Holly Wholahan, Author at Winston Foodservice

How to Pick a Holding Cabinet for a Commercial Kitchen

No matter what type of commercial kitchen you’re operating, there’s a holding cabinet that can benefit you. Holding cabinets are a crucial part of any kitchen that serves hot food. They save time and labor. Consequently, holding cabinets can increase your bottom line.

What is a holding cabinet?

Basically, holding cabinets are heated appliances designed to hold cooked foods at a safe serving temperature. Some holding cabinets do this well and some do not. Of course, the quality depends on the manufacturer and design.

Notably, people sometimes refer to holding cabinets as hot boxes, warmers, insulated warmers, hold and serves, warming cabinets, and other titles. Nonetheless, their function is the same.

Winston’s CVap® technology started as a holding technology. Colonel Sanders (yes, really) challenged our founder Winston Shelton to invent a cabinet that could hold his famous chicken for an extended time. Critically, the chicken had to maintain the infamously high quality that Sanders demanded. Shelton was up to the challenge.

Although the Colonel didn’t live to see the final product, CVap technology was the result. It revolutionized the foodservice industry. Nearly four decades later, CVap is still the pinnacle of holding cabinets.

All holding cabinets have the same job; keeping food hot until it’s served. Clearly, some do this better than others. It’s dependent on their design. Holding cabinets fall into four basic categories:

Dry holding cabinets
Passive humidity cabinets

Humidified holding cabinets
Controlled vapor holding cabinets

Dry cabinets

Dry cabinets are heated metal boxes. They’re relatively cheap, compared to other designs. Consequently, they don’t perform well. Heat causes evaporation. With no water reservoir in the cabinet, the evaporation is from the food itself. Food can only be held for a brief time before it starts to dry out. Since evaporation is also a cooling process, the food’s temperature can’t help but fluctuate. Dry cabinets can work for operations that only need brief holding periods. They work for operators who, frankly, don’t prioritize food quality.

Passive humidity cabinets

Passive humidity cabinets are a step up the sophistication ladder. These cabinets feature a small water reservoir within the cabinet. Typically, passive cabinets don't control the water temperature of the reservoir. Consequently, they don’t do a fantastic job at precisely maintaining food temperature. But they do provide a humidity source. Food isn’t the sole source of evaporation. Passive cabinets offer a longer hold than dry cabinets. Therefore, they cost a little more than dry cabinets.

Humidified holding cabinets

Humidified holding cabinets are another level up on the cabinet hierarchy. These offer a larger water reservoir than passive cabinets. Although many humidified cabinet makers boast an ability to control relative humidity (RH), that’s an empty claim. Controlling RH frankly doesn’t have much effect on food temperature or quality. It’s true, humidified cabinets are an improvement on both dry and passive cabinets. But they also typically come with a bigger price tag. Humidified cabinets aren’t bad. They’re just really not worth their premium price.

controlled vapor holding cabinets

Ultimately, the mac daddy of holding cabinets is controlled vapor holding cabinets. Namely, CVap holding cabinets. CVap cabinets feature a dual heat system of moist and dry heat. Consequently, they precisely control food temperature and moisture evaporation. As a result, they offer some of the longest holding times in the industry. Depending on the food product, CVap cabinets can hold for hours, with minimal loss of food quality.

What Can I Use a Holding Cabinet Holding Cabinet For

As the name implies, holding cabinets are used for keeping food hot while serving. Although they’re found in all sorts of commercial kitchens, they’re particularly well suited for high-volume operations. These include fast-food establishments and institutional kitchens (schools, hospitals, prisons, etc.).

Notably, holding cabinets cannot be used to reheat food – that’s a food code violation. But used with a little forethought, holding cabinets can reduce labor by allowing staff to prepare food ahead of rush periods. Depending on which type of cabinet you choose, holding cabinets can help you serve fresh hot food to all your patrons.

How to Select the Right Select the Right Holding Cabinet

When it comes to selecting the right cabinet for your commercial kitchen, there are several factors to consider. In the interest of transparency, we’re only talking CVap holding cabinets here.

Your Volume

How much traffic do you see in a typical day? Is it spread throughout the day, or does it come in rush periods? If your volume isn’t particularly heavy, you may be able to thrive with a smaller CVap unit, such as a holding drawer or half-size holding cabinet. There’s no point in paying for more capacity than you need. On the other hand, higher-volume operations may want to consider larger cabinets, such as an HOV5-14UV or HOV3-14UV. Clearly, larger cabinets increase your holding capacity, so you can maintain food at high quality throughout meal periods.

Your Space

How much room is available in your commercial kitchen? If you’re in a confined space, such as a food truck or concession stand, you obviously don’t have a lot of room to work with. Smaller CVap cabinets, such as warming drawers, holding bins, or under-counter holding cabinets are a good solution. Likewise, larger spaces can accommodate bigger cabinets, from the half-size HOV7-05UV up to the HOV5-14UV. CVap holding cabinets don’t require vent hoods, so there’s no need to utilize that valuable space. Optional stacking kits give you the option of stacking two cabinets, doubling the footprint capacity. There’s a perfect size for any operation or workspace.

Your Menu

What food products are on your menu? CVap holding cabinets provide an extended hold on any food products. CVap truly excels at moist foods, such as soup, pasta, and seafood. The moist vapor environment inside CVap cabinets really interacts with the food’s moisture, locking in freshness for a long time. Foods that you wouldn’t consider particularly moist, such as pizza, burgers, or steaks will also hold fresh for an extended time. Nothing can hold forever, but these foods will hold for a substantial time before losing quality.

At the upper end of the scale are crisp foods, such as french fries. Again, CVap provides a respectable hold. But the high differential temperature required to properly hold crisp foods will inevitably cause food evaporation to creep up. This shortens the time before quality starts degrading. Don’t get us wrong, CVap cabinets still provide a respectable holding time. But it’s important to realize that even the best cabinets have their limits.

Does your operation offer baked goods? CVap holding cabinets are also excellent proofers. You can proof and hold in the same cabinet, getting double duty from the same footprint.

Your Budget

The brutal reality of today’s world is that everything is getting more expensive. Geopolitical turbulence (we’re looking at you, Russia), persistent pandemics, and supply chain strain is ratcheting up the cost of everything. This is particularly true of stainless steel. Naturally, stainless steel is the primary component of virtually every holding cabinet.

Money is always an issue. But at rocky times like these, you may be tempted to go with the cheapest cabinet you can get, namely a dry or passive cabinet. But you need to look beyond the initial cost. Buying the cheapest cabinets will save money up front, but over the life of that cabinet, the decrease quality of the food served from it will add up costs over time. In the end, it may cost you more than you saved by buying the el-cheapo cabinet.

CVap cabinets’ precision and elevated food quality really are the better option. We admit, CVap isn’t the cheapest brand out there. But it is the best. CVap in your commercial kitchen gives you the assurance that you are serving food at the absolute peak of quality.

Winston offers CVap holding cabinets in three feature levels, tailored to fit a range of budgets.

Our lowest tier is Series 3. The 3s feature simple membrane controls. They’re easy to operate, even for untrained staff. Although they’re the simplest CVaps, they still deliver the precise hold that people expect from CVap cabinets.

