Intense competition in the coffee shop and sandwich bar arena is leading astute operators to invest in toasting equipment to differentiate their menus. Bruce Whitehall provides a guide to conveyor toasters (useful for turning filled baguettes into a warm, crunchy snack) and contact grills (perfect for panini) as well as regular slice and bun toasters.
Timed production
For optimum consistency in making toasted sandwiches, paninis and other products, contact grills available from the Contact Grill Company have built-in electronically pre-programmable timers. Eight different times, shown on a LED read-out, can be pre-set from 1 second to 59 minutes, with audible alarms if required. Prices: from £1100.
The Contact Grill Company
Stylish options
With bread toasters in 2, 3, 4 or 6 slot models, the Dualit product range covers a full range of options including the Vario Toaster with ProHeat elements and extra wide 28mm slots to accommodate a sandwich cage. There is also a choice of contact grills (single and double)and Bistro and Combi Grills with fast-heating quartz elements.
Turbo conveyor toasters have radiant quartz quick start-up elements on top and bottom. The three model series can toast between 360-700 slices per hour with individually adjustable simmerstats providing precise control of browning, toasting and heating. Features include an override safety cutout and Power Saver switchdown to 25 per cent of power during off-peak periods. Constantly circulating cool air cools the toaster's exterior.
Dualit
www.dualit.com
Slot or conveyor?
The Roller Toaster range of conveyor toasters from Rowlett Rutland is available in outputs of 400, 800 and 1200 slices per hour. A power saving switch drops power by 75 per cent when the toaster is not in use. Other fitments include an overheat warning lamp and a toast rack on top of the machine. The range was recently expanded with the addition of three new bun models.
Other Rowlett products include the Esprit toaster in polished steel, which has a timer and removable crumb tray with anti spill feature. Sizes are 4 slot version with 2 or 4 slot selector, and 6 slot. Premier Collection bread toasters come in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 slice models plus brunch or combination models and thick 'n' thin toasters(two ordinary slots and two wider slots. There is also the long-established Regent range of bread, sandwich and bun toasters and Rutland Express contact grills.
www.rowlettrutland.co.uk
Rowlett Rutland
Bags cut splatters
Made in long-life Teflon, Toastabags are sized to hold a full-size sandwich and are sufficiently durable to be placed in a slot toaster or under a grill with no risk of melting or burning. Result: spatter-free, non-stick toasted sandwich production within three minutes. Bags are reusable and can be cleaned with warm soapy water or placed over the plate prongs in a dishwasher. Catering price per bag: around £2.80.
Toastabags
Toasted sarnies from a machine
The Snack Station is the only vending machine currently available which is able to toast sandwiches. It does this with its internal unit of lower and upper heated plates between which a sandwich - packed in a specially siliconised heat-resistant bag - is inserted automatically after selection by the customer. Timing is electronically pre-settable via the digital control panel, with a standard toasting time of 90 seconds.
As well as a coin operated vending machine with a chilled storage capacity of up to 140 sandwiches, the concept has also been tried in units which incorporate the toasting plate system in a self-contained table-top casing. These are being tried in single or double versions holding either three or six sandwiches/paninis and priced from £1,495.
HB Vending
Minimum footprint
Claiming the smallest footprint of any conveyor toaster, the Maestrowave MEMT offers outputs of up to 600 slices of toast per hour with independent controls of heat and speed to permit a wide range of grilling and toasting functions. Sole distributor R.H.Hall also offers a line of table top contact grills.
www.rhhall.com
R.H.Hall
Groovy snacks
The Roller Grill range includes a choice of four grooved-plate contact grills in 2, 3, 4 and 2 x 3 kW ratings, all of them suitable for toasting panini, foccacia, pita and other Mediterranean breads with distinctively ribbed branding. Optionally. units can be specified with flat top plates, bell timer and an automatic height regulation device.
Roller Grill
Paninis down the chute
An automatic ejecting contact grill introduced by Deli Chef causes products such as paninis and toasted sandwiches to slide out via an inclined chute after cooking.
Two sizes are available, each with dual non-stick coated grilling plates, either flat or ribbed.
Up to five cooking times can be pre-set, with a temperature range from 50 to 250°C. A1 models, with a grilling area of 38 x 14 cm, have either front or rear ejection and a price of £1398.
The larger A2 model has a cooking surface of 38 x 23.8cm and is priced at £1698.
Deli Chef