’t careful about exactly what goes into your dish.

Cooking with Restaurant Equipment Sans-Gluten
Before you plan a gluten-free menu, look up as complete a list as you can find of foods with gluten in them.  You might be surprised what makes the cut!  Favorite, seemingly harmless foods like soy sauce, certain lunchmeats, bouillon cubes, and salad dressings can all contain gluten or be contaminated by gluten.

Then, rather than focusing on the things that are not available to your restaurant equipment for a gluten-free menu, think about the things that are.  All kinds of meats, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and a myriad of spices can be incorporated into a gluten-free menu.  There are also, of course, many replacements for gluten-laden ingredients; corn, flax, buckwheat, soy, rice, and almond flour can all serve as suitable substitutes in plenty of recipes.

Gluten-Free Recipes for Restaurant Equipment
Searching for some ideas to add to a gluten-free menu in your restaurant?  Try these recipes out on your restaurant equipment.

Gluten-Free Brownies

These brownies from Jesika Rose of jesicakes.blogspot.com are moist and chewy, and are made incredibly decadent by the inclusion of dark chocolate and almond flour.  Add some mix-ins to make this brownie recipe your own.  Chocolate chips, peanut butter, and pecans can all add a twist to these brownies.

Broccoli Divan

Faith of anediblemosaic.com created a broccoli divan recipe that is vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free.  It relies on no meat substitutes and relies instead on seasonings, almond meal, and vegetables.  This dish, which is normally made with chicken, becomes a flavorful alternative.

Pistachio-Encrusted Salmon with Edamame Mash

Shauna James Ahern of glutenfreegirl.com has created a pistachio-encrusted salmon with edamame mash that is surprisingly sparse in its ingredients and takes very little time to make.  Shauna says you can replace the pistachios with another nut, or the fish with a different firm fish depending on your preference.  Give it a try and see what new creations you can come up with!

One of the most important things to do when preparing a menu is to keep your guests guessing, so consider dispensing with the usual ice creams or plain cheesecake.  Whether you are using your restaurant equipment to fry, grill, or bake your desserts, if you keep an open mind you can create unique menus year-round.  Below we’ve compiled a collection of unusual desserts for your restaurant equipment.

Fried Cookie Dough Bites
With restaurant equipment like Gen2 fryers, you can create sinfully fried delights.  One of our fried dessert ideas is fried cookie dough.  These little balls of sweetness satisfy even the most demanding sweet tooth.  Whatever you choose to coat your cookie dough bites with, be sure that it is extra crunchy.  (We recommend funnel cake batter and cornflakes.)  The contrast between the crunch of the shell and the warm, gooey dough on the inside is sublime.  Thanks to their richness, you only need to serve a few at a time.

Grilled Peaches
This dessert is simple and delicious.  Grilled peaches are a perfect summer treat.  Simply halve and pit the peaches, brush them with canola or grapeseed oil, and grill on your restaurant equipment grill until tender.  You can serve them alone, drizzled with honey, or with a side of yogurt, whipped cream, or ice cream for a little cooling contrast.

Fried Flowers
Though fried flowers are a seasonal dish, they made a unique addition to a menu.  Squash blossoms, orchids, roses, zucchini blossoms, and acacia are all popular flowers to fry, and the resulting dish has a delicate flavor.  To keep your flowers light, make sure that after you dip the flowers in batter that you shake off any excess to keep from masking the flavor.  Likewise, your oil should be sizzling but not smoking, otherwise the flowers may absorb too much oil.

Beetroot and Chocolate Cake
It may sound odd, but the addition of beetroot to a traditional chocolate cake creates a kick of sweetness that counters the bittersweet chocolate.  Adding crushed beets to a cake also has many other benefits: they moisten the cake, add a rich red tint, and retain some of their nutritional value.  There are also vegan versions of this cake recipe, which are useful for offering customers an alternative unusual dessert option.

Dessert Wontons
Wonton wrappers aren’t just for savory edibles anymore.  Use your restaurant equipment to fry up wontons stuffed with sweet things.  Any number of combinations is acceptable.  Try bananas and Nutella; a rhubard pie-like filling; peanut butter and jelly; walnuts, pears, and vanilla; raspberry jam and cream cheese; or peaches, pecans, and mascarpone cheese.  These hot, crispy treats make a great winter dessert.

Having winter drinks on our ranges at home is one of the best things about wintertime, and it’s no different in restaurants.  As kids we enjoyed seeing how many miniature marshmallows we could fit into a mug of hot cocoa.  We sipped at non-alcoholic eggnog, then wondered why anyone would want to sip at eggnog.  The smell of cider filling the house meant that the holidays were fast-approaching.  The fact is, warm beverages are a tried-and-true part of the winter months.

The nature of holiday libations ranges from rich, creamy refreshments to punches that are easy on juice and heavy on wine.  More often than not, the idea behind warm winter drinks is to throw all the ingredients into a saucepan, then let them simmer until ready to serve.  They are great to have readily available, because once they require no upkeep, as long as you keep them warm.  Here are four of the best winter drinks to please your guests.