Next up are our Series 5 cabinets. The 5s have capacitive touch controls, desktop programming, a USB port for programming uploads and data downloads. Eight programmable channels cover about every type of menu. Convection fans minimize hot and cold zones with the cabinet.

The top of the line are our Series 7 cabinets. Series 7 have all the bells and whistles as the Series 5s, plus a few more. Wireless NFC programming enables you to reprogram the cabinet with the wave of your Android phone. Convection fans can be turned on and off. And a probe option gives you accuracy the is simply unrivaled.

As you can see, there’s a CVap holding cabinet to suit every budget.

Your Mobility

Sometimes you have to move it, move it. CVap cabinets come stock with casters, so moving them around your kitchen, whether to clean or to rearrange, is no problem. If you need to really move it around, consider adding the optional transport package. This includes 5” heavy-duty casters, push-pull handle, cord wrap, and evaporator cover. It’s perfect for commercial kitchens that need to move hot food from one area to another, such as from a school kitchen to a classroom.

Ultimately, It’s Up to You

Nobody knows your operation as you do. In the end, you are the best judge of what you need. But if you need a little guidance, contact us. We’ll be glad to discuss your needs and options and suggest the best solutions for your commercial kitchen.

Retherming Brisket in CVap®

Brisket. Is there a better product to cook to celebrate May’s National BBQ Month? Brisket is incredibly popular, with a 23% increase in menus over the last decade. Whether you’re preparing these babies in-house, or are opting for commercially produced products, CVap ovens are great for retherming brisket without sacrificing quality.

To test the full range of products, we rethermed two brisket types. The first was a fully cooked, house-smoked, whole unsliced brisket. The other was commercially produced Hormel sliced brisket. Notably, both briskets were whole, smoked, and fully cooked. But the commercial product was smaller, roughly seven pounds. Additionally, it came presliced. On the other hand, the homemade product is unsliced and was about 14 pounds. We set them up in the same CHV7-05UV oven, with the same program: Vapor 170°F/Air 200°F. We wrapped both briskets in foil and placed them into the preheated oven.

Retherming Brisket - The Same, But Different

Although these were both whole briskets, they fell under different Food Code 3-403.11(C) requirements. The code requires that rethermed proteins hit their required safe temperature in two hours or less

Because the Hormel brisket was a commercially produced product, the code requires it to reach the minimally safe temperature of 135°F. Our CVap oven easily hit the mark. The Hormel brisket reached safe temp in a little under two hours. Clearly, the lower retherming temperature requirement, coupled with CVap’s high humidity retherming program, and the added ingredients (like phosphate) helped keep this pre-sliced brisket perfectly moist.

However, the food code requirements for previously cooked homemade brisket are more stringent. Code dictates that it must reach a minimum safe temperature of 165°F for 15 seconds. Our initial test reveal that this much larger brisket missed the mark on cook time. Unsurprisingly, this brisket, being twice as large as the Hormel product, took nearly twice as long to hit 165°F in the thickest part of the roast, between the point and flat. But no test is a failure, even if the results are not what we wanted. We headed back to the drawing board.

The solution was simple. We separated the whole brisket into the point and flat and wrapped them separately. Consequently, the two smaller cuts reached the required temperature within the two-hour limit. Although we didn’t test it, you could probably optimize the program by either decreasing the vapor and air temperatures or minimizing the temperature differential between the two (for example, Vapor 180°F/Air 190°F, or Vapor 190°F/Air 200°F).

Why Retherm?

What’s the practicality of retherming briskets instead of serving scratch cooked? Time. Briskets are a classic example of a protein you must cook low and slow to achieve the best results. Unless you can perfectly predict how much your operation needs on a given day (and plan accordingly), it is impractical to cook on-demand. But cooking ahead of time and properly refrigerating reduces the time it takes to retherm and serve. Think of it as a form of staging. Ultimately, anything that helps you serve faster and turn tables is beneficial.

barbecue BBQ beef brisket brisket CVap Barbecue holding cabinet retherm

Bathless Baking: Spotted Dick in a CVap®

It may be a surprise to some but bathless baking is possible in CVap®. We recently proved this cooking process on perhaps the most snicker-inducing food in the English-speaking world, Spotted Dick.

The etymology of this curiously named dessert is a bit hazy. It stems from the Victorian Era. There are theories that the name of this steamed pudding refers to its similarity in appearance to a spotted dog (spotted = raisins or currants, dick = dog (or perhaps, dough). Whatever the origin, the name continues to amuse those who have failed to achieve a sufficient level of maturity. Probably to reduce bawdy jokes, one local council in the U.K. has renamed the dish “Spotted Richard.”

Unlike the puddings that most Americans are familiar with, the spotted dick is spongey and only slightly sweet. Most of its sweetness is from the raisins, currants, or other fruits it contains.

Behold our grand experiment in British baking. Traditionally it’s prepared by steaming on the stovetop. We wanted to test it with CVap bathless baking, a safer process that still delivers fantastic results. You can find the base recipe on Tastemade.com. We tweaked the ingredients a little, and of course, for gentle steaming in a CVap oven.

Ingredients

150 grams of Dried Fruit (Traditionally, you would use currants, but we used a blend of cranberry, blueberry, apricot, and golden raisins.)
250 ml of Water
250 grams Self-Rising Whole Wheat Flour (If you cannot find it at your retailer, you can “fudge” it quite easily; see below for ratios.)
80 grams Sugar
1/8 Tsp Salt
100 grams of Shredded Butter (Pop a stick in the freezer for more effortless shredding.)
Zest of One Lemon
280 ml Whole Milk

How to Make a Self-Rising Whole Wheat Flour

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tbs Baking Powder
½ Tsp Salt

Blend well before using.

The Bathless Baking Process

Preheat RTV/CHV-05 ovens to 200°F Vapor/200°F Air.
Weigh out all the ingredients according to the recipe amounts.
Place the dried fruit into an oven-safe container, cover with water, and place into the preheated oven to rehydrate for about 10-15 (or until the fruits look nice and plump).
Remove from oven, drain, and set aside to cool.
While fruit is rehydrating, place butter into the freezer to firm before grating. Use the largest grain size on the box grater.
The original recipe calls for suet. Suet is the raw, hard fat of beef, lamb, or mutton, for those unfamiliar. It often has a little flour added to it as well. The recipe said that butter is a perfectly suitable substitute for equal replacement. As suet is hard to come by in Kentucky, we opted for butter.
Mix the dry ingredients and add grated butter, fruits, and milk until combined.
Transfer mix to pre-sprayed pans (we used ramekins and silicone mini-bundt pans).
Cook time will be dependent on the size of pans used:
1. Silicone Mini-Bunt Pans – approximately 30 minutes
2. Ramekins – closer to an hour
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.

As mentioned before, spotted dick isn’t particularly sweet. To make it more of a proper dessert, they traditionally serve it with crème anglaise, a.k.a., English cream (or English vanilla custard).

Bathless Baking Results

Preparing this dish the traditional way – steaming on the stovetop with extra bits and bobs- is inefficient and dangerous. Preparing it traditionally in a foodservice kitchen is particularly challenging. Creating this in a CVap oven is an excellent (and safer) way to bake this dish. Save yourself the time and trouble with CVap bathless baking.

