Savings With Energystar™

Commercial vs. Residential Equipment: What You Need To Know

If you’re an aspiring culinarian or a tried and true certified executive chef, there’s nothing quite like the aesthetic appeal of a commercial kitchen. The angular lines, galvanized buttresses, stainless steel as far as the eye can see, sporting a professional sheen that reflects your own face (does it seem to be happier?). The endless expanse of workspace, the steady melodic hum of compressors and hood vents with the pings and clangs of metallic utensils on heavy duty cookware to round out the percussion. The progression of each piece of equipment, compartmentalized into a section to provide the perfect flow from cold to prep to fire to service. As if anyone could wonder why it is called the “culinary arts.”

After seeing the sleek lines, power, and utility provided by commercial equipment is it any wonder why people come in droves to stock their homes with these professional grade works of art? Who doesn’t want an all stainless steel range with a cast iron 6-burner cook top spouting out 180,000 BTU’s, or 49 cubic feet of wide open cold storage encased in two sleek stainless steel doors with recessed handles that won’t bang your elbow in the dark while you’re searching for that 2a.m snack?

Whether you’re looking to build the outdoor kitchen of your dreams or just freshen up your existing kitchen with a bit of modern metallic machinery, you may want to weigh the pros and cons before deciding on commercial quality. While Hilton’s is always happy to provide the customer with exactly what they want, we also take pride in being a well-informed company and ever strive to pass that knowledge on to our customers. So it is with this in mind that we always share this checklist to any residential customer looking to purchase commercial equipment. 

1. Commercial cooking equipment differs from residential lines in the fact that commercial products are not insulated. This means that while your cook top screams a searing 500°, the sides and back of that unit are going to be extremely hot as well. This isn’t a problem in a commercial setting as everything near those surfaces is stainless steel and can handle the heat much better than the laminate or Formica counters, or wood cabinets prevalent in most homes. Not to mention the complications that could arise if you have children.

2. Commercial cooking equipment requires commercial ventilation systems. The heat plume generated by commercial units is exponentially higher than that of a residential model. The hood vents we are accustomed to seeing in a home kitchen are not even remotely capable of moving enough air to properly vent out all of the heat being generated by the cooking surface. This will cause your air conditioning bill to skyrocket—as well as turn your kitchen into an inferno on par with the scorching Mohave Desert.

3. Many home owner’s insurance policies will have conflicts with commercial equipment installed in a residence. Some policies state that any damages caused from commercial equipment will not be covered where others simply void the entire policy as soon as a commercial unit is installed. You must be certain you’re not going to fall into these categories before you decide to invest in commercial equipment.

4. There are often installation concerns when installing commercial equipment in a residential environment. Even if the larger size of commercial units is not a problem for you, consider the fact that most commercial units require more utility than residential units. You may have to upgrade your electrical system seeing as commercial units are all either 220v or 408v. If you prefer a gas unit, you might have to upgrade your home’s gas system as commercial units require a stronger, steady output of gas flow to operate.

5. As far is commercial refrigeration, keep in mind the industrial grade compressors found on these units. They are loud, much louder than any residential model you would find.

6. Commercial refrigeration is much larger than residential units. If you even have a way to get the unit through the door you have to then be sure you have a space tall enough to accommodate its added height. You also must consider that while they are much larger they are also less efficient. That is not to say they aren’t as good; they are certified to keep all stored items within 2° of the set thermostat temperature. Commercial units are designed to be used constantly throughout the day so they lack some of the “idle” features found in residential models. If you go the commercial route, expect your operating costs to go up. (For information on savings from efficient EnergyStar™ certified equipment see this infographic.)

7. Both commercial cooking equipment and refrigeration are much deeper, front to back, than residential equipment and will not sit flush with your counter space and will not have toe kicks—the hollowed out space at the bottom of most counters.

