Upgrade Kitchen Safety with the ProReel Enclosed 5000 Series Kitchen Cord Reels

Regardless of the commercial setting, having a dependable and safe source of electricity like that provided by retractable extension cord reels ensures greater efficiency and productivity of its workers. This is just as true for workplaces where food is produced as for any other application where convenient access to electricity is necessary. By using cord reels to bring power to where it’s needed, workers in the food industry can do their jobs more effectively.

But it’s also about safety. Busy kitchens and other areas used for food preparation must keep high-traffic areas clear of cabling, as they present a tripping hazard. Kitchen cord reels are a practical solution, providing a means for organizing cabling popular with food workers. However, not all retractable extension cord reels are created equal, with the ProReel 5000 series enclosed kitchen cord reels explicitly designed for kitchens and other areas used in the commercial food industry. 

Making Kitchens Safer with Kitchen Cord Reels

Easy access to electricity enhances the efficiency and productivity of those in the food industry. In a commercial kitchen, cord reels can extend power to various workstations, eliminating the need to install electrical outlets everywhere electricity is needed. This means power can be brought quickly to areas where electricity is needed only occasionally.

Kitchen cord reels can be used in the following settings: 

• Banquet halls
• Coffeehouses
• Commercial, industrial, or domestic kitchens
• Culinary schools
• Food processing facilities
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• School, hospital, or other institutional cafeterias

Cord reels can power any kitchen equipment that runs on electricity. This could include blenders, coffee grinders, dishwashers, espresso machines, food processors, freezers, juicers, icemakers, meat grinders, microwaves, mixers, refrigerators, slow cookers, toasters, and toaster ovens, along with electric can openers fryers, griddles, knives, ovens, ranges, skillets, and steamers.

Loose cables in any high-traffic area can be dangerous, but this risk is multiplied in a busy commercial kitchen. Extension cords pose tripping hazards when placed along the floor, which is made more unsafe by simmering sauces on stovetops, fryers filled with oil, slippery floors from food spillage, and other kitchen risks. Cord reels significantly alleviate this danger. In addition, many retractable kitchen cord reels have built-in safety features like reset buttons and overload protection, ensuring power surges won’t lead to an electrical fire or shock.

Where & How to Mount Kitchen Cord Reels

Kitchen cord reels are generally used in a couple of configurations to keep cabling organized and out of the way when not in use. How and where they’re positioned depends on the design of the area being used to prepare food. Cord reels should be mounted near the area needing electricity as conveniently as possible.

There are four basic configurations for cord reels, but some are less advantageous for use in a kitchen. Stretch-style cord reels can be installed above the floor to keep the cabling off the ground, mounted in place, positioned on the ceiling, or even attached to moving equipment. Though they raise the extension cord off the floor, the cable remains an obstacle due to its horizontal payout, not to mention this configuration’s sag factor.

Specialty cord reels that use a retrieve configuration are typically mounted on mobile equipment. They pay out as the equipment moves away or wind up when it approaches. These are generally used for industrial purposes. However, this configuration can be customized with mobile kitchen equipment like utility carts, cooking carts, or portable proofing cabinets.

Typically, kitchen cord reels tend to be of the drag or lift varieties. These configurations define how cord reels are placed and how they pay out. Cord reels with a drag configuration are installed in a stationary position on or just above the floor, with the cable extending horizontally, often through supports. Kitchen cord reels using a lift configuration instead are usually mounted on the ceiling in a stationary position. Both types use ratchets to lock the length of the cable in place so that only the cabling necessary is paid out.

Benefits of Kitchen Cord Reels

Kitchen cord reels can benefit various environments where food is prepared.

These benefits include: 

• Brings electricity to where it’s needed.
• Conveniently stores cabling when not being used.
• Improves productivity of employees with easy access to power.
• Makes for safer working conditions.
• Provides various options for mounting.
• Reduces liability from trip and fall claims.
• Streamlines cleanup of areas used for food preparation.

Certain cord reels can even be made waterproof to allow use near water or with UV protection for outdoor functions.

Features to Consider for Kitchen Cord Reels

Cord reels should consider certain advantageous features for environments where food is prepared. In a kitchen, cord reels keep cabling off the ground to prevent tripping hazards, but they also need to withstand conditions often found in a kitchen. Cord reels should have waterproof enclosures to protect from spills and heat resistance to prevent damage from hot equipment or food.

Increasingly, commercial kitchens position cord reels above workstations in a lift configuration that allows workers to pull down the necessary extension cord. Reels should also include moisture-resistant cord caps to protect the outlets from spills. Kitchen cord reels should additionally have strain relief mechanisms, especially if the cabling will experience significant bending or mechanical stress. These mechanisms also work well for applications where equipment is regularly engaged and disengaged.

ProReel Commercial Kitchen Cord Reels from Alert

Alert Reel Manufacturing can provide an ideal commercial, industrial, or institutional kitchen design, with cord reels fabricated precisely for culinary environments. The 5000 series kitchen cord reels by ProReel are explicitly designed for conditions found in areas used for food preparation. Fully enclosed extension cord reels protect the cabling while being constructed from durable, UV-resistant thermoplastics made for cleanability.  

The ProReel 5000 series kitchen cord reels can be mounted above workstations for food preparation or placed in areas where food is stored to power equipment. Whatever the task, these cord reels bring greater productivity to many tasks that require electrical equipment in a commercial kitchen. Cord reels prevent slipping risks from disorganized electrical cabling while also protecting it from damage.

Features of the ProReel Enclosed 5000 Series Kitchen Cord Reels include:

• 5-foot (1.524 m) feed cord with 5-15 NEMA plug.
• Comes with either a 20-foot (6.096 m) or 30-foot (9.144 m) long cord with conveniently placed ball stop to regulate how far the cable retracts.
• Inbuilt circuit breaker with reset button.
• L-shaped bracket and other mounting hardware.
• Moisture-resistant and UV-resistant thermoplastic housing that’s fully enclosed and rated by NEMA.
• UL (Underwriter’s Laboratory) certified and tested for safety.

Also featuring three conductors, ProReel 5000 series kitchen power cords provide 25V alternating current at a 60-hertz frequency.  Its dimensions are 11.39 inches (nearly 29 cm) high by 10.69 inches (just over 27 cm) wide and with a depth of 4.18 inches (about 10.6 cm). To learn more about our kitchen cord reels and other products, contact the reel experts at Alert Reel Manufacturing today.