All snickering aside, we thoroughly enjoyed our spotted dick. We made sure to accompany it with proper English tea, sipped with pinkies raised.

baking Baking in CVap bathless baking CVap spotted dick

Cooking Vegetarian in CVap®

Cooking vegetarian cuisine in restaurants and commercial kitchens is now a thing. There are many reasons behind this growing trend. For some folks, it’s a desire to eat healthier. Others may take up vegetarianism out of a desire to avoid harming animals. Undoubtedly, sustainability factors into some people’s decision to be vegetarians. Plant-based foods certainly have far less impact on climate change.

Although CVap is well-known in culinary circles as being excellent for cooking proteins, we wanted to test it by cooking some vegetarian dishes with a carnivorous slant. It’s worth noting that while these are solidly vegetarian, they aren’t vegan. The cauliflower recipe includes butter, a vegan no-no. Nonetheless, they were a tasty, guilt-free treat for our resident vegetarians and carnivores.

Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 cup Frank’s Red Hot (or hot sauce of preference)
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbs Butter
2 Heads of Cauliflower (cleaned and cut into large bite-sized florets)
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

The Process

Preheat RTV/CHV-05 ovens to 200°F/350°F.
Place butter, hot sauce, and extra virgin olive oil in an oven-safe pan and into the CVap to melt butter and heat through
Toss florets with the sauce and place them onto a lined baking sheet, single-layer, with space.
Bake for about 30 minutes (RTV) – 40 min (CHV), or until reaching the desired texture.
Remove from oven, then sprinkle tops of buffalo cauliflower with freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake for another two to three minutes.

Serve with your favorite sauce (we used ranch), or enjoy as-is!

The base recipe came from allrecipes.com, but we adjusted it to suit our preferences, so technically, it’s our recipe now 😊

CARROT BACON

This recipe is inspired by Tabitha Brown’s Carrot Bacon recipe. We’ll be the first to admit that good old-fashioned bacon is damn near the perfect food. But if you’re looking for a healthier substitute for bacon, this vegan bacon/jerky recipe fits the bill...

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
¼ Cup Agave
¼ Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
1 Tbsp Granulated Onion
¼ Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
6-7 Large Carrots (peeled)

The Process

Preheat RTV/CHV-05 ovens to:

Cook Time – will be dependent on the size of carrot slices and expectations of “doneness.”
Vapor OFF and Water Removed Air 300°F

Prepare the “curing spice” for the carrot bacon by mixing everything in a bowl and setting it aside.
Clean and peel carrots. Use a peeler, a Japanese mandolin, or a comparable slicer to make the carrot strips. The longer the pieces, the more it will look like “bacon.”
Toss strips with curing spices, cover, and allow to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer strips to a perforated sheet pan, single layer.
Bake in CVap oven until reaching the desired texture.

Remove the carrot bacon from the perforated pan immediately. Otherwise, it will stick to the pan as it cools.

Note: We noticed that the strips get crisper as they cool.

Full disclosure – the original recipe was written for preparation in an air fryer. But we discovered that cooking in a CVap oven increased the volume output! We also realized that this spice blend is similar in flavor profile to Grippo’s Bar-B-Q Potato Chips! Happy accident!

All in all, our vegetarian cooking day was an interesting and
tasty success.

bacon buffalo sauce carrots cauliflower CVap jerky Oven roasting

A Full Irish Breakfast for St. Patrick’s Day

The full Irish breakfast harkens back to Ireland’s agrarian past. Farmworkers needed a good, hearty meal to have the energy to power through the rugged daily chores on the farm.

Like much of the world, farmers make up an increasingly small segment of the Irish population. But the popularity of the Irish breakfast hasn’t waned. It remains a favorite for genuine Irish folks and people who simply crave its hearty, basic goodness.

In the spirit of St. Patty’s we wanted to prepare a complete Irish breakfast in our test kitchen. The goal was to prepare as much as we could using our CVap® ovens and keep skillet-cooked foods hot, holding in the CVap® drawers.

What Exactly is an Irish Breakfast?

The exact ingredients of an Irish breakfast can vary. There are even regional variations in Ireland itself. But most involve some combination of the following:

Rashers (or bacon)
Irish sausages
Black and white pudding
Baked beans
Eggs (sunny side)
Tomatoes
Potato farl (or some other form of cooked potatoes)
Brown bread
Irish butter
Tea or coffee

Settings for Breakfast Ingredients

Eggs – prepared sunny-side-up and held in a CVap Drawer at 140°F /+10
Beans – rethermed in a CVap oven at 200°F Vapor/200°F Air until thoroughly heated. The warm beans were held in a CVap drawer at 140°F /+10.
Rashers (Bacon) – cooked in a CVap oven at 200°F Vapor/350°F Air until it reached preferred doneness (for an Irish breakfast, this means not cooking until crisp). Once cooked, the rashers were held in a CVap drawer at 140°F /+10
Bangers (sausage links) – cooked in a CVap oven at 200°F Vapor/350°F Air until thoroughly heated. The cooked bangers were held in a CVap drawer at 140°F /+10.
Potatoes (we used frozen rounds) – in a CVap oven at 200°F Vapor/350°F Air until hot and crispy. We then held in a CVap drawer at 90°F /+80
White Pudding (pork sausage with cornmeal (like scrapple)) – sliced and cooked in a skillet, then held in a CVap drawer at 90°F /+80.
Black Pudding (pork sausage with cornmeal and blood (like scrapple)) – sliced and cooked in a skillet, then held in a CVap drawer at 90°F /+80.
Tomatoes – cleaned and sliced in half.

The CVap Advantage

Our big advantage was the availability of our CVap equipment. CVap enabled us to keep everything hot and fresh so that the full breakfast could be presented all together, with every element piping hot and incredibly fresh.

The results were delicious and filling. Just the thing for a cool late-winter day.

We’ll close out this chapter with an Irish prayer. “Bless us with good food, the fit of gab and hearty laughter. May the love and joy we share, be with us ever after!”

bacon Cook & Hold holding cabinet potatoes retherm sausage School Nutrition

Guinness Brown Bread in CVap®

In a recent Winston blog, we prepared a full Irish breakfast. One of the key ingredients of that breakfast was Guinness Brown Bread. We thought this wonderful, dark bread deserved an entry of its own. We based it on a lovely recipe found on Good Food Ireland’s website.

This recipe takes a few liberties with the traditional Irish soda bread. One might think of brown bread as soda bread’s denser cousin. The original soda bread had just four ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. That basic recipe stems from the 1830s when much of Ireland was facing a serious famine. For many poor families, there would have been meals that consisted of only this bread. It kept them alive.

Soda bread also had the advantage of not requiring an oven to bake. It could be cooked in iron pots, or even directly on a stone over the fire. Yeast would have been hard to come but, not to mention expensive. Rather than using yeast for leavening, soda bread uses the chemical reaction between the baking soda and the acid in the buttermilk to leaven the dough. This works well with the soft wheat grown in Ireland.

Brown Bread vs Soda Bread

Guinness Brown Bread shares the same roots as soda bread. The key difference is the flour used. Irish soda bread is slightly sweet, (think scones). It uses white flour, which gives it a milder flavor. It’s a perfect snack or accompaniment to a hot cup of tea or coffee. On the other hand, brown bread has a nutty flavor that comes from the combination of Irish wholemeal flour and oats. It should be sliced think, and enjoyed with a schmear of Irish butter.

