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How to Care for Stainless Steel Foodservice Equipment
To best understand how to care for stainless steel in a foodservice environment, a basic understanding of stainless steel composition is needed.
Stainless steel is not stain proof, it is stain resistant. Steel is classified as stainless only if it contains a minimum of 10.5% chromium. When exposed to oxygen, chromium forms a layer of chrome-containing oxides only a few atoms thick. This extremely thin and tightly packed molecular structure formed by the chromium atoms is called a passive film...
Read MoreFoodservice Serving Counters - Daisy Chain vs. Dedicated Circuits
If the purpose of specifying a mobile serving counter is to offer the operator flexibility, then wiring dedicated circuits for each of the counters only limits that flexibility. But that is how most mobile counters are installed.
Mobile counters make cleaning under and behind them easier. They can be removed to create additional space for special events or to make room for easy access to service other kitchen equipment. They also create serving flexibility for the foodservice operator. But how they are wired can limit that flexibility or worse, cost the operator more money in the future to make the necessary changes. Wiring counters in a daisy chain system avoids that trouble...
Read MoreStainless Steel Finishes in Foodservice
Stainless steel is available in several finishes including cold-rolled smooth, grained and polished. The standard finish in the foodservice industry is a No. 4 finish, a fine single-direction grain. A No. 4 grain is difficult to repair, but it can be done by a professional by carefully grinding and polishing in one direction. After years of heavy use, a stainless steel work table that has many scratches takes on its own patina, but the original grain is still visible.
Stainless steel itself is not grained. A grain is simply small scratches applied to the steel surface in a single direction. A grain direction can be changed, but is difficult work. Commercial Stainless, Inc. commonly changes the grain direction on corner dishtables. Although the stainless steel sheets are welded at 90 degrees reducing weld time and material waste, corners are masked at 45 degrees and the grain direction is changed to give the table a mitered appearance...
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