The Steam 'n' Hold Gives Him The Edge

Some people really have it made. Instead of having to rely on those trusty snack machines, remembering to pack a lunch from home, or driving to McDonald's to stand in their line of glee, all they have to do is wait. The mobile caterer will be coming around soon with all sorts of goodies. Carl Broadworth has owned and operated Carl's Catering out of White Pigeon, Michigan, for over ten years. "We're a mobile, industrial caterer, to give it the technical term," he explains.

To date, Carl's has nine stainless steel trucks bearing smorgasbords of hot and cold delights. Each pre-arranged route may have anywhere from 25 to 30 stops, with approximately 1,500 people being served every day. "Covering Sturgis, White Pigeon, Bristol and Elkhart, Indiana, you might say we're a convenience store on wheels," Broadworth says.

Carl's offers breakfast and lunch, and is on the road from 7:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Anything from scrambled eggs, breakfast sandwiches, spaghetti and meatballs, stroganoff, swiss steaks, chicken, pizza, subsandwiches, granola bars, pudding, jello, and fruit drinks goes for the bargain price of $2 or less. Each day, the menu is a little different.

Since February of 1998, the majority of hot food is prepared in the Steam 'n' Hold at the commissary, which Broadworth explains is a centrally-located kitchen. Everything is cooked en-masse and then individually wrapped as a single item meal. "We use it for pasta, potatoes, eggs, hot dogs, and sauces," Broadworth comments. "Plus," he adds, "the AccuTemp steamer has really made my job easier in the quality of production we do. For example, steamed potatoes are a lot better than boiled potatoes, in yield and taste."

Broadworth steams his potatoes at 212 degrees F, or on "fastcook." Once the cook cycle is done, the steamer automatically switches over to the hold mode, keeping the potatoes in a ready-to-serve state.

"I feel like I have a real advantage with the Steam 'n' Hold," Broadworth says. "With the kind of operation I run, this steamer has been a real godsend."