CHICAGO — The National Restaurant Association has announced the recipients of the 2018 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards, honouring progressive equipment that increases efficiencies and productivity for back-of-the-house operations and benefits restaurant operators.
Each recipient and their product will be showcased in the interactive Kitchen Innovations Showroom at the 2018 NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show being held May 19 to 22 at McCormick Place.
An independent panel of industry experts comprised of internationally recognized food-facilities consultants, multi-unit restaurant executives and design experts helped select the KI-Award recipients.
“The KI-Award recipients are innovators in back-of-house operations and work tirelessly to improve the challenges faced by restaurant operators,” says Dickie Brennan, convention chair for NRA Show 2018 and owner/managing partner of Dickie Brennan & Company “For fourteen years, the industry has admired KI Award recipients and their contribution to making our foodservice industry even better.”
The 22 winning innovations address operator concerns from labour, energy and water efficiency to food safety, sanitation, cross-functionality and space saving. The 2018 KI-Award recipients are:
• Air Oasis — Bi-Polar Ice BPi200
• Alto-Shaam, Inc. (in conjunction with Appliance Innovation) — Vector F Series Multi-Cook Oven
• Antunes — GST-1H Flatbread-Toaster
• Astra Shunsuke — Peeling Machine
• Bizerba North America — GSP H & HD Illuminated Safety Slicers, Manual, Semi-Automatic and Fully-Automatic Operation
• Evo, Inc. — MultiZone Plancha
• Flat Tech Inc. — Flat Equalizers
• Garland, A Welbilt Brand — Instinct Induction Countertop Line
• Genius Pan, LLC — Genius Pan
• Hoshizaki America — KMEdge Ice Machine Series
• Markov — Level RF Oven
• Marra Forni — Electric Brick Oven with Open Mouth; Deck Brick Oven with Double Mouth Opening
• Multiplex, A Welbilt Brand — FreshBlender
• Omni-Rinse — Integrated Rinsing System
• Prince Castle — Modular Holding Bin
• Sealed Air Corporation — Cryovac FlexPrep EZ Dispensing
• Soda Gun Jetter LLC — Soda Gun Jetter
• Structural Concepts Corporation — Foodscaping Wells; Reveal Frameless Glass Food Displays
• Vitamix — Aerating Container
• Vulcan — SonicSafe Ultrasonic Scale Prevention for Steamers
More information about the award winners and their products can be found here.
