Uses & Benefits of Alto-Shaam's Halo Heat
Keeping cooked food at serving temperatures for longer than a few minutes is an age-old foodservice problem. Too little or unevenly spread heat will cause food to cool, but more intense heat can continue the cooking process, leaving meats and proteins overdone and dried out.
When Alto-Shaam founder, Jerry Maahs, first dabbled with heated holding equipment in the 1960s, he was looking for an effective way to deliver food from his Wisconsin Chicken Delight restaurants without it being affected by the harsh winter. While watching the Green Bay Packers football game that came to be known as the Ice Bowl, he noticed the team used thermal cables run beneath its field to keep the ground from freezing. Inspired, he mimicked the technology on a smaller scale, wrapping low-density thermal cables around insulated containers. When Chicken Delight requested he either stay with the franchise or continue work on his new invention, he chose to found Alto-Shaam and focus on developing the technology.
Alto-Shaam Halo Heat technology is now used in most of the company's equipment, including cook-and-hold ovens, smoke-and-hold ovens, holding cabinets, hot merchandisers, grab and gos, and warming drawers.
How it Works
Alto-Shaam Halo Heat is a gentle, radiant heat that emanates from thermal cables surrounding the food in a manner similar to an electric blanket. This consistent heat is used to either hold or slowly cook and then hold food at a set temperature.
This method is unique from other holding solutions, which often use a high-temperature heating element reaching as high as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in combination with fans and humidity. Fans can overcook and dry food out, and adding humidity to prevent this effect can leave food soggy.
Alto-Shaam Halo Heat cook-and-hold ovens, holding cabinets, and other products that use Halo Heat are essentially insulated stainless steel containers with thermal cables wrapped around the exterior. Because the heating element completely envelopes the interior of the equipment, it is able to create heat that reaches an exact temperature set by the user – pulsing on and off with just a few degrees of variation occurring inside the unit. Since forced air is not necessary, food retains its natural moisture, eliminating the need for added steam and plumbing.
Equipment Types & Applications
Halo Heat has a place in nearly every foodservice operation, from supermarkets, to barbecue restaurants and steakhouses, to all-you-can-eat buffets. It is ideal for braising, roasting, and smoking muscle meats and proteins, as well as holding meats, cheesecakes, and stocks. Consistent, gentle heat doesn't just create quality food; with this method, less product will be cooked away by overheating, retaining inventory and saving money.
Alto-Shaam uses Halo Heat in the following equipment:
- Cook-and-hold Ovens: Ideal for slow roasting and braising in restaurants, Alto-Shaam Halo Heat cook-and-hold ovens switch from cooking to holding temperatures. Operators set a cooking time and temperature, then a holding temperature without having to worry about removing food when it is finished cooking. Cooking temperatures between 200 and 325 degrees Fahrenheit slowly tenderize tough proteins, making them ideal for prime rib and muscle meats, and holding temperatures between 60 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit ensure food retains its integrity.
- Heated Holding Cabinets: These holding ovens keep food that has been pre-cooked using any number of methods at temperatures between 60 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit without compromising quality. Some potential applications include holding smoked meats at a barbecue restaurant for instant service, keeping large amounts of steamed vegetables ready at a weddings, or keeping pizzas hot until carryout customers arrive. For consistent, convenient access to food items such as rolls or baked potatoes, warming drawers that use Halo Heat are ideal.
- Smoker Ovens: Alto-Shaam Halo Heat oven smokers use wood chips to achieve a smoke flavor for meats, cheeses, nuts, and more without the need for an outdoor smoke pit. For hot smoking, Halo Heat cooks the product, then switches to holding mode to lock in the smoke flavor and keep meat ready for serving.
- Merchandisers: Alto-Shaam's traditional merchandisers and display merchandisers keep food at temperature while it is displayed for sale. Countertop, freestanding displays, and grab-and-go units are available. Shelved units are ideal for holding pre-packaged food at a supermarket, and self-serve units with food wells work well at supermarkets and restaurants.
- Hot Food Wells: Alto-Shaam employs Halo Heat in its hot food wells, unlike the traditional method, which uses water to keep food pans at temperature. This maintains product consistency by not cooking away any of the product while eliminating the need for plumbing and reducing cleaning requirements.
Situations Where Alto-Shaam Halo Heat Isn't Ideal
While forced air is not ideal for most holding or low and slow cooking, convection can offer an ideal hold for about 45 minutes to an hour, specifically for fried chicken and french fries. Operators should consider a holding oven that uses convection if holding one or both of these products will be their primary use. Halo Heat ovens can create a natural convection, though, by slightly increasing temperatures and opening the units' vents.
Since there is no added moisture, Alto-Shaam Halo Heat ovens are also not ideal for steaming vegetables, fish, or other items. Operators can hold steamed food in a Halo Heat holding cabinet, though, using an Alto-Shaam Combitherm oven to steam it first.