1. Wassail (Non-Alcoholic)
This kid-friendly version of the traditional hot beverage will warm children and adults alike.  Its name comes from the Old English phrase “waes hael,” which means “be you healthy,” and was involved in an old drinking ritual that ensured a good harvest.  Today’s wassail is a more of a variation of mulled cider.  It usually combines several fruit juices cooked with cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and sometimes allspice and ginger.  The result is a fragrant, flavorful punch.

2. Hot Chocolate
This winter drink is a classic.  However, there are many, many ways to put a new spin on hot chocolate.  Belgian hot chocolate, Mexican hot chocolate, hot chocolate Agasajo-style, and even peanut butter hot chocolate are all options.  Give your hot cocoa a kick with ancho chile and cinnamon, add a dollop of marshmallow fluff, or drizzle with some ever-trendy salted caramel.  Whatever you do, make sure you top it with real whipped cream and serve with biscotti, cookies, or toast.

3. Mulled Cider
Mulled cider is one of the timeless, great holiday drinks.  To make it, combine apple cider, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, whole cloves, an anise star, and some thinly sliced oranges for a citrusy kick.  Let it simmer on one of your ranges for as long as you would like; the longer it simmers, the more flavor it has!  (Besides which, no one likes cold cider.)

4. Hot Spiced Ginger Lemonade
It turns out that lemonade is no longer limited to summertime.  Although it sounds an unlikely candidate for a winter beverage, it’s actually perfect for cold winter days.  It generally requires the same spices as a wassail, but uses lemonade instead of fruit juices.  The result is a lighter-tasting version, and a great way to surprise guests with the unexpected.

No matter how you choose to fill your menu or your ranges, be sure to be creative with your holiday drink recipes.  Your unique drinks will keep guests coming back for more!

Whether you are the head chef of a five star restaurant getting ready for this evening’s dinner service, or you are preparing lunches in a school cafeteria, the ability to quickly and efficiently prepare your food is a must. Having the best in commercial microwave ovens and knowing how to use them can make a great kitchen even better. We’ve outlined three of the most important uses of commercial microwave ovens below.

Thawing
Knowing when and how to properly thaw frozen foods is one of the most challenging parts of cooking, mostly because, when done properly, it can take literally the entire day. However, if you use commercial microwave ovens like the Panasonic NE-1022F, thawing your ingredients can be a quick and painless process. Here are a few things to remember:

• When in doubt, use your commercial microwave oven’s thawing button for best results. The Panasonic NE 1022F comes with 1000 watts of power, ensuring that your food will be cooked perfectly every time on any heat level you need.
• Make sure to stop the microwave and check your food throughout the pre-set time. If the food is warm, let it stand for a few moments before turning the microwave back one to ensure that it’s only defrosting, and not cooking. Give foods like soups or purees a stir before continuing to ensure even heat distribution.
• Remember, for safety’s sake, to cook whatever you’re preparing immediately after you defrost it.

Steaming
Many people aren’t aware that steaming vegetables in commercial microwave ovens retains more nutrients than cooking them on the stove. For best results, add a little water, cover your dish with plastic wrap, and cook on high for a short amount of time. The Amana RC30S2 for example not only has 100 customizable memory settings, but 11 preset power levels designed cook your food perfectly whichever way you’d like it.

Reheating
Another little-known trick for commercial microwaves is that they can reheat and re-crisp meals or snacks like fries or potato chips. The key is to place a paper towel or napkin on top of the plate of food. The napkin will absorb the moisture that makes the food soggy leaving it crisp and ready to eat in just seconds.
Whether you’re thawing chicken for dinner with the Panasonic NE-1022F steaming veggies with the Amana RC30S2, or using one of our many other commercial microwave ovens, Short Order has what you need to reheat, steam, defrost, and cook all of your food to perfection.

People in the food industry appreciate the confidence that comes with equipment like Gen2 fryers.To deep fry is to cook by immersing a food item in hot fat or oil. According to the urban dictionary, fried can also mean being mentally or physically exhausted, or the experience of being made fun of or humiliated. Certainly, chefs and line cooks across the country have had personal experience with each of these versions of the word “fried.” It can be exhausting to run a kitchen, putting out order after order of dishes, dancing around priorities, cooking times, kitchen activity, and customer demands. And fail just once, and you just might be “fried” by customer reviews.

In the world of restaurant equipment, nothing builds confidence and workability like Gen2. For example, the Gen2-F3-NAT natural gas Gen2 fryers earned the “Best In Class” award by Food Service Supplies Magazine. And, like virtually all of our Gen2 products, Gen2 fryers (including this one) boast our five star rating and our Editor’s Choice award.  Gen2 fryers have a cool zone for easy cleaning, range of 200º-400º and a stainless steel tank. The F3 also comes in an LP version. And if you are looking for something larger, the 70-pound capacity Gen2 fryers are also fitted for both LP and natural gas.

Gen2 also has a number of quality accessories available to customize Gen2 fryers to your exact needs. And like all Short Order restaurant equipment, we offer our Gen2 fryers at the lowest possible price and include free shipping. So don’t wait until you are completely fried from trying to meet customer needs while using sub-standard equipment; or worse, you are fried by a viral customer complaint. Choose Gen2 fryers–bring high quality and consistency to your kitchen and take yourself out of the fryer.