National Restaurant Association Announces 2008 Kitchen Innovations(TM) Award Recipients

National Restaurant Association Announces 2008 Kitchen Innovations(TM) Award
Recipients

Record-breaking number of equipment products to receive award and be showcased
at the 2008 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago

CHICAGO, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant
Association today announced 25 recipients of the prestigious 2008 Kitchen
Innovations(TM) (KI) Award. This year's KI Awards address the growing needs of
foodservice operators, including energy/water conservation, improving
productivity and food safety. Each of the cutting-edge products will be
showcased in the interactive KI demonstration area at the National Restaurant
Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicago's McCormick Place, May
17-20.

"This year's unprecedented number of innovations illustrates that foodservice
equipment manufacturers have stepped up to meet the needs of the restaurant
industry," said William C. Anton, FMP, convention chairman for the 2008 Show,
and chairman and founder of Anton Airfood, Inc. "The 2008 KI Award recipients
provide solutions to the many challenges facing restaurateurs and culinary
professionals, including utility costs, labor, quality and efficiency."

The 2008 Kitchen Innovations Award recipients are:

Advanced Composite Materials, LLC - Silar(R) Microwave Grilling and Speed
Cooking:

Silar Microwave grill with reversible flatstone is an innovative ceramic
composite microwave heatable oven insert, enabling high-speed authentic
grilling and baking of paninis, sandwiches, subs and made-to-order fresh
pizzas. Silar significantly increases restaurant productivity and menu
variety, while improving the quality of service and menu options for patrons.

Cambro Manufacturing Company - Camtherm Hot/Cold Bulk Food Holding Cabinet:

This product is an energy-efficient thermoelectric heating and cooling unit
with no compressor, no heating coil, and no humidifier. This cabinet provides
maximum flexibility and steady temperature control, holding hot or cold foods
plugged in or during transit.

Campus Products, Inc. - CPI Stemshine GP8A: Campus can document the savings in
labor while insuring employee safety during the glass polishing process,
guarantee consistency while improving quality and eliminating the need for
dedicated personnel for Stemware drying and polishing. This will assist in
supporting the industry's image of innovated and exceptional cuisine and
inspired decors.

Carter-Hoffmann, a Middleby Company - EnduraHeat Transport Carts: This
innovation is a heat retention system based on a patented "solid to solid"
phase change technology. The system disperses heat up to two hours after being
charged and unplugged, providing flexibility for heated transport of bulk food
and/or pre-plated meals, while eliminating the need for canned fuels.

Ecolab, Inc. - Apex TSC Dishmachine: The first all-solid, low-temperature
dishmachine to use EPA-registered solid sanitizer, and an attached controller
to optimize operational efficiency and reduce environmental impacts within the
dish room. The controller enables Ecolab to monitor the warewashing process
and provide operator guidance.

Electrolux Professional NA - S90 Full Surface Induction Range: This full
surface induction range has four adjustable temperature zones with one
powerful 5kW induction coil per zone. The 33" wide surface allows an operator
to use up to 16 pots simultaneously, maximizing the productivity of hood and
floor space.

Everpure, LLC - Exubera Pro: This a customized system based on in-depth
certified lab analysis of the operators' water source and tailoring the
appropriate filtration solutions. It is integrated with equipment and
merchandising to serve still, sparkling, chilled alternatives to bottled
water.

Follett Corporation - Ice Manager(TM) Diverter Valve System: The Ice Manager
automatically delivers ice to two dispensers from one Follett Horizon
icemaker. Eliminate manual handling for worry-free operation, and reduced
risk of ice contamination and slips and falls. One ice machine instead of two
means lower upfront expenses and ongoing operating cost.

Frymaster, LLC, an Enodis Company - Protector(TM) Fryer: The Frymaster
Protector Fryer with SMART4U(TM) technology has a 30 lb frypot that uses 40
percent less oil, but has the production capacity equal to 50 lb frypots. Its
high-technology features automatically monitor frypot oil levels, replenish
oil as needed, and alert the operator when the in-cabinet jug-in-box (JIB) oil
supply needs changing.

Garland Commercial Ranges, an Enodis Company - Garland Restaurant Range: This
new range has a unique, patent-pending, gas delivery design using a venture
and porting configuration that equalizes the heating around the burner thereby
avoiding "hot spots." The consistent, even heating enables the operator to
create improved quality and patron satisfaction.

Garland, an Enodis Company - HE Broiler: This new charbroiler features
continuous sparking to ensure constant flame and has no standing pilots that
need to be shut down or restarted, or temperatures needing to be
re-established. With the HE Broiler, gas is turned off electrically and when
relit, is turned on to the same pre-set temperatures across the burners.

Goslyn, LP - Goslyn Grease Recovery Device: Goslyn's patented technology
utilizes hydrostatic pressure and specific gravity with no moving parts to
continuously and permanently remove and recover fats, oils, and greases (FOG)
from waste effluent. There are no messy grease traps, and it requires less
than two minutes per day for cleaning.

Groen, Unified Brands - Tri-Res20 with Tri-Res Boilerless Technology: A
full-size gas combination oven offering steam, convection, and combination
modes. Its unique boilerless system features three separate boilerless
reservoirs with high steam capacity, precise control for different cooking
modes, and operators can change modes without any down time.

