The Internet of Kitchen Things

The Smart Restaurant

We're living through one of the greatest booms in technological advancement in human history,1 with transportation, communication, and entertainment all revolutionized regularly. Commercial foodservice isn't always the most tech-savvy industry, with some chefs preferring to use the equipment they learned to cook with, but technologically advanced restaurant equipment still has a place in even the most traditional kitchens.

While there are some incredible, eye-catching advancements in foodservice such as burger-flipping robots2 and fast-food vending machines, those are beyond the reach of most operators. Instead, the technology most useful to the average restaurant owner is closer to that powering our phones and computers. Those technologies are becoming increasingly more integrated into the very pieces of restaurant equipment that do the baking, searing, boiling, and steaming that puts food on the plates of hungry restaurant patrons.

Monitoring Information With Technology

The march towards computerized cooking equipment began years ago as a solution to an important and perfectly mundane need to keep records. Manufacturers began building equipment with technology that would track and store data like the holding temperature of refrigeration equipment and HACCP records from equipment ranging from refrigerators to cook-and-hold ovens.

The North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers has developed a standard for how data should be structured to promote consistency across operations. The NAFEM data protocol gives manufacturers and operators a common computing language in which to transfer data between pieces.3 This is why restaurant equipment from different manufacturers can be linked together to record data reliably.

Smart Cooking Equipment

Using technology to log data like temperatures can ensure no harmful errors occur, but that's only the beginning of the benefits. As digital technology has become more sophisticated and affordable, digital interfaces have evolved to change the way equipment is used. Take, for example, manufacturers like MerryChef, TurboChef, and Amana, all of which now equip many high-speed ovens with software that enables chefs to program custom cooking procedures.

These procedures often include steps that specify the intensity and type of heat that should be applied during each stage. For example, a procedure could call for three minutes of microwave power at 80 percent and two more minutes of 20 percent microwave and 80 percent impingement. Menu items can be recalled at the press of a button so anyone in the kitchen, regardless of experience, can cook each dish to perfection every time.

Everything from combi ovens to blast chillers are being built with similar features. Even some modern blenders can be programmed with specific recipe procedures. Blendtec offers the Blend Wizard program that lets operators use their computers to create a custom blending cycle for each drink on the menu, then transfer those to the blender.

Digital restaurant equipment even is being used to teach staff how to use the equipment. Pitco fryers with Infinity and Eclipse controls can be customized so their LCD screens display photographs and training videos that can teach staff how to use equipment on the spot.

Wireless Data Monitoring

Effective HACCP plans are easier to implement now than ever before. In addition to automated temperature recording, companies offer wireless monitoring tools that let operators respond to a problem – such as an aberrant temperature in a refrigerator – before product is ruined.

Thermometer companies like Comark offer Wi-Fi thermometers that can be installed in coolers to provide a constant stream of temperature and humidity information – all accessible from compatible smartphones and other devices. That convenience helps operators ensure their equipment holds safe temperatures even when they're far away from their restaurant. Wireless thermometers also can send alerts to your phone if the temperature varies outside a set range.

Master-Bilt has taken the concept of wirelessly monitoring equipment to the next level with its Master Controller walk-in cooler controls that not only enable operators to monitor the performance of their walk-ins, but also let them remotely change the equipment's settings. They can monitor temperatures, change set points, clear alarms, and manually defrost the system from their desktop browser or smart phone.

Redefining Internet Cafes

Coffee shops are at the forefront of foodservice technology. Coffee machines, a category once comprising only humble brewers, has evolved to include some of the most complex pieces of equipment on the market. BUNN offers super-automatic espresso brewers with internet-connected technology that informs operators about everything, from the popularity of individual drinks to how often employees clean the machine.

The company's BUNNlink® wellness program maintains a direct link with BUNN's intelligence center and constantly streams diagnostic information to detect and preempt problems with the machine's performance before operators even know there's an issue. This can be a huge time and money saver, preventing significant downtime and costly emergency repair calls, since the traditional first sign of many issues is the machine not operating. Technicians at BUNN headquarters can monitor the performance of each individual machine and know exactly when maintenance is needed to avoid a crisis.

Bunn isn't the only brand to offer advanced programming and monitoring. Our espresso machines range from fully automated to traditional manual units, so every operator can find the degree of technological assistance that best fits their needs.

The Benefits of Kitchen Technology

  • Consistency. Computers are much better than humans at repeating tasks in the exact same way. Using automated restaurant equipment helps ensure your customers know what to expect.
  • Customization. Smart restaurant equipment can be customized to a degree difficult to achieve with manual controls. Programmable cooking pieces can hold exact temperatures for precise times and swap between phases at predetermined intervals.
  • Information. The more information you have, the better decisions you can make. Smart equipment can record temperatures, alert you to potential dangers, and perform regular maintenance, all of which frees you up to allocate labor elsewhere.

References

  1. Why Has 99 Percent of the Technological Progress by Modern Humans Come in the Last 10,000 Years? Slate. Accessed January 2022.
  2. The New Burger Chef Makes $3 an Hour and Never Goes Home. (It's a Robot). LA Times. Accessed January 2022.
  3. NAFEM Data Protocol Frequently Asked Questions. NAFEM. Accessed January 2022.