FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What is LoLo and why is it special?

A: LoLo is a value line of commercial Steamers, Tilting Skillets and Kettles that has been designed to bring productivity enhancements to kitchens. In an apples-to-apples comparison, no other brand can match the value for the money LoLo offers. LoLo is inexpensive, readily available and stocked in your area for quick delivery. Additionally, LoLo is backed by over 100 years of experience in the manufacture of top quality commercial foodservice equipment.

Q: What are the top 10 reasons to buy LoLo?

A: Top 10:

1. -Best value for the money–price, availability and service support
2. -Greatly increases kitchen productivity when it replaces traditional equipment such as stockpots, rice cookers, etc.
3. -Local inventory; available for immediate delivery
4. -National network of authorized service agents
5. -LoLo equipment is simple to operate, maintain and clean
6. -Straightforward, uncomplicated design
7. -Made in the U.S.A.
8. -Steam cooking is the healthiest way to cook.
9. -Products using steam technology are efficient and economical.
10. -LoLo equipment makes great food that keeps customers coming back.

Q: What products are included?

A: The LoLo offering currently includes:
Electric & Gas Steamers, 4- and 6-pan capacity
Electric & Gas Tilting Skillets, 37-gallon capacity
Countertop Electric Kettle, 8-gallon capacity
Electric & Gas Floor Kettles, stationary and tilting, 45-gallon capacity (to come)

Q: Where can I purchase LoLo commercial Steamers, Kettles and Tilting Skillets?

A: LoLo is available to end users from commercial Dealers who are in turn serviced by wholesale Distributors. See the “Find A Distributor” section of the website to locate one in your region. The Distributor can then direct you to Dealers in your area that sell LoLo.

Q: If my LoLo equipment needs service, whom do I call?

A: Call 1-800-246-5656 or go to the “Service & Support” page on the website to find an authorized service agent nearby.

Q: How quickly will a LoLo service technician respond if I need service?

A: LoLo has been designed to minimize complexity of manufacture–fewer parts means fewer things can go wrong. We know your kitchen operation is very important and time sensitive, so if you need help, an authorized service technician will respond in less than 24 hours.

Q: Where can I order replacement parts?

A:Parts can be ordered through your LoLo authorized service agent.

Q: Why buy new versus used commercial foodservice equipment?

A: It may be cheaper initially to buy used equipment but it can cost you more in the long run. Here’s why buying new equipment is the better long-term bet:

-New equipment comes with a warranty on parts and labor.
-New equipment is generally designed with more energy-efficient technology and can be less expensive to operate.
-Properly maintained, new equipment will have a longer life than used equipment.
-Used equipment can be a gamble: will it work when hooked up, did its former owner use and maintain it correctly, does it meet code, will it be covered by insurance?
-Used electric equipment can be expensive to repair if any of its many parts fail.
-Water for equipment such as dishwashers and steamers can be caustic, putting stress on heating elements and metal–it’s probably smarter to buy this equipment new.

Up-front purchase price is only part of the equation; operational considerations such as those listed above are of equal importance.

Steamer Ovens:

Q: For the commercial kitchen, what are the benefits of cooking with steam?

A: Steamers are fast, easy and efficient–they noticeably increase commercial kitchen productivity. Since steam contains more heat energy than regular hot air, steamers are able to reduce cooking times by as much as 40 - 60% while simultaneously producing a higher quality food product. LoLo steamers also require less monitoring than oven and range cooking.

Q: Is steam cooking better for the food?

A: Yes. Food cooked by steam retains its moisture, natural color and flavor better than any other form of cooking. Additionally, steam is the healthiest way to cook. Steamed foods retain more vitamins and other nutrients, and, they do not require the added fats products such as meat cooked by dry heat need to keep from drying out. And, because vegetables maintain their lush color, they not only taste better, they present better.

Q: What foods are typically cooked in a steamer?

A: Rice, vegetables, seafood, meats and poultry are great food products for steamers. Mexican restaurants use their steamers for tamales, enchiladas, tortillas and reheating beans and soup. Asian restaurants also use steamers for Dim Sum dumplings and to retherm dishes from the Wok. Family-style restaurants extend their steamer cooking to fresh corn, potatoes and reheating gravies. In fact, just about all restaurants offer food products that can benefit from a LoLo steamer.

Q: How do commercial steamers work?

A: When boiling water is turned into steam, it absorbs a tremendous amount of energy. Steam then deposits its energy on the surface of the food inside the steamer compartment, directly cooking the food. The energy is released onto the food as the steam condenses back into water and continues as long as the temperature of the food surface is below the temperature of the steam. Internal cooking of the food product occurs as the surface heat is conducted to the core, raising its temperature as well.

Tilting Skillets:

Q: What is a tilting skillet?

A: A tilting skillet–or braising pan–is basically a griddle with high sides that can braise, fry, brown, blanch, grill, boil, poach, simmer, steam, sauté and hold food until serving. A LoLo tilting skillet is one of the most useful units in a commercial kitchen offering the ultimate in cooking flexibility and performance.

