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NAFEM 2019

New Bluetooth Thermometer launch at NAFEM 2019. Comark Instruments is launching its latest Bluetooth™ product innovation at The NAFEM 2019 Show, February 7-9, 2019 in Orlando, Florida, the BT4x Bluetooth Thermocouple Food Thermometer. Visit Booth 854 to see how the Comark range can automate the temperature data collection required for today’s Wireless HACCP and Food Safety plans. The new Comark BT4x Bluetooth Food Thermometer is designed for all food service operations to quickly, safely and effectively monitor critical temperatures for deliveries, storage, cooking, cooling and hot holding, through to final serving. The Comark BT4x Bluetooth Food Thermometer has all the features of the best-selling C2x Thermometer but now incorporates recording via Bluetooth to eliminate the need for paper record keeping. Following the earlier launch of the BT25x Bluetooth Pocketherm™ Fold-Out Thermometer last year, it became clear that customers welcomed the … Read more

The 4Cs of Christmas Cooking

When it comes to Christmas cooking, each person has their own family traditions. Cooking a bird is a tradition in many countries with turkey and goose being favorites on the menu. Often preparations for Christmas Day catering start well in advance. In Britain, the traditional day to make a Christmas Pudding is Stir-Up Sunday, the last Sunday before the Advent Season. It’s a good opportunity to teach children how to weigh out ingredients and in many households, each person gets to stir the mix and make a wish. It would be easy to think of the 4Cs of Christmas cooking as: Christmas Cake Christmas Pudding Crackers Chilled Champagne Christmas is one of the peak times of the year for catering establishments and in homes as the Party Season gets into fully swing. It’s a time of parties and celebrations with … Read more

Tom Cook - Executive Head Chef, Smith & Wollensky

Temperature Measurement, Travel and the Perfect Steak!

We talk to Smith & Wollensky’s Executive Head Chef, Tom Cook about temperature measurement, travel and the perfect steak. In June 2015 Smith & Wollensky opened their first restaurant outside of the US – located in the landmark Adelphi Building in London. Their steaks are USDA Prime, dry-aged and butchered on-site, making them the only steakhouse in London which offers a cut of meat that combines all three. Tom Cook has been a chef for over 22 years, working alongside some greats such as Gary Rhodes, Michel Roux Jr, Eric Chavot, Daniel Clifford and Tom Aikens. Cook is now Executive Head Chef at Smith & Wollensky. We caught up with Tom to talk about how important the right cooking temperature is when producing the perfect steak every time … What’s your earliest food memory? I’d say cooking with my … Read more

Safe handling of chicken to minimize campylobacter contamination

Handling raw chicken requires attention to some basic food hygiene principals to reduce the chances of eating food contaminated with campylobacter. The Food Standards Agency quote that about four in five cases of campylobacter food poisoning in the UK come from contaminated poultry, especially chicken and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are an estimated 1.3 million illnesses in the United States each year caused by campylobacter. Campylobacter has a low infective dose, meaning it takes very few germs (fewer than 500) to make someone ill (source). That means a single drop of juice from raw chicken can have enough Campylobacter in it to infect someone. How to reduce the risk from campylobacter when handling chicken Clean Make sure your hands are washed and that the kitchen worksurfaces, cutting boards and utensils are thoroughly clean. Immediately after being … Read more

Festive Safety Tips from Comark Instruments

Ho Ho Ho….It’s that time of year when everybody is getting into the festive and holiday Christmas spirit. Gathering with family & friends, exchanging gifts and enjoying the feast. Food poisoning isn’t on anyone’s Christmas list, so make sure you only give people what they want this year – i.e. not food-poisoning! We’ve done all the hard work for you and put together some canny little Festive Safety Tips for you to follow Keep things clean: Wash hands before and after handling any food. Wet or damp hands can spread bugs between food and surfaces! Wash all surfaces (cutting boards, dishes, utensils and countertops) before and after preparing each food item. Wash dishcloths and tea towels regularly, and let them dry before you use them again. Dirty, damp cloths are the perfect place for germs to spread. Don’t wash raw … Read more

Optimizing Operational Efficiencies through Wireless Environment Monitoring

For potential customers investigating the complexities of temperature monitoring solutions – what you don’t know can hurt you. As Comark’s National Sales Manager, I spend much of my time analyzing clients’ needs and expectations, helping to create compliance-focused solutions that allow for increased operational efficiencies and expanded revenue opportunities. One of the most common issues I see in evaluating kitchen coolers and freezers is in the area of defrost cycles. Defrost cycles typically rely on a mechanical timer, which is monitored and adjusted manually by an HVAC specialist. These adjustments are made to optimize efficiencies, but necessary changes may fluctuate as compressors and equipment age, or even as refrigerants leak or are replaced. Incorrect cycles characteristically raise the temperature of the cooler or freezer interior too high, only to require more work from the compressor to chill it back down. … Read more

Comark Experts: Q&A with Product Marketing Director Michael Hall

Food safety technology is taking a more prominent role in kitchens and food processing facilities now. Handheld temperature monitoring devices and wireless data logging solutions are perfectly positioned to help food service providers take quality products to market, with customer safety as their primary ingredient. In this interview, we talk with Michael Hall, Director of Product Marketing at Comark Instruments, about the state of the temperature-monitoring industry, and the role Comark’s products are playing. Q. What type of temperature monitoring functionality is most “in-demand” now – particularly among restaurants? A. It is an exciting time to be a part of the temperature monitoring industry. Let’s say we have a restaurant following a food safety process and HACCP Regulations. It may have three freezers, two fridges, and a walk-in cooler – all of which need to be monitored throughout the day. That means someone … Read more