Henny Penny Corporation - WaveClean(TM) Automated Cleaning System in
SmartCombi(TM): The Henny Penny SmartCombi with WaveClean is an automated
two-in-one, clean-and-rinse, cartridge system that self cleans and will power
off at the end of the cycle. There are three different cleaning programs,
using the same minimal water by recycling.

Lincoln Foodservice Products, LLC, an Enodis Company - 8005 Return Toaster:
The new conveyor return toaster incorporates the
proportional-integral-derivative controller that self-regulates the toasting
based on sensing amount and thickness of bread products in process. This
innovative controller delivers 99% consistent look, texture and taste.

Market Forge Industries - Eco-Tech Plus(TM) Steamer: The patented water
management system is the innovation which enables this pressureless
atmospheric steamer to operate on 15 gallons/hour or less, about 20 percent of
most other steamers in its class. It creates steam on demand, and as demand
decreases, the burners will automatically cycle off to conserve gas and water.

OilFresh(TM) Corporation - OilFresh OF1000 Series Oil Extending Catalytic
Device:
This revolutionary oil-conditioning device fits in most open gas fryers. Using
high-tech ceramic pellets, oil is prevented from rapid break down at a
molecular level. Key benefits are extended oil life, reduced gas consumption,
better quality fried foods, and labor/disposal cost savings.

Paloma Industries Inc. - Pulse Combustion Gas Fryer: Paloma's unique pulse
combustion burners accelerate transfer of heat into the frying medium to
provide short cook time and rapid oil temperature recovery during cook time.
In a ready-to-cook standby (idle) mode, the Paloma has a low energy rate of
3,420 Btu/h. So operators can achieve high efficiency during heavy load surges
or on idle.

Revolutionary Cooling Systems - Stock Chiller: This patented rapid chilling
process uses only ice and water, and quickly chills five gallons of soup or
stock from 190 degrees to 40 degrees in six minutes, which allows the operator
to make larger quantities for greater cost efficiencies without the food
safety risks associated with slower chilling methods.

San Jamar - Saf-T-Wash(TM) Food Sanitizer: The Saf-T-Wash is wall-mounted,
which diverts water from the sink tap and charges it with ozone before it's
dispensed through the aerator for produce cleaning. The ozone-charged water is
300 times more powerful than bleach at killing pathogens on produce, with no
residue.

Stellar Steam - Polaris: The Polaris utilizes a patented gas fired heating
system and propane tank that can be used anywhere without electric or plumbing
hook-ups. Its boilerless cooking chamber is constructed of anodized cast
aluminum, which acts as a heat sink, allowing for heat retention, quick
recovery, and reduced energy consumption.

Sterilox, a division of PuriCore - Sterilox Model 2100: The Sterilox system
uses water, salt, and electricity to produce a food-safe sanitizing solution
on site, on demand. The patented process produces a pH neutral solution that
is highly effective at killing pathogens like E. Coli, Salmonella, Norovirus,
and MRSA, and is FDA approved for food contact. It does not require mixing,
dilution, protective equipment, or special disposal.

Twirl Pasta Company - Twirl Pasta/ Cucina 2000: A fully automated foodservice
concept with self-service and operator models that uses patented equipment and
process technology to perfectly cook and dispense fresh pasta meals in 80
seconds. Proprietary software precisely manages the enclosed cooking
environment from delivery of the pasta to the multi-chambered kettle to final
dispense.

Unified Brands - AVTEC - EchoArch Ventilation Systems: The AVTEC EcoArch
combines the patent-pending arch top and front mounted high velocity exhaust
slot. This innovative design creates a rate of speed faster than the updraft
that captures contaminated air at very low exhaust requirements. The net
result is an annual kitchen energy savings of up to 50 percent of the
conditioned kitchen room air.

Vulcan - C24EA3-C24EA5 Counter Steamer: The innovation is its mineral
eliminator with a unique "smart drain / power flush" system. The interaction
of the sloped bottom and timed power flush create the Venturri Effect that
increase the velocity and rids the accumulation of mineral deposits and need
for frequent de-liming.

The 2008 Kitchen Innovations Award recipients were selected by an independent,
expert panel of multi-unit operators and food facilities consultants. Dan
Bendall, principal (FoodStrategy, Inc.), Martin Cowley, senior manager,
restaurant design (Disneyland Resort), William Eaton, president (Cini-Little
International), Robert Forrester, principal (Restaurant Industry Solutions),
Foster F. Frable Jr., founding partner (Clevenger-Frable-LaValee Inc.), Rick
Gentry, director, technical services (ARAMARK), Robert Marshall, vice
president, U.S. operations (McDonald's Corp.), and Kathleen H. Seelye (Ricca
Newmark Design) represented the 2008 panel.

Now in its 89th year, the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant,
Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice
and lodging professionals in the Western Hemisphere. The 2008 Show will be
held May 17-20, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. The Show attracts nearly
2,150 exhibiting companies and 74,000 attendees and visitors from all 50
states and 115 countries. More information can be found on the Show Web site
at http://www.restaurant.org/show.

The National Restaurant Association, founded in 1919, is the leading business
association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 945,000
restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 13.1 million employees
- making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community
involvement. Along with the National Restaurant Association Educational
Foundation, the Association works to represent, educate and promote the
rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit our Web site at
http://www.restaurant.org.

SOURCE National Restaurant Association

Annika Stensson, +1-202-973-3677, media@dineout.org, or Derrek Hull,
+1-312-853-2522, dhull@dineout.org, both of the National Restaurant
Association