8. Even if your home owner’s policy has cleared you, you have the space for the unit, you have a hood capable of moving enough air, and you’re used to abnormally loud appliances, keep in mind some manufacturer’s warranties on commercial equipment is voided when installed into a residential environment.

Now, you may be asking yourselves, “Why would you guys tell us all this considering you only sell commercial equipment and do not offer any residential models?” The answer is simple, you may remember the mention of our pride in being well-informed, well, we also take great pride in providing exemplary customer service, even if that means we lose out on a sale (Plus have you seen our store? We have everything; odds are you’re going to want something we have). That is a better alternative than putting a customer in a bind with a piece of equipment that they can’t use.

On the bright side, because of the growing popularity of professional style equipment. Many manufacturers are crunching numbers and making headway into producing lines of Commercial-residential crossover units, all the muscle and steel of a commercial unit in the compact frame of a residential piece that is insulated and safe next to any counter surface. So, don’t worry, your dreams of a stainless steel commercial kitchen are still very much alive and well.

Know Your Knives Infographic

Live on the Edge: A Hilton's Guide To Your Knives

Louisiana is a state that is world renown for excellent food. Much of our culture revolves around Creole and Cajun cuisine as well as our unique twist on seafood. From gumbo and jambalaya to boiled crawfish and beignets, Louisiana natives hold our own accountable for maintaining our reputable culinary stylings, especially in the areas below I-10.

Why is it that our fair state has climbed to the upper echelons of culinary greatness? It could be attributed to the fact that the majority of Louisiana residents are excellent cooks and chefs in their own right. If you were to walk into a crowded area in Lafayette and throw a stone you would be hard pressed to hit someone who didn’t know how to make a perfect roux or a decent gravy.

With this abundance of aspiring culinarians, Hilton’s has seen its fair share of residential customers looking for the right tools to make them masters of garde manger, saucier savants, or grillardin giants, and what is the most important tool for any chef, their knife!

A few common themes with our customers are “what is the best knife for this particular task?”, “How do I properly maintain and sharpen my knife?”, and “What’s the difference between this knife and this knife?”  So, with these customers in mind, as well as general information for those of you looking to increase your knowledge about what that “funny looking” knife is really used for, we have prepared a guide to all things sharp (and not so sharp, but we’ll fix that).

Let’s start with the different types of knives and their uses.

Paring knives are small knives between 2-4 inches long used for a variety of delicate cuts and garnishing

Paring knife:Paring knife: small knife between 2-4 inches used for peeling fruits at vegetables

Serrated Paring Knife: 2-4 inch paring knife with a wavy edge (like a tiny saw blade) perfect for cutting tough skin or rinds like tomatoes or citrus fruits.

Boning or Fillet Knives are typically 6-8 inches and have blades of various curvatures and thicknesses and often vary in blade flexibility. Their main purpose is removing meat from bones and are specifically designed to move as close to the bone as possible.

Narrow Boning Knife:  Best used for separating ribs or chops, cuts easily through tissue and cartilage.

Boning Knife: Used for butchering chicken or pork, sturdy yet semi-flexible blade is great for working around joints and bones.

Curved Boning Knife: Used when working at an angle such as filleting fish.

Utility Knife: This knife is nestled between the paring and chef’s knife, ranging from 4-7 inches. It is used for multiple miscellaneous purposes that are too large for a paring knife but too small for a chef’s knife.

Chef’s Knife: The veritable “ace in the hole” for practiced chefs. With experience and training this knife can be used for virtually any task one might come across in a kitchen. Ranging from 8-12 inches the chef’s knife is designed for slicing and chopping meats, fruits, and vegetables. The pointed tip and curved blade is designed to accent the “rocking” motion for fine dicing and mincing and the thick spine offers weight and strength for muscling through tough cuts or cracking open those stubborn coconuts. This is one of the “big three” knives (referring to experienced chefs saying you really only need three knives in any kitchen: Chef’s, bread, and paring knife).