As is the case with any standard recipe, the standard baking settings needed a bit of modification for the CVap® ovens. We also needed to tweak the ingredients just a bit, since some ingredients aren’t easy to come by here in the U.S.

Ingredients (for one loaf)

600g Wholemeal Flour (we substituted Whole Wheat Flour)
150g Plain Flour (we substituted All-Purpose Flour)
75g Oatmeal
2 and 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
2-1/2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
40g Butter
480ml Whole Milk
200ml Black Treacle (we substituted Molasses)
½ Pint Guinness® Draught Stout

The Process

Mix butter with the dry ingredients until the dough develops the consistency of breadcrumbs.

Add the milk, molasses, and the Guinness draught.

Mix until you reach a wet dough.

The Settings

Preheat CHV/RTV-05 oven

Vapor Cook– 200°F
Air Cook– 350°F
Cook Time – 1 Hour

Portion the dough into standard greased loaf pans. Garnish with a few oats.

Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes, or until done.

To speed the bake time, we portioned our dough into mini loaves. This shortened the bake time to about 25 minutes. We also prepared a batch of muffins, which only took about 20 minutes to cook thoroughly. To make this a perfect addition to the meal, we served the warm bread with Kerrygold Irish Butter.

The Extras

In case you’re curious, there is a difference between Irish butter and the butter we’re used to here in the U.S. It turns out, Irish cows live a pretty good life. They feed exclusively on the lush green grass of the Emerald Isle. As a result, the butter they produce is higher in nutrients like beta carotene and is a little higher in fat content. Although the fat is only slightly higher, it is a difference you can taste. In addition, that fat keeps the Irish butter-soft, so it’s much easier to spread without tearing the bread. We highly recommend that you splurge on Irish butter. It will make this dark bread that much more delicious.

Of course, the Guinness draught speaks for itself. It’s a wonderful, dark, creamy stout. We highly recommend it.

baking Baking in CVap Bread brown bread cook and hold CVap guinness retherm

What is a Cook and Hold Oven?

Not all cook and hold ovens are equal. Let’s examine the differences in equipment and discover which cook and hold ovens are suitable for your kitchen.

In one form or another, Ovens have been around since prehistoric times. Not long after learning to control fire, our ancient ancestors figured out that encompassing fire or embers within a vessel or enclosure produced even better results when preparing food. Skip forward a few millennia, and we’ve arrived at today’s modern, technology-packed ovens. Whether you are outfitting a commercial kitchen, refurbishing your restaurant, or redesigning your school cafeteria, you will want to know the differences and the best fit for your kitchen.

Types of Ovens

Conventional

This is your basic oven, with electrical elements or gas burners providing radiant heat within the interior. You will find these in residential settings.

Convection

This kicks conventional oven technology up a notch. Convection ovens add powerful fans to circulate heated air throughout the oven’s interior. They cook significantly faster than conventional ovens. However, if not closely monitored, they can overcook or dry out food.

Passive Humidity Ovens

These ovens include a water reservoir to add humidity to the oven’s interior. The upside is that it is easier to retain the food’s moisture by adding moisture, resulting in a juicier product.

Humidified Ovens

These ovens control the water vapor generation within the unit, with varying degrees of success. Humidified equipment includes Controlled Vapor Technology ovens and combi ovens.

Equally important, one should remember that simply controlling relative humidity doesn’t necessarily translate to managing food quality. In fact, it’s merely reading for the maximum amount of water vapor an atmosphere can contain at a particular temperature. For example, 50% relative humidity can exist from 120°F to 245°F. Otherwise, the relative humidity is irrelevant. Controlling vapor, on the other hand, is highly precise. Controlled Vapor Technology (or CVap) precisely controls the temperature of the water vapor within the oven. In turn, it also controls the temperature of the food itself.

Cook and Hold Ovens

Cook and Hold Ovens are precisely what the name implies. These high-precision ovens can perform the functions of both an oven and a holding cabinet. In the case of Winston’s CVap® Cook and Hold Ovens, they are incredibly versatile. They’re great at cooking, baking, roasting, braising, steaming, sous vide, holding, proofing, dehydrating, and much more.

Yields on Yields on Yields

Overall, the main benefit of CVap Cook and Hold Ovens is that they increase yield, which helps your bottom line. Depending on the primal cut, CVap ovens can yield one to two additional servings, which increases profits exponentially over time. There’s simply no comparison between CVap Cook and Hold Ovens and conventional or convection ovens.

Slow cooking produces a high yield with natural browning. The meat retains more food juices which result in less shrinkage. Use practically any type of meat with slow cooking. Natural enzyme action tenderizes the meat. Preserve and enhance the delicate flavors of seafood. Retain color and nutrition in vegetables. Bread, rolls, desserts, pies, and cookies brown evenly for a beautiful presentation. Gentle air circulation roasting at lower temperature produces a tender roast, naturally browned to perfection. Just a little light seasoning to taste is all that’s needed.

You save time and labor when you don’t have to pre-sear, put on sauces, or rubs.

CVap ovens save on overhead costs, like labor. Features such as timed preheat and overnight cooking mean your oven is working, even when your staff isn’t. In most cases, CVap equipment doesn’t require placement under a vent hood, saving you electricity and valuable vent space.

events beef and broccoli emerging from oven

Not a Combi Oven

Although often compared to combi ovens, CVap Cook and Hold Ovens. Unlike combis, CVap ovens don’t require expensive chemicals and extensive cleaning. Although CVap ovens can’t match the speed offered by combi ovens, it makes up for it in precision. CVap ovens don’t require hard plumbing connections or vent hoods. They produce food that’s every bit as high-quality as food produced in combi ovens. Frankly, combi ovens tend to be overly complicated. For that reason, they’re often under-utilized in kitchens. And the upfront costs of combi ovens are incredibly high compared to other oven technologies

Cook and Hold Oven Types

There are various cook and hold ovens to choose from, depending on your foodservice operation’s needs.
Key features to consider are temperature ranges and the results you need to achieve.

Cook and Hold Ovens

Cook and Hold Ovens specialize in low and slow cooking. Generally, slow cooking minimizes shrinkage and boosts yield. Reduce shrinkage by 15 to 20 percent when cooking in this method. These ovens automatically transition to an automatic hold mold and the conclusion of the cook cycle. Auto holding removes the necessity of having staff constantly monitor the unit. Cook and hold ovens that utilize advanced technology, such as CVap (Controlled Vapor), precisely control food’s temperature and texture.

Retherm Ovens

Retherm ovens are another version of a cook and hold. They rethermalize pre-cooked foods to the desired serving temperature. Depending on the brand of the oven, some may not have a holding option. However, Winston’s CVap Retherm Ovens can also precisely hold foods. This option sets it apart from other manufacturer models. Therefore, you can cook and hold all in the same unit.

Energy-Efficient Oven Technology

There are various cook and hold ovens to choose from, depending on your foodservice operation’s needs.
Key features to consider are temperature ranges and the results you need to achieve.

CVap Technology

CVap technology uses the thermodynamics of water vapor to control food temperature. Unlike our competitors, CVap technology can precisely control food temperature. Eliminate overcooking for good. CVap is a dual heat system, combining both moist vapor heat and dry air heat. As a result, food is at the exact temperature and texture. There isn't an equivalent system that compares moist foods to crisp foods.

