Looking for a fast, flexible solution for preparing ready-to-eat-products? JBT alco’s HotCook AHC is a multifunctional system for searing, simmering and cooking, which offers flexibility and variability when handling a variety of ready-meals and other products.
Guaranteeing consistent temperature distribution, the HotCook AHC combines several production steps in a single machine and shows its strength above all in the processing of sauces or ready meals, as well as the preparation of stews and stir-fries. In particular, vegetarian and vegan products are becoming an increasingly popular application for the system.
Gas stove effect
The ‘gas stove effect’ created by the HotCook’s double-jacket construction provides a competitive advantage, which avoids inertia during heating or reheating and retains taste and freshness at high temperatures. High surface temperatures of up to 200°C combined with direct heating of the cooking mixer’s interior surface are the key to ideal results, especially for Asian dishes.
Plus, the presence of an insulated machine wall means the HotCook AHC has extremely low heat radiation and consequently a reduced temperature load on the production area. Depending on the planned use or available energy, either saturated steam or heat transfer oil is used as heating medium.
Uniform heating
In order to significantly increase both the quality of the product and the hourly output, the HotCook’s mixing shafts are equipped with a spring-mounted, temperature-resistant scraper system, so that adhesion and burning of the product to the cooking surface is avoided.
The flexibly adjustable rotary movement of the mixing shafts works very gently, bringing the product steadily back to the heating surface and thus ensuring uniform, controlled heating.
With easy-to-clean surfaces, the HotCook offers shorter cleaning times, optimized hygienic operational safety and a reduced risk of follow-up costs due to contaminated goods.
Add-on features
With a large number of add-on features, the HotCook can be adapted to a wide range of products. In addition to automatic liquid dosing, weighing technology, a CIP system and the injection of CO2 or N2 for cooling or freezing applications, the system also includes direct steam injection. Special steam nozzles, placed at the bottom of the mixer tray, are equipped with a poppet valve and pilot cylinders to ensure optimal steam distribution.
As just one example of alco’s multifunctional range of solutions, the HotCook represents a system individually tailored to the customer, offering added value through variability and flexibility.
Various machine options and variants as well as the development and construction in close cooperation with the customer go a long way towards meeting consumer demands for a greater variety of products on the one hand and the economic mindset of manufacturers on the other.
