2013 Innovator Awards

Every year StarChefs.com honors the industry’s most innovative products and equipment with its Innovator Awards. These awards recognize companies that offer a product that is innovative in its mission or design, and instrumental in helping chefs and culinary professionals succeed in their endeavors. As always, 2013 nominees were voted on by attendees at the International Chefs Congress in four categories: Food and Beverage, Heavy Equipment, Specialty Equipment, and Tabletop and Smallwares.

Food and Beverage

Fresh Origins

Fresh Origins's Flower Crystals® Hibiscus have a brilliant, rich burgundy color and wonderful sweet-sour taste with a fruity cranberry-grape-lemony flavor. They add a tangy spark to dessert and make an innovative topping for lemon sorbet, soufflés, and chocolate ganache. Hibiscus Crystals are a natural addition to creative cocktails. They are a great sweetener for tea! The tart fruity flavor pairs well with seafood—just sprinkle on smoked salmon hors d’oeuvres, specialty ceviches, and even raw oysters.

Nominees included: American Lamb Board: Lambtastix, Brewery Ommegang: Wild at Heart, Chef Works StarChefs Jacket, Chung Jung One: Gochujang Red Pepper Paste, Meat & Livestock Australia: Australian Wagyu Bresaola, and PreGel BIO.

Heavy Equipment

Jade

The Jade DryFlow Wok Range is designed to operate without the continuous flow of water normally used for cooling wok range tops. Our heat-isolation chamber design allows for worry-free, water-saving operation. Just run the water wash sporadically to wash away debris, as needed.

Nominees included: Alto-Shaam 4-10 CT Express Combitherm Oven, Lang BBQ Smoker, Montague Legend Heavy-Duty Steakhouse Broiler with Plancha Top C36SHBPL, Southern Pride MLR-150, Unified Brands Groen Eclipse 15-gallon Braising Pan, and CVap Pod Micro Vapor Oven.

Specialty Equipment

PolyScience

The PolyScience Chamber Vacuum Sealer is perfect for recipe development, small batch production runs, teaching, demonstrations, and casual applications. It seals both dry foods and liquids with a simple push-button operation. Three preset applications can be programmed to provide exact vacuum levels, as well as hold and seal times for meats, fish, and even infusions. A built-in marinate cycle broadens capabilities, and the large chamber accommodates expanded pouches. the sealer also features durable stainless steel housing and space saving design.

Nominees included: Julabo Descaling Agent, Arcobaleno Pasta Cooker, Nespresso Zenius, Trannon Culinary Traveling Culinarist, Uptown Network S.M.A.R.T. Menu Services, and Vero Water’s Vero+ Purification and Bottling System.

Tabletop and Smallwares

Waring Commercial

Waring Commercial's four-quart capacity food processor with a patented LiquiLock Seal System allows you to process liquids without leakage. A two-horse power commercial motor drives up to 20 processing options found in the sealed and locked s-blade, including a whipping disc for whipped creams and quick butters, adjustable slicing, and a reversible shredding disc. A die-cast base and a five-year motor warranty make this product a necessity in any kitchen.

Nominees included: New York Mutual Trading Inc’s 64 Layer Damascus Chefs Knife, Churchill China’s Wooden Deli Boards, FOH’s Harmony Bento, SASA Demarle’s Felxipat FX1102 Kougloff, William Sonoma’s ThermoClad Cookware Collection and Steelite’s International’s Crucial Detail Plateau.