What Volusia Schools Discovered

A food service veteran of 20 years, Christine Farneti is Volusia County School District's Director of Operations, and purchaser of equipment, food and supplies. "When it came to a decision between spending $3,000 to $4,000 dollars to repair an aging steamer, versus looking for new equipment, we decided to look for something new," she says.

That something new turned out to be AccuTemp's Steam 'n' Hold. Farneti had seen the steamer advertised in literature, and then came across it at a food show. "I saw that the Steam 'n' Hold didn't need a boiler, any kind of plumbing, and that I wouldn t have to worry about hard water," she comments. There would be no more deliming routines and no filters to replace.

A bonus on top of that was the fact that AccuTemp's steamer did not need to go under a hood. In a lot of Volusia's older kitchens, space for equipment under the hood is at a premium.

It's true. The Steam 'n' Hold does not need to go under a hood.

"In the past, manufacturers have told us that their equipment doesn't need to go under a hood. However, that's not always the case," Farneti states. "We have purchased other equipment that has never been approved to operate without being under a hood." In the Steam 'n' Hold's case, the Volusia District Engineer gave approval due to the fact that the AccuTemp steamer doesn't need to be vented and isn't under extreme pressure.

Costa Magoulas is Volusia County School's Certified Executive Chef. He is also a Certified Culinary Educator, and President of the Volusia Chapter of The American Culinary Federation. In his experience with the Steam 'n' Hold, Magoulas has discovered that the steamer will not overcook the product. It holds at temperature. That's something we never had the capability of doing before. It's compact and it's easy. That's where the steamer really shines.

How can it steam and hold?

The Steam 'n' Hold uses a vacuum pump to reduce the internal cooking chamber pressure. This means you can set an atmosphere as low as 160 degrees F to steam food. Because steam has a high heat transfer rate, food will be cooked with a minimum of temperature difference between the steam and the food. Vegetables, which become strong or bland tasting when exposed to prolonged high temperatures, have better flavors and retain crispness.

Once your food product is fully cooked and has reached the desired temperature, it can no longer accept any more heat. The steam will only go to the cold product. The uncooked food continues to cook while the fully cooked food is held at the desired temperature until needed. Some of the foods prepared in the Steam 'n' Hold are pastas, rice, vegetables and sauces. Farneti says spaghetti is the school system's most popular food. "This steamer really does an excellent job with pastas," she says.

Energy efficient and user-friendly.

Since early 1995, the 64-school-strong district has been replacing old steamer units with AccuTemp steamers. Approximately 28 thousand lunches are served every day, and all but five of the schools also serve breakfast. To date, the Volusia County Schools have eight AccuTemp Steam 'n' Hold steamers. Farneti reports that they have never had to make a service call on any unit. "We use electricity to run the Steam 'n' Hold, but there are no other costs," she comments. "There is nothing difficult about this steamer. And it's very easy to clean."

For this school district, it began with having to replace a boiler. The thought of having to replace or repair it again in another two or three years compelled Volusia to try a different type of steamer. Says Magoulas, "The AccuTemp steamer was a welcome addition."

AccuTemp Products, Inc., 12004 Lincoln Highway East, New Haven, IN 46774. Tel: 219-493-0415; Fax: 219-493-0318.