Product details:
LoCooker is the work of Clyne Energy, a creator of energy-efficient cooking appliances, which has spent the last three years working on the device. Like a combi oven, LoCooker uses a combination of water spray, water vapour and convection to deliver heat to the food. However, it only operates between 35C and 95C and only requires 1 litre of water, which means it is more energy efficient than boiling food on the hob or using a water bath.
LoCooker can cook a wide range of ingredients - from meat and fish to vegetables and fruit - and can work like a hob, steamer or water bath for cooking or reheating. It can take up to six half gastronorm trays of food which can each hold over a kilo of an ingredient; uses a 13amp plug and does not need plumbing or extraction.
USP:
The product has been developed specifically for the commercial catering sector and has been trialled in a number of kitchens already, including Arbutus and Searcy's at The Gherkin. As well as being 70 per cent energy efficient (hob cooking is generally 10 per cent energy efficient) its cooking methods claim to better preserve the flavour and texture of food.
Price:
£2,985 per unit.
Availability:
Directly from Clyne Energy or distributors Shine Food Machinery www.shine.co.uk; QCM www.qcmequipment.co.uk; Space Catering www.spacecatering.co.uk and Cucina Projects www.cucina-projects.com. For more information visit the website www.locooker.com
Why you should buy it:
LoCooker has only just gone on the market, but has already won a Greenius Award (A national competition launched by the Deputy Prime Minister to drive forwards the UK’s green agenda last year). While its main benefit is energy-saving, its creators claim it produces consistent and high quality results.
"We started off creating something that would save energy," said professor Ken Board, co-founder and chairman of Clyne Energy, "Then we got a chef on board and he has been helping us develop it further. Because chefs can maintain the temperature with it, it cooks food well - potatoes don't turn into soup however long they cook, for example.
"Chefs who have trialled it for the last 12 months have been impressed."