Questions to Ask TOASTERS 1. Do you need a radiant toaster or a contact toaster? • Radiant toasters use infrared elements to dry bread products out, absorbing the heat of the toaster with color and caramelization occurring near the end. Most residential toasters are a radiant style with the two most common types being pop-up and conveyor style. • Contact toasters are most common for hamburger buns and Texas toast and feature a hot surface where the bread is pre-buttered and contacts the hot surface. This provides a sealed surface to better support condiments like ketchup and mayonnaise. 2. Is this for a self-serve application? • Pop-up toasters tend to be more intuitive and user-friendly, though with longer cycle times and lower overall capacity than a conveyor toaster • Conveyor toasters can also be simple to operate and some feature control covers to reduce the likelihood of excessive user input 3. How many slices need to be prepared per hour? • A 120-volt pop-up toaster can produce
approximately 200 slices of lightly toasted white bread. More difficult bread types like English muffins or darker toast shades can cause the capacity to go down • A conveyor toaster can produce much higher amounts per hour 4. How critical is the single order time? • A 120-volt pop-up toaster will take a little over a minute to produce two to three slices of lightly toasted white bread after being warmed. First orders on a cold pop-up toaster will require approximately two minutes • Conveyor toasters have much shorter cycle times after warming 5. What voltage is available? • Higher power can produce more toast faster. Go for the highest wattage/voltage your customers business can support. In the United States, a 15- amp circuit can handle up to 1800 watts. • Ask if there is any other load on that circuit in order to prevent tripping local circuit breakers
Types of Toasters
Pop-Up • Will this be used in the front or back of the house?
Conveyor • Will this be used in the front or back of the house? » W ould your customer prefer a decorative or institutional-looking finish? Some conveyors have more colors
» Would your customer prefer a shiny and decorative or institutional finish? Some pop-ups are now available in different colors to blend in with front of the house décor • Is single-sided toasting a requirement or a preferred option? » Some pop-ups allow for single-sided toasting, although it will slow the speed and limit the production. Customers should be notified capabilities decrease when these elements are switched off • Does the customer have the proper voltage and receptacle? • Is the crumb tray easy to remove and clean? • What is the warranty and how is it administered? » S ome pop-up toasters feature a one-year replacement warranty and are easy to execute. Others require transportation to a service center, which could cause delays to allow for commuting • How many are needed? » Due to their time and capacity limitations, it is not uncommon to see two or more units. Commercial UL pop-ups tend to be more expensive than residential-grade, although they are still less expensive than most conveyor toasters. Residential- grade equipment can violate agreements within a customer’s commercial business insurance and violate local building codes
and designs for customer view areas. Models used in the front of the house may do better with a quieter motor type or power save mode which shuts the conveyor off during slower periods • Is this a self-service area? » How friendly is the user interface? » Is a control cover or lock available to reduce/restrict user input? • Does the customer have the proper voltage and receptacle? » Conveyor toasters come in a variety of wattages and voltages, 208V and 240V, which are the most common commercial voltages. 220V is a residential or export voltage and rarely found in a commercial setting • What is the warranty and how is it administered? » Some Conveyor toasters feature a one-year on-site parts and labor warranty while others require transportation to a service center which may cause delays to allow for commuting.
EQUIPMENT GUIDE
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