Welcome to our Ask the Pro series, where our Product Managers answer frequently asked questions about our equipment. This edition features Groen’s Walter Trapp. There are also Ask the Pro articles on Avtec, Power Soak and Randell.
The questions are:
Can I heat up a braising pan without product in it?
Walter Trapp: Yes you can. You can heat it up to 300° for five minutes, but you can’t go any longer than five minutes at any temperature higher than 300.
How long does it take to heat up a braising pan?
WT: That’s a good question. How long does it take to heat up? In a normal 70-72° environment, it takes less than four minutes for our electric and our gas units to heat up to 350°. Pretty fast.
Do you recommend certain utensils for use in the braising pan?
WT: Definitely. We recommend not to use any utensils that are metal and have square edges. The preferred utensils would be plastic or wood.
Does a braising pan automatically shut off when tilted?
WT: The unit does shut off when it’s being tilted once it reaches 7°. Anything 7° or higher, the unit will shut the heat off.
Can I change the low and high temperature pre-sets?
WT: The low and high temperature pre-sets come straight from the factory already set. The low temp is 175. On electric units, the high temp is 400 and on the gas units, the high temp is 425. Now if you were to order a high number of them, which would have to be determined whether that be 10, 20, 50 or 100 units, we could most definitely make that work for you.
Does the braising pan automatically turn off when the timer expires?
WT: No, the unit does not turn off when the timer expires. Actually, it goes into the low temperature preset of 175° for braising pans and the number two setting for kettles, and a four hour count up time starts. Once that four hour count up timer expires, you will be alerted with an audible and a visual alert.
Can a Tangent Draw-off Valve (TDO) be added to a braising pan in the field?
WT: No, you cannot add a TDO in the field. I’ve always advised that every time you do a quote, you add a TDO and allow the customer to make their decision as to whether they want it or not. If they decide that they don’t want it, maybe explain to them that, “Do you see any possible growth in the future where you would need that TDO?” Because again, once it’s not on a unit in the field, we cannot add it.
Does the braising pan come with accessories to move liquid to a drain?
WT: Yes. We actually have several accessories to help in this situation. We have the drain cart, and we also have the drain drawer that actually connects to the stand and works like the drawer on your desk at your home or in your office. If the unit has a TDO, then we have what’s called a drain funnel that actually hangs on the TDO, has a hose connected to the bottom, and you can just open the TDO and everything flows to an adjacent drain.
On the Cook2Temp Braising Pan, if the core probe comes loose, what do I do?
WT: Well, if the core probe becomes disconnected during the cooking process, it’s very simple. All you have to do is reconnect it. Nothing else.
Can I use a water hose to clean the IPX 6 controls?
WT: No and yes. IPX has a water washdown certification. All three of our controls – the classic, the advanced and the Cook2Temp – are water washdown rated. The test uses a half-inch nozzle at 15 PSI, which is a very strong spray. We do not recommend power washers.
What is the warranty on the Groen Braising Pan?
WT: On our braising pans, you get a 1-year parts and labor warranty and a 10-year pan warranty. There’s also the Groen Free Start-Up. It costs you absolutely nothing and once the unit is installed, we send an ASA out on our nickel and they inspect the installation and operation of the unit. Now, how do you schedule that? You can reach out to your dealer, your rep or you can actually do it yourself online here.
