"For us at Stellar, the overall NRA show experience this year was a pleasant surprise," remarked Bob McLoughlin, the company's VP of Product Management. "This was our first year sharing a national-scale stage with our Aga Foodservice Equipment sister companies, and it was gratifying to see the amount of booth traffic and purchasing interest we received."

McLoughlin also noted that he spoke with "a lot more" decision-making operators than in recent years. "We're seeing more inflation now, and big spikes in fuel and energy prices, and that may have sent many end-users to NRA intent on finding the most cost-effective equipment suitable for their different programs' applications," he related. "We can say for sure that this year's show will lead to a number of good new orders during the next several quarters."

Sharing booth space with Eloma combi ovens helped draw many show-goers' attention to Stellar's similar and highly water- and energy-efficient boilerless design, McLoughlin advised. He added that while some operators are still learning that a boilerless steamer can cook just as quickly as and more efficiently than conventional boiler-based models, more are realizing that Stellar's patented technology translates into less-frequent and easier maintenance, as well as reduced downtime and fewer expensive repairs.

"We found that potential customers were very receptive to Stellar's value proposition, not only because of the money and energy the steamers can save, but also because they regard our company's products as well-built, reliable and easy to operate," McLoughlin commented. "Hearing feedback like that helped us confirm that we're winning recognition for the Stellar brand across the major markets."

Earning industry recognition as a category-leader in energy savings and performance is helping Stellar take its place as a national company within Aga's AFE division. This affiliation is also allowing Stellar to develop further improvements to its gas- and electric-powered lines of ENERGY STAR®-certified boilerless steamers. McLoughlin related that he had informed NRA attendees that Stellar is now developing new purpose-built technology that will further reduce lime and calcium build-up in its steamers, as well as make these units easier to clean should build-ups occur.

"One advantage we expect this new sediment-control system to deliver is the minimalization of lime and scale in every Stellar model," he advised. "Our solution will also make steamer cleaning simpler and more effective than ever before."

Another way Stellar steamers will be able to offer competitive advantages to both end-users and specifiers is through current development of integrated cooking and chilling systems with other AFE companies. Because today's professional kitchens require unprecedented levels of efficiency and synergies among differently applied equipment, McLoughlin stated that Stellar will be working with sister companies Eloma and Victory to ensure foods cooked in steamers (or combis) can be quickly and efficiently loaded into blast chillers or other refrigeration equipment to allow it to be safely placed into cold holding for future service.

For more information, visit Stellar Steam's web site at www.stellarsteam.com