Probe Cooking

Probes are one of the best ways to achieve optimal food temperatures while cooking or holding. Some cooking and holding ovens can set food probes to your ideal internal temperature. The unit will automatically switch to holding mode once a set cook temperature reads. The oven will then hold the food at the optimal temperature and texture until it's ready to be served. CVap Series 7 and Series 5 ovens are probe-ready. These ovens give you the option of cooking by probe temperature or time.

Low-Temperature Ovens with Cables

Food products are subject to fluctuating temperatures when using a low-temperature oven that distributes heat with halo cables. After all, directly controlling food moisture is the only way to ensure internal water is not lost — loss of internal moisture results in poor food quality.

Low-Temperature Ovens with Controlled Vapor

Low-temperature ovens that utilize controlled vapor, such as CVap ovens, must be filled with clean water. For this purpose, these units need to be connected to a water source to operate correctly or be filled manually with water. Also, to prevent limescale buildup, clean the basin daily.

Humidified Ovens

Not all humidified ovens are alike. Although introducing water vapor into the oven cavity delivers better results than a simple oven, it indirectly affects food quality. Generally, such passive humidity ovens allow food to retain internal moisture. Unfortunately, they don’t directly control other aspects of food quality. CVap ovens, on the other hand, precisely control the temperature of water vapor within the unit. Not only are they controlling vapor temperature, but they also control food temperature.

Simple thermodynamics dictate that different bodies of water will inevitably equalize their temperatures, given enough time. All foods contain water. For instance, think of that food product as a body of water. When you place the food in the oven, the food (water) is cool. The oven is full of hot water vapor. When the hot water vapor condenses on the colder food surface, this transfers heat energy into the food. Then the heat energy raises the food temperature until it reaches equilibrium. The food-water temperature matches the heated water vapor of the oven. Food cannot overcook because it can’t exceed the temperature of the water vapor.

You might think that all this water vapor would result in soggy food, but that’s not the case. CVap’s air heat engineering controls the surface texture of food. For example, if you serve breaded proteins or baked goods, surface moisture evaporates more quickly. As a result, you achieve the desired surface aesthetic. Soups or pasta do not need dry surfaces. In this case, air heat is low, allowing the water vapor to raise food temperatures to the desired level quickly.

CONTROL OPTIONS

Most cook and hold ovens have different control options available to match the sophistication needs of the kitchen.

Simple Controls

Simple controls often include buttons and dials rather than touch screens. However, touch-based terminals are becoming standard for newer models. Stored recipes and probe cook options are often available. Recipes can be uploaded and downloaded by USB. Also, enable HACCP documentation easily.

Touch Screen Controls

In addition to all the features of simple controls, touch screen controls allow kitchen staff to select preset channels with ease. Capacitive touch controls are simple to understand and easy to clean.

Comparing Cabinet Styles

There’s a size configuration to suit every operation. Each serves various purposes and provides multiple solutions. In addition to the size, the inside structure of the oven is essential to consider. Side racks are standard on most models. Additional configurations are also available based on your needs.

Countertop Ovens

Smallest CVap Cook and Hold Oven are just over 36" tall. Winston's most compact oven holds up to four hotel pans of food products. These are perfect for small-batch cooking, and the design allows you to maximize your counter space. This powerful little oven operates on a standard 120V circuit.

Under Counter Oven

This type of oven can hold up to eight hotel pans and are approximately 36" tall. These low-profile ovens can easily slide under counters and worktables to maximize space. Casters make cleaning and maintenance easy.

Half Size Ovens

Half-size ovens are slightly taller than under-counter ovens hold up to ten hotel pans of food. Their height is approximately 39 inches tall. Half-size ovens are compact, and you can maximize kitchen space by stacking a second oven or a holding cabinet on top of it.

Full-Size Ovens

Free-standing, full-size ovens are ideal for large kitchens and extensive operations. They hold up to 28 hotel pans of food and are approximately 76 inches in height.

Contact Winston Foodservice Today

While there is a wide variety of cook and hold ovens available, it’s essential to find one that meets all your space and operational needs. Thanks to Winston CVap Technology, our cook and hold ovens ensure your food is cooking evenly and consistently. They don’t need hoods or permanent plumbing. Options include heavy-duty casters. therefore, you can move them to wherever you need. Cook and hold ovens are great additions for Ghost kitchens, cloud kitchens, satellite kitchens, or commissary kitchens. In conclusion, there’s a CVap Cook and Hold oven to suit every need, every kitchen, and menu.

Talk to an expert today to learn more about how CVap Cook and Hold Ovens can benefit your operation. One of our qualified professionals will be glad to reach out to your shortly.

Fill out a contact form, or call 800-234-5286 to speak with a member of our team.

Cook & Hold cook and hold CVap Oven

What is a Warming Drawer?

A warming drawer is an electrical appliance used by commercial foodservice operators. Their function is to hold and warm food that will not be served immediately fresh, flavorful.

The Industry refers to them as many other names. Some call them warming drawers, food warmers, hot-boxes, holding drawers, hot cabinets, heated food cabinets, etc. Whatever you call them, a warming drawer can help streamline your operation. This product is a reliable way to keep staple menu items hot and fresh. Ordinary, you can find warming drawers at buffets, cafeterias, and restaurants because they make it easier to keep up with demand. Most importantly, they allow the operator to remain confident in the quality and safety of the food they are serving. CVap® Hold and Serve Drawers have an operating range of 90 to 180°F. The maximum temperature of CVap warming drawers is 250°F.

For example, high-volume food products such as bread rolls are kept warm for immediate serving. Also, perishable foods such as meats stay above 140°F to prevent spoiling; moreover, guests dine safely. In order to do this, set and adjust temperatures with the electronic differential controls. These controls automatically monitor and adjust the drawer temperature. Watch this video for a quick, quirky rundown of CVap drawers.

What Are Warming Drawers Used For?

Specifically, drawers are used on the serving line to keep hot components of daily specials ready to churn out, cutting down on cooking times.
Servers and front-of-the-house staff use them to hold sides such as nachos, tortillas, breadsticks, and rolls.
Also, caterers use them to hold pans of cooked food before departing for events.
Drawers are great for holding a variety of foods, such as soft and moist to crisp or fried.
In addition to food, you can warm plates, bowls, cups, and other oven-safe dinnerware in drawers.
Finally, drawers are used at low temperatures to proof bread dough.

Never use warming drawers for...

Cooking or reheating food, especially potentially hazardous foods because we do not design drawers for cooking.
Warming plates or dinnerware that is not oven-safe.
Heating plastic wrap or conventional plastic containers because will melt and ruin food.
Also hazardous, aluminum lining or any other type of foil.

Is a Hold and Serve Drawer Worth the Investment?

Drawer warmer is a wise investment for high-volume menu items and ingredients. Cooking and holding them ahead will help you save time and sell more products. Consider these three questions when investing in drawers for your kitchen. Firstly, how many pieces of equipment does your operation require? Secondly, what type of product do you need to hold in them? Thirdly, where will they be placed?

