Have you considered "Counter-Top Milk Dispensers"
Last year I contacted Frieling Co., because of a new milk dispenser I'd heard of that they were patenting. It holds 1-2 gallon standard milk containers, and keeps them at the required NSF temperature. The unit uses a small 110-220vac to 12vdc power supply, with minimal current draw. With throw-away spouts, there's nothing to clean after the milk is exhausted. You just get another disposable spout and screw it into the new milk.
So here's the deal. When I worked on my sales model for both a permanent cafe location and kiosk/cart options, I quickly questioned the placement of dairy milk containers kept below the counter. The barista goes through several motions to get milk, plus opening and resealing. Why don't more shops use counter top milk dispensors? I fully understand the space issue, but if only doing this for the 2 most popular milk types, wouldn't it save alot of time? What am I missing here?
So here's the deal. When I worked on my sales model for both a permanent cafe location and kiosk/cart options, I quickly questioned the placement of dairy milk containers kept below the counter. The barista goes through several motions to get milk, plus opening and resealing. Why don't more shops use counter top milk dispensors? I fully understand the space issue, but if only doing this for the 2 most popular milk types, wouldn't it save alot of time? What am I missing here?
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Permalink Reply by Denise Smith on
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We used to serve milk to the troops from a "cow" unit that held "udder bags" (that's what we affectionately called them. At the end of the reserve weekend you "milk the cow" by draining out any extra and you send it to the back kitchen for storage in the refer and use it for baking and cooking. for the active duty troops who were there every day.
I have not opened yet but wondered, after seeing how much milk a shop goes through, why those type units are not used in active shops.
We are going to try to be as green as possible but I know we will ae to use gallon plastic jugs to start with.
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Permalink Reply by Al Sterling on
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Well Denise...I've been around the stainless, and rather large, cafeteria and commercial food milk dispensers, but when I saw the Frieling design, and the small footprint, it just made sense. Depending on the shop's volume of milk based drinks, I just don't undertand why more shops don't use this approach. I'm really hopeing that more cafe owners will share their thoughts on why they use the below-counter coolers rather than a more convenient access device; or maybe, again, I'm not seeing something. But with all the hours of retail monitoring and visits, that was the first thing that caught my attention.
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Sounds like a neat devise do you have more info, a picture, a web site...? I'd love to learn more. We want to be 'green enough to only need 4 rollout trash cans not a giant metal dumpster. I know it's very ambitious but it could save us a lot of money on the concrete dumpster pad and a number of other related costs plus really help the environment. We will only use single serve products for 'On the go" orders. All "in house orders" will be served on real dishes. I'd like to reduce our BoH trash as well. Any suggestions there?
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Permalink Reply by stephanie crocker on
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http://restaurant-equipment.hubert.com/milkchiller-milk-refrigerator-and-dispenser.html
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Denise...I re-read my post and it sorta' sounded like I was pushing the product, but I'm not. Actually, I called the owner last year, was told they were working on their patent, and planned on showing the dispenser line at various food and beverage shows. I had my badges for the Seattle Coffeefest, but had conflicting business trips and couldn't go. I was hopeing they'd be there, either in their own booth or sharing with a distributor? Here's the contact info I had from a brochure they sent me. I've uploaded the file to this post. Did you get a look at the photo I uploaded? I'm still trying to figure out all the features of this forum and site. I don't see a preview button for checking posts before submitting, and only see my uploaded jpg for this post as a "clickable" line, which does take me to the photo image I composed of the machine and two application photos.
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Permalink Reply by Mike McGinness on
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1/2 gallon capacity way too small to be practical. If it could handle a standard gallon maybe a viable idea.
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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I've often thought about this. I think my ideal solution would be a countertop chiller that you could just drop the jug into when not in use.
As time consuming as pulling jugs out of the fridge is, when you are in a rush you don't ever put it away. Looking at a system like the dispenser, I'd wonder how quickly it dispenses.
I see a system like this as a "nice, but optional" expense that would be the first thing to go if you start exceeding the upfit budget. Neat idea though.
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miKe mcKoffee aka Mike McGinness said:1/2 gallon capacity way too small to be practical. If it could handle a standard gallon maybe a viable idea.
