Chances Are This Cult-Following Unit Can Find a Place in Your Kitchen, Too

If you can appreciate a foodservice director who’s able to get customers to buy day-old buns—and love ‘em—you’ll want to keep reading.

It’s almost the stuff of legends, starting some 60 years ago when the concessions management at a Major League ballpark initiated the development of a compact little steamer that could blast a dose of freshness back into yesterday’s hotdog buns, thus extending their shelf life.

Today, because of still more operator ingenuity across the foodservice industry, the?Fresh-O-Matic? countertop steamer —or more commonly nicknamed the ‘Fresh O’—continues to find a place in all sorts of kitchen applications, proving that ‘widespread cult following’ isn’t an oxymoron.

Heck, the Fresh-O’s even become popular on international flights, where it’s literally a perfect fit for the airlines’ super-small galley kitchens that heat and sanitize towels for passengers!

But, staying inside the realm of food, see if any of these uses don’t electrify your idea bulb.

1. Steam Cooking Beyond the Baseball Diamond

Of course, something has to go in those buns at the ballpark and steaming has always been an option for dogs, brats and other pastime favorites. So, the Fresh-O-Matic has made all kinds of inroads into those applications.

The more unusual evolution, however, has happened on the bun side—not just in similar refresh solutions for bagel shops or catering lines putting a blast into dinner rolls. But many small, lower volume outlets trying to expand into baked goods have used it to extend the shelf life of donuts and cakes.

Not to mention, if burritos are on the menu, several kitchens have fit the Fresh-O to their operations for the way it turns stale tortillas back into the kind of pliable and tasty versions necessary to satisfy customers and stretch inventory.

2. Turning Steamed Subs into a Cult Following as Well

Differentiating in the immensely competitive segment of sub and hoagie-style sandwiches can be tough.

But several local-turned-major chains have built their businesses on the steamer concept, whereby the meat and cheese—or, for some, the entire sandwich—goes into the Fresh-O-Matic to get the perfect combination of flavor, melt and speed that’s especially lucrative at rush times.

One national chain, in particular, has come to own the steamer concept—based on a Google search, at least—and, by no coincidence, consistently lands in the top 5 of “best sandwich chain” rankings, like in this?recent piece by?Far & Wide . (See if you can spot which chain we’re talking about.)

3. Fresh Steamed Seafood and Asian in Unlikely Places

Some of the smallest venues are using the Fresh-O-Matic to expand their menus in amazing ways.

Imagine a seafood truck or pop-up concept introducing innovative shrimp or lobster-tail options—or, for that matter, entire entrées that have fresh vegetables and rice on the side. Arguably, nothing can achieve the same wow-factor quality at the incredible speed that’s necessary to serve these kinds of convenience concepts.

Likewise, the same kind of venues are capitalizing on the?exploding consumer trends in ethnic flavors ?as well, enlisting the Fresh-O to snap-cook Asian favorites like dumplings and bao.

?4. Rethermalization Worthy of Fine Dining

Right after the freshness, the lightning-fast, push-button heating and the convenience, fine-dining and other high-end establishments add presentation to the list of favorite Fresh-O features.

Like global concepts,?color is another influential menu trend . So, many kitchens are using the Fresh-O-Matic to brighten up a spectrum of vegetables and get them vibrantly plate-ready in seconds.??

Countertop Steaming’s Wheelhouse

From the day it changed the game for hungry baseball fans, the Fresh-O-Matic has proven to have almost no limitations on its value proposition across foodservice.

If you’ve come this far, you’re probably seeing how it might fit in your operation, especially in light of?the explosive growth projected in the food steamers market .

That said, where the Fresh-O tends to really stand out is among those who want to imagine and expand their menu beyond whatever space or power restrictions they might have—like the aforementioned food trucks and other mobile kitchens, or?the pop-up venues that are incredibly hot right now .

Further, for?savvy retail kiosks and location-based entertainment (LBE) venues like bowling alleys and pool halls that recognize the huge revenue potential in food , appliances like the Fresh-O-Matic are undeniably worthy of consideration.