If catering is your forte, or you find yourself frequently preparing for events, a warmer drawer will help you maintain that just-cooked look and taste. It’s a satisfying balance of achieving quality and quantity. A food warmer can serve as one of the workhorses of your kitchen and ease concerns you might have when large groups arrive. If the need is there, this versatile piece of equipment may be well worth the investment.

Benefits of Holding Drawers

Holding Drawers are an energy-efficient alternative to microwaves and conventional ovens to hold hot food.

They keep food fresh, flavorful, and visually appealing.

Allows you to cook food ahead of time, which frees up labor during peak serving times.

Simple, intuitive controls make it easy for even inexperienced cooks or servers to operate.

Provides a designated space for hot food holding which does not need to be nearby cooking equipment (e.g., an oven or microwave).

It frees up space on griddles and ranges and in ovens and microwaves, which kitchens sometimes use as warmers.

Typical Features of Warming Drawers

Variable Temperature

Digital or thermostatic controls allow you to select the desired temperature suitable for specific foods. CVap drawers feature digital electronic differential controls, and therefore never need calibration.

Vents

Vents allow airflow control to manipulate moisture and humidity to maintain the quality of different foods. For instance, CVap technology allows our drawers to operate without vents for even more control.

Heat Indicator Light

Indicator lights alert the operator when it reaches the desired temperature. CVap warmers indicate the temperature, therefore making heat lights unnecessary.

Mobility

Casters or legs offer different degrees of mobility, while a built-in design allows for discreet, permanent installation. Casters are available as an option on CVap Hold and Serve Drawers.

Different Types of Warming Drawers

All warming drawers perform the same primary function of holding food at serving temperature. However, different models can serve multiple purposes. Some units, like rice warmers, are designed to warm specific types of food and even utensils. Below, you’ll find comparisons of the common styles and types.

Narrow Drawer

Advantage: An ideal option when space is limited and frequent item replenishment is required.

Disadvantage: Smaller capacity drawers limit the amount of food warming at a given time.

Standard Wide Drawer

Advantage: Ideal for use with larger quantities of hot food and greater output during peak times or when serving large groups.

Disadvantage: Requires more thoughtful consideration of the designated placement and may be more difficult to move if necessary.

Split Drawer

Advantage: Most units with two or more drawers feature split operation, allowing you to control the temperature, airflow, and ultimate food quality for each drawer separately. This configuration is not available in CVap Hold and Serve Drawers.

Disadvantage: Requires more attention than using a single unit with one food item, yet has the same easy-to-use controls.

Freestanding Warmers

Advantage: Generally remain in a fixed position but offer some portability. Grants comfortable access to staff when placed at counter height. Option to replace legs with casters for added mobility. Some models are stackable to increase capacity.

Disadvantage: Requires designated countertop or floor space. More difficult to move larger units if necessary.

Built-In Warmers

Advantage: In-counter installation allows for the most efficient use of space. In-counter installation frees up space for prep work on countertops. It also frees up space in/on cooking equipment used for hot holding — no need to move it around at any time.

Disadvantage: Requires designated installation space. Requires planning and may require an additional cost of installation.

MOBILE WARMERS

Advantage: Offers the most mobility; quickly move from the kitchen to the line. It can be rolled in and out of storage if used occasionally. Rests on the floor or seamlessly under a table. It also does not take up counter space.

Disadvantage: Requires designated floor space. Requires frequent bending to retrieve items.

Rice Warmer Drawers

Advantage: Specially designed to hold rice. May include a hot food well or a utensil well, ensuring the proper serving utensil is always on hand. Keeps rice in the same container used to cook it. Holds rice at the right serving temperature, ensuring food quality and safety after leaving the rice cooker.

Disadvantage: Of course, only practical in operations serving large quantities of rice.

Types of Controls

Thermostatic Controls

Easy for anyone to use.
Typically include an on/off switch and a temperature dial.
The control may or may not have actual temperatures listed, and some interfaces opt for number settings corresponding to temperatures.
Some may also include a temperature gauge or a heat indicator light.

Digital Controls (includes CVap’s electronic differential controls)

Simple, intuitive controls.
Typically have a digital or physical power button/switch.
Up and down arrows typically control temperature and time settings.
Heat indicator light (on some brands).
LCD screen displays time and temperature settings; it may also display error codes.

How to Use a Commercial Warming Drawer

With proper training, using a warming drawer is simple, regardless of your crew’s experience level. Though control options may vary across models, the same essential functions apply to all drawers. After you’ve selected the proper warming drawer for your needs, ensure that it is securely resting or installed in an ideal location. Use the following tips and instructions for optimal results.

Voltage

Power your unit with an outlet suitable for the voltage rating of the drawer. Here’s a quick run-through of the typical voltage ratings available:

120V warmers (CVap drawers operate at this voltage)
208V warmers
230V warmers
240V warmers
208/240V warmers

Temperature Setting

After powering the unit on, be sure to set it to the desired temperature and allow it to preheat. Preheating may take up to 30 minutes for high settings. Preheating ensures that hot food will not fall below the desired temperature. If your unit has a heat indicator light, it will illuminate or shut off (depending on the model) to indicate that the temperature is ready.

Digital displays will likely also provide a visual indication of a set temperature or actual temperature. After preheating, place hot food in the drawer as soon as possible, using drawer warmer accessories such as high-heat plastic or stainless steel food pans, if needed. Refer to the following table for a basic overview of food-safe internal temperatures for meat and seafood.

Airflow Control

If your model has them, the vents are located on the front of warming drawers to adjust the air entering the drawer. The more opened the vents are, the more air enters the drawer, ultimately decreasing the moisture level. Dry foods that do not require moisture, such as tortilla chips, will retain a perfect crunch with little to no humidity.

Moisture

Closing the vents allows you to maintain the moisture level inside a drawer. Keeping vents closed retains some of the natural moisture levels for foods that should stay moist. Fill a stainless steel pan with water to increase the drawer’s humidity. Doing so will prevent food like grilled chicken from drying out. To further increase the moisture and resulting humidity of a drawer to accommodate foods prone to drying out. Place a splash baffle inside the pan to prevent splashing when you move the drawer. Set another slightly smaller pan inside the first pan and fill it with the food that requires additional humidity. Also, for the best outcome, do not remove it from the warming drawer for the duration of holding.

CVap drawers, on the other hand, are powered by heated water vapor. CVap differs from other technology in that it directly utilizes heated vapor to control food temperature. Because CVap technology supplies the steam, foods can retain their internal moisture, preserving flavor and nutrients while keeping temperatures steady.

Proofing Dough

Similarly, keeping dinnerware warm before plating and serving is another less conventional use for drawer warmers. Though it’s not the most economical use for your unit, some do so without reservation, based on the notion that some dishes are improved when served on a warmed plate. The food maintains better flavor and consistency. Also, the meal stays warm longer when using preheated plates, bowls, or other dinnerware.

CVap drawers, on the other hand, are powered by heated water vapor. CVap differs from other technology in that they utilize heated vapor to directly control food temperature rather than doing so passively, as other “humidified” drawers do. Because CVap technology supplies the vapor, foods can retain their internal moisture, preserving flavor and nutrients while keeping temperatures steady.

Warming Dinnerware

Cleaning Tips & Instructions

Clean Daily

To ensure that you are continuously operating in a food-safe manner, clean the drawers of your unit and any inserts daily, giving the exterior a good wipe down as needed.