Santoku: The Japanese version of the chef’s knife. This blade offers all of the flexibility of the chef’s knife on a smaller 7 inch frame. The curved edge aids the “rocking” motion for mincing and the thin blade is optimal for thin slices. The flat of the blade is wide, which is great for scooping ingredients into a pot or crushing a clove of garlic. While available with a straight side, the santoku is most commonly seen with a granton or “kullenschiff” edge (small indentations in the side of the blade)

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Bread Knife: Ranging from 8-12 inches, the bread knife sports large serrations for easily slicing through thick, hard crusts on the most stubborn bread loaves. The serrations are generally too deep for delicate products like fruits and vegetables.

Cleaver: A heavy, wide-bladed, thick-spine knife used for chopping through meat and bone.

Chinese cleaver: Not to be confused with a typical cleaver, the Chinese cleaver is not as heavy and has a thinner blade than a standard cleaver. It is ideal for chopping meats and vegetables but not sturdy enough to go through bone.

Now that we are familiar with the different styles of knives and they’re uses, we can move on to the different types of edges, as well as how to properly maintain the edge and knife. We have touched on the different edge types in the descriptions of the knives above but for the sake of being thorough, there are 3 types of edges.

Serrated (wavy) edge is a series of sharpened peaks and valleys of various depth and length depending on the knife. Just picture tiny teeth on the edge or a miniature saw blade, what we typically see on steak knives is a serrated edge

Straight edge is what we most commonly see. It is a straight, single edge running the length of the blade.

Granton (kullenschiff) edge is misleading as it doesn’t directly refer to the cutting surface, it is actually a description of the side of the blade. Granton edge is a blade with small indentations along the side of the blade that allow for the fat and juice of the product being sliced to pool in the indentions to insure a smooth slice. The indentions also help prevent product from sticking to the surface of the blade while slicing and dicing.

With all these different types of knives and edges and sizes, how will you ever know how to properly sharpen and maintain your knife? Well, in theory, it is fairly simple… that is, however, only in theory. There is an art to sharpening and maintaining a blade for razor sharpness but do not be discouraged, you don’t have to seek out a professional sharpener to keep your knife performing excellently (although if you know of a professional, you will never feel a finer edge on your blade).

For the purpose of this guide, we will not be going into the varying degrees and angles of the vertex of your knife’s edge or proper sharpening technique. Instead, we will work on basic knowledge of knife maintenance, first step being the difference between sharpening and honing your blade.

We've all seen the slasher films where the bad guy is raking his butcher knife back and forth over the metal rod keening his edge to hair-splitting sharpness, well, while he is actually maintaining a good practice he is not actually “sharpening” his edge, he is “honing” it. What’s the difference? Well, let’s start by saying every time you cut something with your knife it causes microscopic waves and burrs to develop on your edge. While that doesn’t sound like much, the extra drag and friction caused by these waves and burrs give the impression that your knife is dulling when in actuality your edge is still intact, just not aligned. The purpose of the “metal rod” or Steel as it is properly named, is to eliminate all of those burrs and waves and “realign” your edge, which will make it feel sharp again. So, every time you use your knife it is good practice to give it 5 or 6 passes over a steel beforehand.

“Well when do I actually sharpen it?” you might ask. If at any time you do not see a noticeable difference in the performance of the knife after using the steel then it is time to re-set your edge. The reason you want to use the steel over the stone is simply to extend the longevity of your blade. The steel is just realigning the edge whereas the stone actually grinds away a portion of your knife. For this purpose you want to avoid over sharpening your knife.

“Well, what’s the best thing to use for sharpening my knife?” The absolute best method for sharpening is the tried and true wet stone. It may seem a bit archaic but it is still the best tool for the job. Stones vary in shapes, sizes, coarseness, and even origin, and yes the origin actually does make a difference. The best sharpening stones in the world are Japanese water stones and Arkansas wet stones and you can expect to pay more for these stones than you would for some top brand knives.While stones are definitely the best tool, there are other options such as electric grinders and pull-through sharpeners. These are both very simple to use and take all of the “guesswork” out of the equation by crossing two stones or grinders to pre-set the proper angle for the vertex.

