Hot and Cold Transport Cabinets
Catering operations have quite a few challenges to overcome when transporting food. The fare must remain palatable, not make a mess, and stay at safe temperatures throughout the moving and serving. This is difficult enough when transporting food to a place with electricity, but more primitive destinations serve up an extra layer of difficulty. Fortunately, recent innovations have led to new and better options.
Heated Holding
In the past, transporting hot food meant placing it in an insulated box with few ways of holding it at proper temperatures. Using canned fuel created the risk of further cooking the food, which can result in dry or burnt food, and could spill in transit. Most manufacturers of those catering boxes offered hot or cold packs that could be used with their units, but their effective times were sometimes limited and preparing them for use meant taking up valuable oven or freezer space. Wireless transportation carts have provided a new way to extend holding times, even when the unit cannot be plugged in.
Carter-Hoffmann Gridless
The Gridless transport system by Carter-Hoffmann provides versatility in storing and transporting heated food. The carts can be plugged in, but they also feature batteries that can power the heat generator for a maximum of six hours after the unit is unplugged.
- Charges in 4 hours
- 3- to 5-year battery life
- Standard marine battery allows for easy replacement
- Durable stainless steel construction
- Available in full and 3⁄4 sizes
- Adjustable LED displays for indoor and outdoor light
- Fan circulates air for even temperatures
- Wrap-around bumper prevents damage to the unit and its surroundings during movement
Cres Cor HotCube
The HotCube by Cres Cor is designed to run on multiple types of power: wall power, propane, and solar power. This flexibility is highly prized by caterers who service a wide range of venues. The cabinet is fully insulated and can hold 22 full-size steam table pans.
- Transport box heats to 200 degrees Fahrenheit
- Optional solar panel charges the battery
- Standard 1-pound propane tank can provide heat for 8 hours
- Audible and visual alarms let you know if the pilot light goes out
- Perimeter bumper protects the cabinet and its surroundings during movement
- Powder-coated exterior can be customized with colors and logos
- Pan racks are on angles that prevent bouncing during transport
- Pneumatic casters provide mobility over uneven terrain
Cooled Transport Carts
Carter-Hoffmann has introduced a refrigerated food transport option that uses a chemical cooling system to hold food at safe temperatures when catering somewhere without available electricity. These refrigerated transport carts are cooled using a thermochemical system, which harnesses the temperature change generated by a chemical reaction. This system allows the unit to keep cool for eight hours when off the grid after a full seven-hour charge.
- Has two chemical cooling systems, so one can always be charging while the other is cooling
- To cool the chamber, liquid ammonia reacts with salts in a closed system to produce cold for 8 hours
- When charging, the ammonia is heated up to evaporate it out of the salts, causing it to return to a separate chamber until it is released to combine again
- Available in full and 3⁄4 heights
- Offset wheel pattern allows the unit to travel easily over thresholds
- Full-perimeter bumper protects units and its surroundings during movement
- Environmentally friendly; uses no refrigerant
- Stainless steel construction for a durable, long-lasting unit