The Air-o-Steam is based on a completely new and revamped gas burner. Central to the new design was a modular approach that yielded a dramatic decrease in the number of components used, from 35 in the old range (gaskets, swirlers, and pipes) to just eight in the new one. This has generated substantial cost reductions.
Besides offering a more stable burn of gas, the new burner is certified for low emissions and high efficiency.
Lower cost and better quality
“Cost reductions in manufacturing and improved quality are usually contradictory, but not in the case of the Air-o-Steam,” says Riccardo Furlanetto, R&D Manager, Platform Ovens at Electrolux Professional in Italy. “We managed to improve the product while saving costs.”
According to Furlanetto, the cost of gas in a professional kitchen accounts for 9% of the total running costs of the kitchen.
But by using an Air-o-Steam, the savings for a small restaurant can be €300 per year; a hotel (500 meals a day), €1,200 per year; a central production kitchen (3,000 meals per day) € 7,000 per year; and a hospital (3,000 meals per day) € 2,300 per year.
“During the life cycle of the product, you can pay for an initial part of the appliance due to the energy savings,” says Furlanetto.
The Air-o-Steam NXT has two heating devices – a cavity heat exchanger for convection cooking and a steam generator for steam cooking. One burner powers both. The unit comes in five different sizes, the biggest of which has 20 grids, stands 180 centimeters tall, and generates a maximum of 90 kW of power.
The primary benefit of this system is a dramatic savings in manufacturing costs of the burner, and more reliability in performance. It also allowed the more modular approach to designing the other components and better burning efficiency and lower emissions.
More information: Electrolux press hotline: +46 8 657 65 07 or press@electrolux.com
