On 8 April 2021, the Düsseldorf-based GEA launched its new CookStar 1000 spiral oven for food manufacturers that can roast crispy-coated and smoked products. The new GEA CookStar oven is the next generation of technology that has led the market for nearly 30 years. It now has more power, precision, and performance.
The GEA engineers have refined the CookStar 1000 for higher capacity and yield with improved product quality and consistency. The company claims that the new oven has more flexibility and greater efficiency than its earlier models.
Enhancements allow food processors to dry, steam, cook, roast, and smoke products in the same oven while increasing production, improving product variety and quality, and reduced energy consumption. GEA also claims that it is now the most efficient spiral oven in the market.
More power, less energy consumption
The new CookStar 1000 generates up to 25% more heating capacity than previous versions, with improved heat exchanger technology. The throughput consequently increases by up to 25%. Color and crispiness are also enhanced – all within the same footprint.
The additional power is tempered for optimal airflow across the entire 1000 mm width of the belt, both horizontally and vertically. This is said to enable more even cooking, resulting in fewer over-cooked products and higher yield. The improved airflow and additional capacity increase overall production efficiency with less energy consumption.
Greater precision and control
The 3-zone cooking with improved booster impingement and airflow efficiency, combined with a unique patented oven balancing system, opens up completely new opportunities for more precise regulation. The active, intelligent exhaust concept moreover provides better 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 critical parameters improving the operator overview. Smart automation improves the level of precision and its technical availability making the oven less operator-dependent.
GEA CookStar 1000- One for all spiral cooker
GEA claims that the CookStar 1000 is the only spiral cooker on the market that can dry, steam, cook, roast, and smoke products in a single machine. The company says all these processes can take place in-line while giving manufacturers ultimate control over each cooking zone for improved product quality and consistency. Faster and more accurate roasting improves food products that remain juicy on the inside, and breaded products remain crispy.
Smoking in minutes versus hours
Already available for the third-generation GEA CookStar 600, but now also introduced on the CookStar 1000 is the possibility to in-line smoke products. It makes CookStar 1000 the world’s only in-line spiral oven that can introduce freshly generated, purified natural smoke (from market-leading specialists in liquid smoke, such as Kerry and 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, enabling manufacturers to expand their portfolio to include fully-cooked, smoked products.
Longer life and less maintenance with Endurlon guiding strips
GEA introduces 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 guiding rails’ service life by as much as four times – significantly reducing maintenance costs while promoting high belt speeds (up to 30meters a minute) for products that require minimal cooking time.
The new CookStar 1000 complements GEA equipment for upstream operations such as defrosting, marinating, loading, brine preparation, injection, mixing, forming, coating, and downstream processes, including freezing and 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.
