Here we are, in the 21st century, and we have nothing to show for it. Shouldn’t we all have jetpacks by now? What about flying cars? Where’s our Jetsons-eque robot maid?
But we’ve tasted the future, and it’s crunchy, hot and delicious. That’s because the 2008 Kitchen Innovations Award winner Silar Microwave Grill and Flatstone can turn a commercial-grade microwave into a flash panini machine, turning out a perfectly cooked, delectably toasted sandwich (complete with grill marks!) in 50 seconds flat.
The folks at Advanced Composite Materials LLC took a break from making parts for jet engines and aerospace applications to invent a high-tech ceramic insert that heats up to 700 degrees in about five seconds in a 2,200-watt microwave. One side of the insert has a grill surface, letting you produce those toasty paninis, while the other side is a flat, perfect for turning out crisp, thin-crust fresh-dough pizzas in 80 seconds. The lunch rush will never be the same.
“We’ve broken the speed/quality paradigm,” said Tom Quantrille, president and CEO of Advanced Composite Materials. The development has taken a lot of chefs by delighted surprise. Quantrille said it was a blast to watch food professionals test the sandwiches that came out of the Silar-equipped microwaves.
“Most chefs didn’t even taste the sandwich at first,” he said. “They start by poking at the bread, ripping it apart, trying to find places where it was cold of mushy. They couldn’t find it. They started out trying to find fault, and then they realized this is for real.”
The Silar insert is currently available for TurboChef Tornado microwaves, and the company is working with several other commercial microwave manufacturers to provide the product to other brands.
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