GEA has unveiled a new and improved CookStar 1000 spiral oven for manufacturers of roasted, crispy-coated and smoked products. The oven is the third generation of technology that has been popular among food processors for nearly 30 years, now with more power, precision and performance.
The equipment has been refined by engineers of the Düsseldorf, Germany-headquartered company to deliver higher capacity, increased yield, improved product quality and consistency, as well as more flexibility and greater efficiency than its predecessors. These enhancements allow manufacturers to dry, steam, cook, roast and smoke products in the same oven while increasing production, improving product quality, variety and reducing energy.
The new CookStar 1000 generates up to 25 percent more heating capacity than previous versions, thanks to improved heat exchanger technology. This also translates into increased throughput – up to 25 percent more – along with improved color and crispiness, and all within the same footprint. The additional power is tempered to ensure optimal airflow across the entire 1000mm width of the belt, horizontally and vertically, which guarantees more even cooking, resulting in fewer over-cooked products and higher yield. The improved airflow and additional capacity also increase overall efficiency and reduces energy consumption.
Greater Precision and Control
Three-zone cooking with improved booster impingement and air flow efficiency, combined with a patented oven balancing system, opens up new opportunities for regulation. The active, intelligent exhaust concept moreover provides oven control with lower consumption of steam. The CookStar maintains the required dewpoint in each cooking chamber independent of external influences. Dewpoints can be set between 45 and 95 degrees Celsius (113 and 203 degrees Fahrenheit), at temperatures ranging from 50 to 250 C (122 to 482 F), as required by the recipe.
The updated, more intuitive and larger control panel monitors all critical parameters improving the operator overview. Smart automation features improve the level of precision, improve the technical availability and make the oven less dependent of the operator.
One for All
The CookStar 1000 is the only spiral cooker on the market that can dry, steam, cook, roast and smoke products in a single machine, while giving manufacturers ultimate control over each cooking zone, for improved product quality and consistency, guaranteeing faster and more accurate roasting so products remain juicy on the inside and breaded products remain crispy on the outside.
Smoking in Minutes Versus Hours
Already available for third generation GEA CookStar 600, but now also introduced on the CookStar 1000 is the possibility to in-line smoke products. This makes CookStar 1000 the world’s only in-line spiral oven which can introduce freshly generated, purified natural smoke (from market leading specialists in liquid smoke, Kerry/Red Arrow). into its airflow. This option opens many opportunities to create a distinct and customized flavor and attractive color while maintaining quality, consistency and meeting extended shelf life requirements. Smoking time is cut from hours to minutes, making it easy for manufacturers to expand their portfolio to include fully-cooked, smoked products.
Longer Life and Less Maintenance
GEA has introduced a new low-friction material for the guiding strips for the CookStar spiral ovens. The material, marketed under the name Endurlon, lasts up to four times longer than Teflon, due to harder wearing and better temperature characteristics. Endurlon extends the service life of the guiding rails by as much as four times which significantly reduces maintenance costs, while promoting high belt speeds (up to 30m/min) for products that require minimal cooking time.
The latest CookStar 1000 model complements GEA equipment for upstream operations such as: defrosting, marinating, loading, brine preparation, injection, mixing, forming and coating; and downstream processes including freezing, packing and oil recovery. A broad portfolio, combined with GEA’s extensive process knowledge allows manufacturers to configure entire lines from a single source, ensuring absolute consistency across all production parameters.
