What You Need to Know About Rethermalizers

In one way or another, commercial kitchens across the globe depend on frozen food for one or more dishes that they prepare regularly. While it is ideal to have dishes come from fresh produce and ingredients, this is a significant challenge for many large commercial kitchens. With the help of using a rethermalizer, cooking from frozen is now easier and does not impact the quality of dishes. 

Using a Rethermalizer

Cooking from frozen requires the same attention to detail as cooking from fresh. In order to match the quality standards with frozen dishes, it is critical to use a rethermalizer. The main tool in this equipment is hot water. The hot water is used to properly thaw frozen foods to a fresh state where cooking properly and safely starts. During this thawing procedure, the hot water maintains a consistent temperature so that the food is thawed gradually and at safe temperatures.

Use Plastic Wrapping

Before putting the frozen food in the rethermalizer, you will need to wrap it in plastic to prevent food contamination. Like deep fryers, the rethermalizer will have a basket for the frozen product to be placed in and then dropped down into hot water. With the use of plastic wrapping, your team is able to thaw different types of products at the same time. Depending on the amount of water, you can heat as much or as little as you need.

Food Safety & Quality

Previously, one of the best ways to thaw frozen foods was to use the microwave. While it could thaw these items quickly, the rate at which the temperature rises could be dangerous, allowing room for bacterial contamination to develop. Thawing food from a frozen state to a thawed state required a steady procedure and a rise in temperature. This allows the food to reach safe temperatures at the same time and do so before any bacteria can get into the food.

Also, when microwaving food products, the quality of the product diminishes greatly. The microwave is known to start cooking from the middle out, and the moisture in the product is often lost. In some instances, this process leads to uneven cooking when a meal is finished and affects the overall dish.

Minimizing Prep Time

With the use of a rethermalizer, there is no need to have frozen food sit in the cooler for long periods of time to thaw. This traditional thawing practice left room for error and food contamination that is drastically reduced with the rethermalizer. Kitchens who use this equipment are able to thaw at a much quicker timetable, reducing prep time needed for certain dishes. This, in turn, will also reduce the waste in your kitchen, since you are able to thaw and use what you need.

Expand Your Menu

Because of how the rethermalizer thaws products, your kitchen has the opportunity to undergo new menu ideas. While certain dishes may have been avoided in the past due to this excessive prep time, you can diversify your protein offerings to match the diversity of your customers. You can also choose between vendors due to their packaging.

Upgrade Your Commercial Kitchen

The rethermalizer is very convenient for commercial kitchens. They are easy to use by staff and work similarly to deep fryers. They are as simple as wrapping the product in plastic and dropping it down into the hot water. It’s that easy! They eliminate the need for additional attention and can maximize the overall performance and production of your foodservice operation.

Many vendors have started packaging their items to accommodate the use of rethermalizers. In order to maintain the necessary quality and growth of your commercial kitchen, it is time to make this investment.