Turn it Off

Before cleaning, be sure to turn off or unplug the unit first to avoid any potential hazards. Also, allow any equipment to cool down for at least an hour before cleaning or servicing.

External Cleaning

Never immerse any part of your unit, including the power cord, in water. When cleaning the exterior surface only, use a damp rag. Use a minimal amount of warm, soapy water or utilize cleaners and polishes designed explicitly for stainless steel. Avoid any areas containing electrical components. Furthermore, avoid any surfaces that come into contact with food.

Synthetic Scrubbers

Use a minimally abrasive synthetic fiber scouring pad or sponge. Clean with a mild cleanser to remove water scale and dried-on food. Do not use steel wool or other highly abrasive scouring pads. Avoid damage to the passive coating of the stainless steel. Abrasions in the coating layer can cause issues such as corrosion and rust.

Remove Drawers

Lift the drawers themselves off their tracks and hand wash as needed using the handwashing method above.

Remove Pans

If your unit includes inset drawer pans or liners, remove them, and wash and sanitize in a three-compartment sink or commercial dishwasher.

Remove Lime Scale

Use a 3:1 ratio of water (75%) and white vinegar (25%) to remove limescale and other mineral deposits. Fill the existing water pan or a separate stainless steel pan with the mixture and place it into the unit’s drawer. Power the unit on and allow it to run for 30 minutes, then turn it off. Let the pan sit in the equipment for two or more hours, depending on the severity of the buildup. There are also several commercial limescale removers available on the market.

Advantages of CVap Warming Drawers

Precision

Reduce Labor

Food Quality

Easy Operation

Easy Clean

Less Waste

Mobility

Unlike traditional heated holding or low-temperature cooking technologies, temperatures created by CVap technology do not fluctuate. Its gentle vapor heat evenly surrounds food, resulting in better food quality and higher yields.

Contact Winston Foodservice Today

For over 50 years, Winston has provided reliable equipment to help foodservice operators meet the growing demands of their customers. Our sales team and global network of sales representatives are happy to consult with you and help you figure out the best equipment to meet your goals.

Fill out a contact form, or call 800-234-5286 to speak with a member of our team.

CVap holding cabinet holding drawers warming warming drawer

What is a Holding Cabinet?

To explain, holding cabinets are heated appliances designed to hold cooked foods at a safe serving temperature.

Some holding cabinets do this job well and some do not. Of course, the quality depends on the manufacturer and design. Also, holding cabinets are sometimes referred to by other names. For instance, they are called a hot box, warmer, insulated warmer, hold and serve, warming cabinet, and other phrases.

Winston’s CVap® technology started as a holding technology. The challenge was to create an appliance that could keep foods hot and fresh. For example, operations with a drive-thru service rely on holding units to keep food hot and ready for fast delivery. Winston’s founder, Winston Shelton, saw the benefit of the technology. He worked out the science behind the challenge. As a result, CVap technology has been an industry leader ever since.

What are the Benefits of CVap Holding Cabinets?

CVap Equipment Versus the Competition

Three categories define CVap’s competition: dry cabinets, passive humidified cabinets, and humidified cabinets.

Dry Cabinets

Advantages

Food product is held in a hot atmosphere, facilitating quick service during busy periods.
Utilize this cabinet for dehydration (dried meats and vegetables).
Minimize cleaning time.
Simple to operate.
Cost is generally lower.

Disadvantages

No humidity means decreased hold times.
Heat rises, therefore causing food temperature differences in the cabinet.
Utilizes thermostat, which requires calibration and is only accurate within 10°F.
Cannot control food temperature precisely.
Food quality is not a primary focus.

Passive Humidified Cabinets

Advantages

Food product is held in a hot atmosphere, facilitating quick service during busy periods.
Increased humidity level in the cabinet, therefore causing better hold times than dry cabinets.
Utilize this cabinet for dehydration (dried meats and vegetables).
Unlike most holding cabinets, cost is generally lower.
Generally better yield than that of dry units.
Units are simple to operate.

Disadvantages

Small evaporator used, which limits the amount of humidity within units.
Water is not heated by a separate heat source, causing uncontrollable food temperatures.
Food quality is still secondary compared to other holding cabinets.
Unit has significant hot/cold zones throughout the cabinet.
Utilizes thermostat, which requires calibration and is only accurate within 10°F.

Humidified Cabinets

Advantages

Food product is held in a hot atmosphere, facilitating quick service during busy periods.
Large, heated evaporator is adjustable and allows the user to control food better.
Extended hold times on all food products (compared to dry and passive units).
Good temperature stratification throughout cabinet (minimal hot/cold zones).
Better overall food quality than dry and passive humidified cabinets.
Increased yield and higher food temperatures.

Disadvantages

Cannot control water temperature precisely, therefore resulting in inaccurate food temperature control.
Adjust the Humidity level by 0-10 setting, which doesn’t give an exact water temperature.
Insulated evaporator will climb past desired settings, which leads to food temperatures overshoot (in some cabinets).
Utilizes thermostat, which requires calibration and is only accurate within 10°F.
Determine settings by trial and error and for this reason can be confusing.
Recommend daily draining and cleaning of the evaporator.
Cost is higher than dry and passive humidified cabinets.

CVap Holding Cabinets

Advantages

Food product is held at desired serving temperature, facilitating quick service during
Hot and ready during busy periods and maintaining safe temperatures during slow periods.
Uses differential control to manage food temperature and food texture independently.
Differential control adjusts its air temperature to compensate for the water temperature, therefore optimizing texture.
CVap system creates a vapor pressure in the cabinet, eliminating hot/cold zones of food temperature.
Control has base settings, therefore making it easy to get an initial setting for the customer.
Microprocessor eliminates calibration needs and is notably accurate to within 2°F.
Best overall food quality and also the most extended holding times in the industry.

Disadvantages

Cost is higher than some competition.
Some customers don’t require long hold times.
Appearance is also similar to humidified cabinets (for example Cres Cor’s Aqua Temp).
Recommend daily draining and cleaning of the evaporator.

Passive Humidified Cabinets

CVap Holding Cabinets

Humidified Cabinets

Does CVap Equipment Use Humidity?

All CVap cabinets utilize humidity (the amount of water vapor in the air). However, CVap cabinets do not use humidity the same as some competitors’ equipment. Unlike some competitor models, CVap cabinets generate humidity using a vapor bath. This bath is located in the equipment’s base. CVap holding cabinets function with a three-gallon vapor bath. It is also independently heated. The basin heats to the exact temperature that customers choose to hold the food.

Problem Areas – and How CVap Holding Cabinets Can Help

The most common problem area or areas for improvement are:

Ticket Times

The time it takes to serve the desired customer order. The longer the ticket times are the fewer total customers they can fill in one day. Indeed, CVap reduces ticket times, which enables users to seat more people. As a result, businesses make more money.

Food Quality

Poor food quality can result in loss of sales. For example, poor quality includes dried-out or tough food. Additionally, food that is too chewy or has poor color can turn away customers. Food that is soggy, hard, or overcooked also can cause food waste and loss of revenue.

Shrinkage

This is how much the product reduces weight during holding and deals directly with food costs. In most cases, food products in a dry or humidity cabinet continue to lose weight while holding. Foods that show high shrinkage also are perceived as lower quality.