A few other notes on proper knife care are simple things like never leave your knife soaking in water. Two reasons for this: 1. You do not want to stick your hand in a pool of water and pull out one fewer finger, and 2. You don’t want your knife to pit or rust. Also, never put a quality knife in the dishwasher. Good knives should be hand washed with luke-warm water with a non-abrasive soap. Extremely hot water can actually affect the metal and abrasive soaps can cause pitting and spotting on the blade.

While there are several more things we could go into in this guide, as well as several other types of “specialty knives,” such as mincing or tomato knives, this should be a pretty good base to start with as far as knowing and maintaining your knives go. So the next time you’re putting your culinary prowess to the test, your knives won’t be the only thing in the kitchen that are a bit sharper.  

For an illustrated guide see our Infographics page.

Ice Machine Cleaning Tips Infographic

What's New: See What Hilton's Gave Up For Lent!

Sunshine, sixty degrees, and fish on Fridays for forty days, it’s safe to say spring is here (I mean how much stock do you really put in a groundhog’s shadow??). It is, yet again, time to don that old pair of jeans and climb the dust laden ladder to the attic to “rediscover” all the lost treasures from last year...that you’re going to throw away. Before you can break out the golf shoes and fishing shirts, sun dresses and pastel skirts, you have to make room for the peacoats, parkas, sweaters, and scarves. With any luck, you’ll have everything stored and cleaned just in time for Mother Nature to envelop it all with a fresh powder-coat of yellow-green dust.

Just as you are looking to clean up and reorganize, Hilton’s has taken to the spring tradition to freshen up our display, reorganize, and make a few changes. So, in order to sate your undoubtedly overwhelming curiosity about what’s happening at your favorite kitchen emporium, let’s get you up to date.

Definitely the most significant change spring has gifted us with applies to our parts and service department. After years of the same old routine, we have made efforts to adapt our parts department to accommodate Hilton's growth as a business by merging this department into our main showroom. While you will still be able to special order any parts you may need for your appliances or equipment, our current stock of replacement parts (gaskets, switches, thermocouples, etc.) is now what they would call a "limited time offer," and will soon be special order only. In order to take advantage of "in store" prices, stop in and pick up what you need before they're gone. If you're in search of a replacement fryer basket, gas hose, sink faucet, or drain stopper, they will still be readily available and more accessible than ever. Our parts department has been reconditioned and now plays home to our sinks and ice machines, as well as all the accessories for those items.

The rest of our “spring cleaning” endeavors are considerably less substantial than the first. Just a bit of reorganizing, moving products to more desirable locations and giving our showroom a general facelift. We want our inventory to be more accessible, convenient, and easy to see…whatever will make our customers happy (was that too “Dr. Seuss-ian”?… I’ve got shelves and counters and rows and aisles and pots and pans and lids for miles…).

An added bonus from all of our reorganizing is all the extra room for great new products that are flying off our shelves. We have utilized this extra space by bringing in brand new items in baking supplies, countertop organizers, and our most popular new item, the semi-perforated soup ladle/strainer Just like springtime in the south, they’re gone before you know it. So, climb down from the attic for a quick break to see what's new at Hilton’s.

Our "Camouflage"
Chef's Coat...
(*snicker*)

The Stone Cold Facts About Ice Machines

Despite our clairvoyant groundhog's prediction, Louisiana natives know that warmer temperatures are right around the corner. Our Infamous 2 month long winters give way to a short-lived spring followed by a seemingly eternal summer. As the scorching temperatures of summer melt away the cool mornings, and the constant barrage of humidity turns our fair state into a sauna, keeping cool becomes a top priority for everyone. Whether that involves a tow rope and a pair of skis, an ice chest by the pool, or daiquiris at your favorite watering hole, one thing is mandatory for any of your warm weather endeavors, Ice! If you’re looking to keep drinks cold, food fresh, or customers well lubricated, you can’t afford to run out of ice.

