Holding Cabinet Benefits

There are two primary food holding cabinet benefits. They are ‘food safety’ and ‘operation efficiency’.

Food Safety

Food held at an unsafe temperature for too long will expedite the growth of pathogens. Bacteria and viruses can grow in foods within 2 hours and even faster in hot weather. The CDC identifies ‘Inadequate Holding Temperatures’ as one of the 5 risk factors responsible for foodborne illness. Of the three basic principles of food safety one is dedicated to Time & Temperature Control. The other two are Hygiene and Cross-contamination. Approximately 3,000 people a year die in the US from foodborne illness. The National Restaurant Association has said the average cost to an restaurant for a foodborne illness incident is estimated at $75,000.

A chef who can prepare food in advance is able to serve more delicious food during big meal rushes. If you’re expecting a big rush between 11am and 2pm, there are tremendous savings involved if you can do a bunch of up-front prep and hold the food without losing quality. You save on food waste, you save on production efficiency and you make money serving a greater number of hungry people. Temperature controlled cabinets provide production flexibility. The line cooks for a 300 guest catered event will find it difficult to pump out that much food all at once and efficiently get it on tables. The holding cabinets give the production team an early start. When that initial food is prepared the cabinets free up the ovens and stoves allowing for additional food production. Mobile cabinets are great for wheeling previously prepared food to a more convenient location freeing up space and making the final food delivery faster. All of this is done to help with speed of service, handling ease, serving temperature and safety.