Employee Skill

Most kitchens today have trouble finding highly skilled employees. Many employees overcook or burn food, increasing food costs. This problem can also result in poor food quality, long ticket times, or an inability to service high volumes of people. Solutions for these problems translate to increased profits!

High Labor Costs

Again, it is tough to get good employees, and many restaurants overstaff to make sure that the job gets done. CVap products allow restaurants to reduce the number of employees on staff, thereby lowering labor expenses.

Food Safety/FDA Compliance

Many facilities are implementing HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), a system developed to minimize risks of injuries and foodborne illnesses. Those establishments who choose not to utilize HACCP must still follow FDA guidelines. CVap equipment is particularly effective in HACCP temperature compliance.

Kitchen Limitations

All restaurants have some form of kitchen limitation. Operators may not have space for more equipment, although they have trouble keeping up with their business. Other operators may want to get more equipment but don’t want to spend the money to get ventilation systems.

Utility Costs

The establishment may be utilizing inefficient equipment related to higher gas, water, or electrical costs. Providing equipment that solves this helps the bottom-line for profit earnings.

Features, Advantages, and Benefits

CVap technology holds foods at precise temperatures for an extended time without losing quality. Cook your food ahead of time. Also, eliminate quality changes in food. Significantly reduce long ticket times.

Feature: CVap Technology.
Advantage: Cooking or holding for extended times without losing quality.
Benefit: Reduce long ticket times

CVap technology utilizes a dual-heat source. CVap precisely controls the large evaporator in the bottom of the holding cabinet and the ambient air temperature in the unit. Therefore, you can adjust your desired food temperature by controlling that evaporator temperature precisely. Also, managing the ambient air temperature lets you adjust the food texture. You can decide if you want the food to be soft, crispy, or any desired consistency. In conclusion, by having this dual-heat source, you can hold rare steaks or crunchy chicken, and your staff should be able to keep up with the rush.

Feature: Dual heat source.
Advantage: Control food temperature and texture precisely.
Benefit: Staff can keep up with the rush (employee skill and ticket times).

Food Sustainability

The key to quality food sustainability is more than the simple heat application. Adding simple humidity isn’t the answer, either. The real key to quality holding is to preserve as much natural product moisture as possible. That’s precisely the gentle holding capability of CVap Technology.
CVap keeps hot foods at safe, even temperatures while retaining the maximum amount of product moisture, the natural moisture found in most foods you need to hold.
Whether your holding needs are large or small, CVap hot food holding solutions are available in a wide variety of models and can support any food preparation or service by extending the sustainability of the food.

Heated Holding Cabinets

Holding units are a mainstay for any successful foodservice operation because they maintain precise food temperatures. CVap doesn’t “soak” foods with moisture. Instead, it helps foods retain their natural water for hours without overcooking or drying out.

Drawer Warmers

CVap Hold and Serve Drawers can fit anywhere you need production items held hot because they are available in one- and two-drawer configurations, in both standard and narrow widths. Therefore, you can place them on top or under countertops, on carts, or near serving stations.

Some competitors may attempt to convince you that adding water vapor to held foods lessens taste and result in washed-out food. Frankly, that isn’t true. Heating food causes evaporation. Evaporation is a cooling process. So, if a competitor tells you that no vapor is needed, they aren’t being truthful. If the cabinet isn’t providing the moisture, the food is. Overall, no matter how “gentle” they describe their technology, it doesn’t escape the fact that it loses heat and quality when food loses moisture.

Proofing in Holding Cabinets

Every CVap product, from holding cabinets, warming drawers, and ovens, makes excellent proofers! Since these units can operate as either a holding cabinet or a proofing cabinet, they’re ideal for small operations that only have space for one piece of equipment in their kitchen.

Holding Cabinet Sizes

Undercounter

34″ tall or less
Fits under counters
Best for small kitchens

1/2 Height

36-41″ tall
Best for low volume kitchen operations

Full Height

At least 65″ tall
Best for high volume kitchen operations

Insulation

All CVap cabinets are insulated. Insulated cabinets help preserve heat within the cabinet more efficiently. As a result, this helps save energy and reduces costs. Use insulated cabinets for transporting food items. For instance, if you need to move a large quantity of product from one place to another, an insulated cabinet is the best way to accomplish this task. An insulated cabinet reduces heat loss and energy consumption by heating the unit and cooling its kitchen environment.

Pros:

Energy efficient
Great for off-site events such as catering, weddings, etc.
Cool to touch exterior
Less radiating heat leaves the kitchen cooler

Cons:

Higher initial investment

Control Type

CVap holding cabinets are available with either capacitive touch or membrane controls. Both are easy to use and highly accurate.

CVap Door Types

CVap cabinets offer three types of doors: glass, flip-door, and solid. Glass doors allow operators to see the product without opening. As it happens, opening and closing the door frequently causes the cabinet to lose heat. Winston also offers a flip-door configuration on some cabinet models. Similarly, you can see the product through a flip-door. But unlike a glass door, a flip-door model allows quick access to foods without opening the door. Meanwhile, solid doors are extremely energy efficient and create minimal ambient heat.

GLASS DOORS

FLIP-DOORS

SOLID DOORS

Holding Cabinet Door Configuration

Full height warmer cabinets are better for high-volume operation kitchens. CVap full-size cabinets feature Dutch doors because they minimize heat loss when the doors open. A pass-through configuration is also available. You can open a pass-through cabinet from both sides. Not only the front of the line can access the cabinet, but also the back of the line. Further speeding up the rate of production and service.

Holding Cabinets and the New Normal

The COVID-19 pandemic left a lasting impact on restaurants — a stronger emphasis on safety, convenience, and delivery. Improving food safety is an important goal for all foodservice operations. The right equipment can help accomplish this.

Holding cabinets are critical in preserving food temperature and safety in commercial kitchens. In fact, these cabinets help limit exposure to people when cooking for delivery or take-out. Foodservice professionals have incorporated this equipment to improve food safety practices and keep food fresh for take-out and delivery. Also, you can use holding cabinets to limit exposure to circulated air in a kitchen. Cabinets come in a variety of configurations.

Holding Cabinets Can Benefit Your Restaurant

Restaurants can improve food safety, cut costs, and improve delivery during this time. Utilizing holding cabinets promotes limited contact with food and keeps safe temperatures. They also keep food hot and fresh for delivery and take-out operations.

Promote Food Safety

With the risks of COVID-19 still looming, limiting person-to-person contact is essential. Holding cabinets help cut down on exposure between kitchen staff and food. These cabinets also are designed to preserve safe food temperatures before eating. They utilize controlled vapor and fans to distribute heated air to keep food hot.

Limit Food Waste

CVap holding cabinets keep food at safe temperatures for longer than heat lamps. A holding cabinet helps cut down on food waste and costs. They also keep food at desirable temperatures for delivery and take-out, which keeps customers happy.

Improve Delivery Programs

Customers expect meals to be hot, fresh, and delicious when it’s delivered. Therefore, keeping food hot and fresh as long as possible is essential to offering quality take-out and delivery. Holding cabinets can keep food hot and safe until it’s ready for the customer.

Contact Winston Foodservice Today

Fill out a contact form, or call 800-234-5286 to speak with a member of our team.

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