When it comes to food storage, making little changes can make a big impact. As restaurants continue increasing the capacity of their dining rooms, effective food storage is essential to returning to pre-coronavirus pandemic success. Customers are paying attention now more than ever. If there is a piece of wilted lettuce served in a salad, you’ll probably hear about it. Get back to the basics and ensure your food storage containers are contributing high-quality ingredients to your menu.  

1. CamSquares® and Rounds

You can find our iconic CamSquares and Rounds in kitchens across the world. It’s not uncommon to hear a chef shout, “Pass me a Cambro,” when they need to store an ingredient or prepped food. When you’re trying to save space, our CamSquares provide 33 percent better space usage than traditional round containers. However, our Rounds are perfect for mixing and storing ingredients, soups, stocks and sauces and their shape allows for maximum air circulation when stored inside a walk-in. Both containers withstand acids, stains and odors for long-lasting use and durability.

We always encourage our CamSquares and Rounds to be used with one of our many lids for a couple of reasons. Lids exponentially decrease the chances of cross-contamination while increasing the freshness and quality of your food. Utilize more space on your Camshelving simply by using a lid. Containers stack neatly and safely on top of each other while wrapped containers become sloppily shoved onto shelves.

2. Camwear® Box

Look around your walk-in, how many cardboard boxes do you see? One of the smallest and simplest changes you can make to your storage is to take any food item that’s inside a cardboard box and put it in a Camwear Box instead. Cardboard boxes are designed to transport your food to you, that’s it; don’t let them get too comfortable. Cardboard boxes often become dirty during transit and critters easily sneak their way inside. Plus, bacteria is able to survive on wet cardboard, making it especially dangerous to use in coolers and freezers.

Camwear Boxes extend freshness and eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination when used with a proper lid. Plus, their crystal-clear design allows chefs to easily see what’s inside for quick identification and inventory. While cardboard boxes can be flimsy and difficult to stack, Camwear Boxes promote a neat, organized kitchen because they stack neatly on top of each other.

3. High Heat™ H-Pans

Our High Heat H-Pans are a jack of all trades, master of all. From prep to freezer to oven, there’s very little these pans can’t do. Safe in temperatures 40°F to 375°F, H-Pans are ideal for restaurants that use microwaves, steam tables, and ovens. H-Pans allow chefs to save time by using the same container to prep, store, cook and serve. The result is less handling during the food preparation process and less washing at the end of the day.

4. Ingredient Bins

We’ve seen piles of bulk ingredients stacked on top of each other and there is a better way! Cambro Ingredient Bins promote safe storage and convenience for frequently used bulk ingredients like flour, sugar and grain. Constructed from an FDA-accepted material, our NSF-Listed Ingredient Bins are so food safe you don’t need to use a liner. We included a hygienic, clear sliding lid and an S-Hook on the front of the unit to decrease the chances of cross-contamination. Cambro Ingredient Bins are designed with high-quality casters to maintain stability and easily maneuver underneath standard worktables.

5. Camwear® Food Pans

The Camwear Food Pan is the cornerstone of Cambro’s food storage solutions. Used for prep, service and storage, the Camwear Pan is essential for every foodservice operation. Cost-effective and durable, Camwear Pans are half the cost of stainless steel and keep food cold for just as long. Constructed from virtually unbreakable Camwear, pans perform spectacularly despite high volume usage. Camwear Pans are chemical-resistant and each pan has a non-stick smooth interior that is easy to clean. When you need to hold food outside of the kitchen, Camwear Pans provide an attractive presentation on prep stations and buffet-style service, like frozen yogurt topping bars.

We expect delivery to continue to be a major contribution to restaurant sales. That means your food is taking even longer to reach your customers. Storing ingredients correctly from the start encourages higher quality meals and less food thrown in the trash. Contact your Cambro rep today for an assessment of the food storage needs in your kitchen. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ADRIANA DESIDERIO IS THE DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER AT CAMBRO.