Q: What foods are typically cooked in a tilting skillet?

A: This versatile piece of equipment can do just about anything. For instance, braise beef short ribs, slow cook a pot roast or brisket, stew a chicken or use it to steam rice. Sauté vegetables and simmer stocks, stews, soups and gravies. Sear skirt and flank steaks for fajitas and wraps, and pan fry country steak and gravy, chips, chimi’s, sopapillas, won tons and egg rolls, as well as breaded okra and fish.

Q: How does a tilting skillet work?

A: The cooking surface is formed from a thick plate of mild steel covered with stainless steel that is heated from below by electric elements or gas burners. Surface temperature is maintained across a range of 200 to 400 degrees F. Tilting is provided by a dual trunnion pivot and a crank system that smoothly rotates the unit down to 90 degrees from a horizontal position. With LoLo’s tilting skillet lip, the tilt function makes the dispensing of food and separation of grease from the food an easy process.

Q: Can a tilting skillet increase kitchen productivity?

A: Yes. LoLo enables batch production reducing the need for additional prep and time required by small cooking cycles. All stages of the cooking process can be done in one vessel which decreases the need for cleaning, storing and periodically replacing more pots. Additionally, this larger batch capacity helps the chef deal with normal variances in demand–not only is productivity increased by reducing five or six smaller batches to one, but greater consistency in cooked food flavor, texture and appearance results.

Q: How does a new buyer determine the capacity of a tilting skillet?

A: The capacity of a tilting skillet is generally stated in gallons. Gallons represent the measure of water that can be boiled when the tilting skillet is used as a kettle. The surface area of the floor of the skillet determines capacity for griddle, stir frying, braising and shallow frying applications.

Steam-Jacketed Kettles:

Q: What is a steam-jacketed kettle?

A: Steam-jacketed kettles are favored commercial kitchen units because of the convenience they offer in one-step cooking as well as the versatility and energy-savings they afford through steam heating. From a gentle simmer to a rolling boil, LoLo steam-jacketed kettles are perfect for many different food products.

Q: What foods are typically cooked in a steam-jacketed kettle?

A: Soups, stews and sauces are very popular candidates for steam-jacketed kettles. In Asian restaurants, kettles are used for different stocks and soups as well as rice dishes, moo shoo and hot ginger sauce. In Mexican restaurants, chili gravies, onions, and veggie dishes such as Pinto and refried beans are common. Home-cooking and soul-food restaurants like kettles for turnip greens, gumbo, black-eyed peas, butter beans, chili, chicken and dumplings, and jambalaya. Some bagel houses actually boil their bagels in steam-jacketed kettles before baking them.

Q: How do steam-jacketed kettles cook?

A: A steam-jacketed kettle heats food with steam that circulates within a “jacket” surrounding the kettle. Because the steam filling the jacketed area heats the metal which then transfers heat to the food, these kettles cook fast and evenly through conduction. With a LoLo kettle, the majority of the cooking surface comes in contact with the food resulting in faster cook times and more uniform heating. The steam in the kettle jacket can be supplied by an outside source (external boiler, municipal steam)–commonly called “direct steam”– or from electric heating elements inside the jacket and gas burners underneath the kettle–generally called “self-contained”. LoLo kettles employ self-contained steam generation.

Q: Are there different types of steam-jacked kettles?

A: Yes–countertop, wall-mounted and floor models, but more notably, tilting and stationary. Tilting kettles are designed to be tilted forward so contents such as soups and stews can be easily poured out without splashing, and the kettle can be handily cleaned. Cooked product is dispensed safely and in manageable portions. Stationary kettles, as the name implies, do not tilt. Food products such as thinner stocks are a common usage since contents are removed with a ladle or emptied through a faucet-type spigot and a filter at the bottom of the kettle. LoLo kettles are available in stationary and tilting models to meet cooking needs.

Q: Why is cooking with a steam-jacketed kettle better than a stockpot?

A: Steam-jacketed kettle cooking is very even and uniform therefore foods cook faster without burning. Additionally, most of a kettle’s operation is automated under thermostatic control and requires minimal supervision. On the other hand, when cooking with a stockpot on a range the bottom of the pot can get very hot while the sides remain cool–with a high temperature at the bottom of the pot only, contents cook unevenly and can burn. Stockpot ranges and range-top cooking are more labor intensive requiring more stirring and attention. Also, a safety hazard is created in traditional production where large pots weighing up to 100 lbs may need to be carried from the cooking area of the kitchen to dispensing or draining areas for products such as pasta.

Q: Can a number be put to kitchen productivity improvement?

A: On average, a LoLo steam-jacketed kettle cooks about 40% faster than a stockpot cooking the same product. That translates into a 40% savings in energy. But the difference is actually greater than this. Food waste due to burning, scorching and overcooking is greatly reduced. Steam-jacketed kettles require less labor for stirring, maintenance, heavy lifting and cleanup. They don’t waste energy either since their design focuses energy on the cooking area–in other words, the kitchen stays cooler. In open-range cooking the flash between stockpots exhausts heat into the working area.