Whether you’re looking to replace your restaurant's current machine that’s on its last leg, or if you just like the idea of your own ice machine in your outdoor kitchen, Hilton’s has what you’re looking for. We carry a variety of sizes and styles in reliable, top name brands such as Manitowoc and Hoshizaki at the lowest prices in the area. But what if you’re not sure what size you need, or what style cube you would like? Well, our knowledgeable staff can certainly help you, but for those of you who like to research on your own we have a bit of information you might find useful.

Understanding Production Yield

You’re getting ready to open your business and you know you need an ice machine, but how do you decide what size you need? Well, there are several factors that play into determining the size machine that’s right for you, but we will get into those shortly. First, let’s go over production yields. If a machine says it produces 250lbs of ice in a 24 hour period that should be pretty self-explanatory right? You would think so, but you have to consider testing conditions. That particular machine may produce 250lbs/day where it is tested in Wisconsin, where their ambient water temperature is 50°F. However, for us in Louisiana, our ambient water temperature is closer to 70°F so that will drop the yield. Furthermore, where the machine is stored will also affect the production yield. A poorly ventilated supply closet vs. a well ventilated open area will also affect the amount your machine produces. These factors can drop the overall production of your machine by close to 25lbs/day.

So, with that in mind, what size machine do you need? Still not sure? Well, there are some calculations available that should aid you in your efforts (don’t worry, we aren't talking about advanced trigonometry). The first step in calculating your ice needs is identifying what type of business you have. A business, such as a bar, which only serves drinks needs to factor in more ice per person in the building than say a restaurant. This table should make things a bit more clear.

With the helpful guidelines from this table you should be able to determine how many pounds of ice you need for each person in your establishment. With that knowledge, you can assess roughly how many people you will serve in a day. Keep in mind the added strain peak business hours will have on your storage capacity. Also, a helpful rule is to factor an additional 10% to 20% for unexpected events to make sure that you have enough ice stored to keep you covered.

Types of Ice

Another factor when purchasing an ice machine is the style of ice it produces. There are several different styles and sizes ranging from diced cubes, crescent shape, nugget or bullet ice, top hat cubes, all the way to flaked ice; there are even custom options available. If you’re looking to pack a display for fresh seafood, you’re most likely looking for a flaked ice machine. If you like to snack on the soft, chewable ice you see from fountain drink machines, you want a compressed ice machine. The key to finding what style you need is identifying what you’re using the ice for (and personal preference plays a factor). Among the multitude if different types of ice, they all boil down to 3 main types of production: cubed, flaked, and compressed.

Cubed Ice

Cubed ice is just what it sounds like, it ranges in shapes and sizes from 1 inch cubes to 2 inch crescents, to top hat shapes, down to 1/8^th inch diced cubelets. This is the most widely known type of ice and is used for just about every purpose you could have for ice.

Flaked Ice

Flaked ice is what you see in packed seafood displays. It’s very fine “snow” that is shaved off a large block of ice. It’s best for packing around food or drinks or making frozen drinks and snow cones. As it would melt very quickly, it is not ideal for serving in drinks.

Compressed Ice

Compressed ice is best described as flaked ice that is compressed together and pushed through a colander of sorts and then chopped into tiny, chewable cubelets. This is what you see in fountain drink machines and is a favorite of people who enjoy snacking on ice.

While the specifics of what ice machine you need may be a bit more detailed, this guide should provide the basics for determining what options would best suit your needs, and with Hilton's great deals and our flat rate shipping, the key to keeping cool this year could be at your door in days.

Take a look at these tips for cleaning your ice machine.