A lot of the products we sell look the same to folks from the outside. They are nice, clean stainless-steel boxes that get either hot or cold. A chef recently asked me if there was a way to create a buffer inventory of his ready-to-serve chicken to minimize customer wait times. I immediately told him about the benefits of Winston’s controlled vapor (CVap) holding equipment. As his eyes started to glaze over, I knew I had lost him.
I tried explaining that almost all foods we cook are comprised primarily of water. If we can control the migration of water in and out of the food, we can deliver a better product, whether moist or dry. Much skepticism remained as we were trying to hold a crispy product in what appeared to be a moist-only environment.
I asked him to humor me and just try a test cabinet for a few nights and let me know how it performed. We used an undercounter model with flip-up lexan doors that allowed for easy access but were extremely leaky with finger holes exposed and minimal gasketing. That did nothing to build his confidence. What he doesn’t know is that the open-nature of the door allows for a more stable holding environment inside the cabinet. As the desired moisture environment is set by the controller, the vapor created escapes through the door gaps and is replaced at a consistent rate by the evaporator or water bath and dry or texture elements.
After explaining to the staff where to set the controls, I left them to play with the unit. I came back after a few days to pick it up and his comments were akin to “I don’t know what is going on inside there but that is one magic box”. His fiery hot chicken was staying crisp and ready to serve for 3 times as long as he was accustomed to.
Needless to say, the test unit never left his facility and is still in use with his ready supply of hot chicken. Check out the science behind C-Vap technology and what it can do for your operation. Please reach out to our Winston Brand Champion, J. Patty for more information.
Written by J. Patty