Rev.9911
5
User Information
FOOD HANDLING
These hot tables are for short-term holding and display
of precooked hot foods. They are not intended to cool
or reheat food. The temperature of the food should be
approximately 160
°
F when first put into the hot table.
Any attempt to use the hot table to display large amounts
of food for long periods of time will result in dehydrated,
overcooked and unsafe food. The quality of food will
progressively worsen as the length of time increases.
The deterioration of product quality is a function of time
and temperature. All products are affected even though
in a gravy or other liquid. They may appear to withstand
the temperature better than “dry” foods such as fried
chicken but this is not necessarily true. ALL foods will
continue to be affected by prolonged exposure to el-
evated temperatures.
The following guidelines are provided only as a general
guide for the use of this equipment. The local health
agency for your area can provide specific temperature
requirements.
Critical attention must be given to the heat controls for
these hot tables. Both the upper and lower heat con-
trols must be adjusted to maintain proper food tem-
peratures. Hot foods should be held at a minimum tem-
perature of at least 140
°
F (60
°
C) according to 1993 FDA
Food Code. However, increasing the temperature too
high will also cause the food to overcook, dry out, lose
its flavor, texture and color. Food held for prolonged
periods at high temperatures will also lose some of their
nutritional value.
All griddle type units are designed to maintain
termperatures above the FDA guideline of 140
°
F. This
is product temperature, not air or griddle temperature.
Due to the open design of these units, they must be
loaded with product for proper operation. When units
are empty, they experience rapid rise of heated air from
air outside the case. This action gives empty units a false,
lower than desired, temperature reading. Loading the
case traps the air at the griddle, raising temperatures
to the 165
°
F to 185
°
F range, keeping product well above
the FDA guidelines. Remember, these units must be
loaded with product to maintain safe product tempera-
ture.
Different foods will require different control settings.
The type of food, the quantities of food and length of
time that it is to remain in the hot table must be con-
sidered when establishing control settings. Therefore,
it must be the user’s responsibility to establish the
correct control settings to maintain the food at the
safest, tastiest and most saleable condition.
FOOD TEMPERATURES CAN BE
ACCURATELY DETERMINED ONLY
THROUGH THE USE OF FOOD
THERMOMETERS!
IMPORTANT OPERATION TIPS:
* Preheat case 30 minutes before loading product
using higher settings.
*
Using thermometer
, check product before
loading in case (150
°
-160
°
).
* At start, set lamps to "3". After loading, recheck
temperature every 1/2 hour to see that unit is
operating properly. Adjust the thermostat (a higher
number for hotter and a lower number for cooler)
to maintain product temperature of 140
°
F
+
(60
°
C
.
)
minimum. The setting will depend on the type of
product being displayed Be sure to test product
temperature with a thermometer frequently for
good product maintenance.
* Food should maintain contact directly with the
"griddle" at all times.
CONTROLS
There are three sets of controls for the hex case, each
behind its own access panel located on the side of the
case. The dial with the numbered settings is for the
griddle. The other dials / switches are for the overhead
lights and heating components.
OVERHEAD HEATING SYSTEM
Cal rod units are located above the griddles to provide
top heat.
To obtain the proper food temperatures,
they must be adjusted. Settings may vary de-
pending on food composition. Maximum limits
should be avoided to prevent overcooking or dry-
ing out food.
CARE AND CLEANING
Long life and satisfactory performance of any equipment
is dependent upon the care it receives. With this in mind,
all of the exposed work surfaces of these hot tables have
been made entirely of easy to clean stainless steel.
Stainless steel is one of the easiest materials to clean
and keep clean. Normally it is just a matter of wiping
spills off the surface when they happen followed by a
thorough cleaning with soap and water at the end of the
day. Frequent and regular cleaning will prevent the
