INDIANAPOLIS – September 1, 2009 -- Things are heating up at Aircom Manufacturing. Literally.

Aircom has joined forces with Meister Cook to manufacture a Fried Food Holder that keeps french fries and other fried foods hot, crisp and delicious for up to 25 minutes. Contrast that with the 5-minute rule applied to traditionally used heat lamps, and that adds up to a 500 percent increase in performance.

The FH23-75 Fried Food Holder is just the first in a line of food service industry products Aircom and Meister Cook will market to casual dining restaurants. The Fried Food Holder already has received rave reviews from leading restaurant chains, including a few favorite Midwest eateries.

“They’re saying this technology is better than a heat lamp because it doesn’t dry out their food product,” said Gerald Peterson, Aircom’s director of food equipment and services. “The Fried Food Holder heats using hot convection air and radiant heat. This makes the food last longer and taste better than when using heat lamps.”

Not only does the Fried Food Holder work better, it’s much greener, using air recirculation, an energy-efficient air curtain and convective air to remove just the right amount of moisture from the food’s surface. The patented ThermalBreeze technology keeps fried foods crispy but not overcooked. And it does all this with just one energy efficient heater. In fact, the Fried Food Holder consumes about 50 percent less energy than other, more costly convective air systems, leaving a much smaller carbon footprint.

The patent-pending FH23-75 is ETL-certified to the applicable UL and CSA safety standards and the applicable NSF sanitation standards and employs a host of advanced safety features. It not only keeps french fries fresh and hot, it also works well with onion rings, chicken fingers, fried fish and many other types of fried foods. For more information, please visit www.friedfoodholder.com.

In an industry that routinely tosses out 30 percent of their french fries and other fried side items, using the Fried Food Holder to extend their life means big savings. A recent restaurant survey indicated that restaurants waste up to 30 percent of fried foods due to improper holding methods, which result in an undesirable level of grease saturation.

“Restaurants want to make sure that when they serve up a hot, juicy steak, there aren’t greasy, cold fries going out with it,” Peterson said. “The Fried Food Holder technology extends the life of the fried food product, while using much less energy.”

Now that’s a hot story!