Mike.....if you can look at the uploaded jpg I added on the orig post, there's a photo insert of what I think is the gallon version. I just haven't call them to see if they've finalized the line with a larger capacity unit?
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I did check out the attachment and found:
To use, just insert the disposable delivery straw into any commercially available ½ gallon milk container and place it into the MILKchiller™ and close the lid. You are now ready to dispense dairy product at the press of a button!
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To offer several dairy product options or to accommodate larger volume, MILKchiller™ units can be ganged, side by side. Each MILKchiller™ runs on its own power source.
I saw no mention of a larger 1gal option. Besides not being enough to get through even a moderately busy shift two 1/2gallon containers of milk costs more than one gallon of milk. Now for catering or coffee cart might be a nifty item.
The side by side picture of two units one may appear larger but fairly certain an optical illusion because one is closer. Pictures can be deceiving!
I believe their market target is not behind the bar but rather at coffee condiment stations.
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miKe mcKoffee aka Mike McGinness said:I did check out the attachment and found:
To use, just insert the disposable delivery straw into any commercially available ½ gallon milk container and place it into the MILKchiller™ and close the lid. You are now ready to dispense dairy product at the press of a button!
andTo offer several dairy product options or to accommodate larger volume, MILKchiller™ units can be ganged, side by side. Each MILKchiller™ runs on its own power source.
I saw no mention of a larger 1gal option. Besides not being enough to get through even a moderately busy shift two 1/2gallon containers of milk costs more than one gallon of milk. Now for catering or coffee cart might be a nifty item.
The side by side picture of two units one may appear larger but fairly certain an optical illusion because one is closer. Pictures can be deceiving!
I believe their market target is not behind the bar but rather at coffee condiment stations.
Mike...first off, hope all is upwards and onwards with your cafe and roasting biz. Just an idle threat, but I'm flying into Portland to do my OR-WA sales calls, and promised myself to visit your location. I'm debating on not telling you when I get in so "you can't hide!"
As for the cooler-dispensers from this company, I absolutely agree that they are too small for even a moderate traffic cafe, but had hoped that they had added the one gallon and larger unit? I called their number from the contact info, but it's evidently too late, as they're EST and we're still digesting lunch...so to speak.
So your response leads me to ask if you've considered the larger units on the market? For about $1400 to $2k, you can get a new "cafeteria size" unit, which granted, has a huge footprint, but again, if designed into the work area, might do the trick. But even with that, and having traveled and visited a number of busy shops, I can't remember one that had above counter milk storage and dispensing.
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We keep our milk in a two door side by side True fridge on ~waist height shelf, behind and slightly to the side when facing espresso machine. Turn around and open the door, no constant bending over. No I have not considered counter top models. Don't have room this location nor have the need for a dedicated milk fridge! The True stores lots of other stuff too, juices, our custom chai concentrate, iced teas, sodas, soda siphons, whipped creams, half & half etc and plus some overflow for smaller single door kitchen fridge and sandwich station fridge. Use two dedicated milk shelves in the True, one for whole and one for 1% and pitchers.
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miKe mcKoffee aka Mike McGinness said:We keep our milk in a two door side by side True fridge on ~waist height shelf, behind and slightly to the side when facing espresso machine. Turn around and open the door, no constant bending over.
That makes perfect sense, and reminded me that we have a similar setup in our residence kitchen. At the espresso counter, I've got my milk and related cold items in a fridge to the left of the counter now, and also at waist to eye level. The reason I'm looking at this issue again, and now, is that I bought glass pitchers, with push-button valves, to simulate a dispenser. I'm only using whole, half and half, and a 2/3-1/3 mix of both. I got tired of opening and closing the dairy containers, and found that the glass units kept colder than the waxed cartons or the plastic jugs. But I'm now ready to commit to some equipment, and think I'm going to order and test the Frieling units. My setups are "kiosk type" layouts, but with enough counter space to accomodate these devices. My thoughts are that even if we use the fridge-coolers, a dispensing device, not much different than an in-door water-ice dispenser, is the most efficient way to go. (NSF-health dept approved, of course) I've yet found anyone else that has incorporated this concept. And as mentioned, I'm interested in hearing your input and others before I possibly "reinvent the wheel", or worse, just make a bad decision.
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