Interest in restaurant equipment?

[fan-of-fans]

Hi all. Just joined the forum.
I was wondering if anyone has an interest in old restaurant equipment?

I was looking at an old Hotpoint restaurant catalog on eBay recently. I always thought the Hotpoint counter equipment was very retro with the red lighted logo and matching look across units. They had fryers, stoves, griddles, and warmers. I do actually see a few of these on eBay occasionally.

Also has anyone heard of Keating equipment? We had the fryers in our schools here, with the auto basket lifts and filtration systems! Most removed because of the recent healthy eating campaign. I was always fascinated with all the equipment in the cafeteria, especially the steam tables and other things. There were Alto-Shaam warmers and Blodgett Combi ovens too. Solid element two burner ranges and tilting kettles.

Wells is another name I have seen often, Kmart used to have a whole lineup of Wells stuff behind the snack bar. All gone since the snack bar shut down.

I have a few pieces of restaurant equipment myself. A few steam table pans and covers and an APW cheese warmer I found at a yard sale for $1, although it is missing the pump and container. Most equipment would be too big to use at home though.

 

[norgeway]

Wells...

Wells products are used in local Waffle Houses, I love the old Hotpoints, and they seem to last absolutely forever!

 

[circlew]

The church I belong to has a Vulcan electric range (6 burners, 2 ovens, a griddle, and a broiler. There is also a Seco electric steam table (4 wells). Both of these were installed when the kitchen was built in 1959.

There are Seco and Vollrath insert pans, and a Vollrath stock pot (also purchased in '59) that is like new. They also have West Bend and Regal coffee makers.

A local drive-in restaurant had Hotpoint griddles and fryers. Not sure if they still do or not.

 

[petek]

As a kid I loved sitting at the Woolworth or Kresge lunch counters and looking at big kitchen percolators, those huge Toastmaster toasters and especially the roll thru dishwashers. A Toastermaster toaster showed up at the Restore a couple of months ago but it was 210 V. plus they wanted about $200 for it. unfortunately.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Professional Chef here.

I go for Hobart, Vulcan, Wolf and Blodgett for vintage equipment. Don't mind a good Blakeslee dishwasher or Cleveland range either.
For modern equipment of course Hobart is still #1. Rational and Convotherm combi ovens are awesome.
WK78

 

[firedome]

used to go by the Vulcan-Hart factory

all the time as a kid in the 50s/60s, on North Point Blvd outside of Baltimore. I think Vulcan is still made there. And the Blodgett factory is a couple miles from our place in Vermont, off Pine St in Burlington. They seem to be highly respected for their pizza and other ovens.

We have some small commercial stuff in our kitchen: a Holman conveyor toaster and a Cecilware deep fryer, the usual domestic cheapo built toasters and fryers just don't hold up in the long term; these small commercial units are great... and repairable.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Nice info. That Vulcan range and Seco steam table sound nice. I'd like to see photos sometime.