Commercial kitchens, such as those in hotels and restaurants, invest a considerable amount in high-quality olive oil. Top-notch olive oil can cost more than $30 (USD) per litre, an expense that owners and operators must deal with repeatedly. After all, olive oil is one of those essential staples that professional kitchens must always have on hand. Making olive oil last as long as possible is an important part of using your kitchen’s budget wisely, and the containers you choose for dispensing oil are one aspect of that.
There are several choices available, but stainless steel olive oil dispensers have gained an excellent reputation for looking good and helping this product last. In this post, we explore the many benefits of choosing stainless steel olive oil dispensers for your kitchen.
Understanding Olive Oil Degradation: The Three Main Enemies
Before we dive into the reasons that stainless steel is your best option, let’s look at how and why olive oil breaks down and loses its flavor. To put it simply, there are three reasons olive oil goes off: exposure to light, exposure to air, and changes in the temperature of the environment in which it’s stored.
Light Exposure and Photooxidation
In particular, it’s ultraviolet light that damages olive oil. This process is called photo-oxidation. Photons speed up the breakdown of the chemical compounds in olive oil, causing free radicals to form and negatively impact the delicate fats in the oil. These changes mar the delicate flavors of the oil, changing them into a rancid and unpleasant taste.
Recent research has shown that olive oil stored in glass bottles doesn’t get as much protection from ultraviolet light as it needs for its flavors to be maintained. One study that examined metallic containers over almost a full year revealed that metal totally prevented light from penetrating the olive oil. This study showed that stainless steel olive oil dispensers are the solution for keeping olive oil fresh and full of flavor.
Oxygen and Oxidative Rancidity
Each time you open a container of olive oil, air seeps in. This contact is called oxidation. Oxidation immediately begins breaking down the oil, causing it to go rancid and bitter. In commercial kitchens, where olive oil is accessed perhaps dozens of times per day, this exposure to oxygen becomes a serious problem. The more often this air-to-oil contact occurs, the more quickly the oil goes rancid, and that can become a costly issue.
Temperature Instability
It’s best to store olive oil between 14 °C and 18 °C, or about 57 °F to 64 °F. Unfortunately, professional kitchens can rarely maintain those temperatures. Constant fluctuations make the olive oil expand and contract, which in turn causes unwanted chemical breakdown to accelerate. Cold temperatures make the oil crystallize, while hot temperatures cause rancidity. Either way, these inconsistent temperatures, fluctuating wildly up and down, mean your top-quality olive oil is going to go off long before it’s run out. And that costs money and leads to waste.
The Stainless Steel Advantage: Complete Light Barrier Protection
The biggest benefit of stainless steel olive oil dispensers is their ability to block out all light sources. Stainless steel is 100 percent opaque, whereas glass is not. Photo-oxidation cannot occur simply because light can’t get at your olive oil. If the oil doesn’t break down, it doesn’t turn rancid, and that means it stays fresh and tastes delicious to the last drop!
In professional kitchens, where dispensers are an integral part of meal prep stations, dining tables, and counters with bright fluorescent lights, this protection from light is incredibly important. And if you’re buying premium olive oil at a high price, perhaps as much as $40 per litre, it’s important that you protect your investment. No light, whether it’s direct or ambient, can penetrate a stainless steel olive oil dispenser. That means that you’ve got one less thing to worry about in your commercial kitchen.
Minimizing Oxygen Exposure Through Superior Design
High-quality stainless steel olive oil dispensers integrate design features that markedly minimize contact with oxygen. The best designs of stainless steel olive oil dispensers made for professional kitchens are designed with mechanisms that close effectively. The spouts are designed with precise pouring amounts in mind. Spouts in these models pour only when the dispenser is in a pouring position, when it is tilted. When the container is upright, the spout automatically closes. This action means little air (oxygen) gets at the oil. Remember: every second of exposure counts!
Furthermore, stainless steel allows for tight seals that won’t chip, as glass might. Top-notch, professional stainless steel olive oil dispensers have seals and pouring mechanisms that are durable. The integrity of their seals, their high quality, means that the air won’t get at the oil inside. You can pour and re-pour thousands of times, but your olive oil’s flavor will not be compromised!
Certain highly advanced stainless steel olive oil dispensers are designed with anti-drip features. This feature means that olive oil residue won’t gather near the dispenser’s opening. That’s a big benefit, because residue that mingles with oil in the dispenser during pouring can eventually impact the taste. Anti-drip technology means that the oil stays pure, no matter how many times you pour the olive oil.
Temperature Regulation and Thermal Stability
Unlike glass, which can easily absorb heat, stainless steel olive oil dispensers are inherently protected from it. Stainless steel resists heat absorption. It even resists heat from high-heat sources, like nearby ovens in commercial kitchens. That means that you (and your staff) don’t have to worry about your olive oil degrading if the dispensers are near a heat source, whether it’s a warming counter or an oven. This means you have one less thing to worry about in the kitchen!
Stainless steel olive oil dispensers don’t absorb sunlight, either. Stainless steel mostly keeps out the heat in all kinds of environments — when you’re serving meals on a patio, for example. Let’s say you’ve opened a dining area outside the main restaurant during the balmy summer months. You can place stainless steel olive oil dispensers on tables for diners to use without worrying that your olive oil will turn rancid. Glass containers may look pretty, but they quickly absorb heat and light, neither of which is good for olive oil. Stainless steel olive oil containers are heat and light-resistant, huge benefits both inside hot professional kitchens and on outdoor dining patios.
Material Inertness and Chemical Stability
Food-grade stainless steel (called 304) is the industry’s benchmark for professional kitchenware. This stainless steel is chemically inert, meaning it isn’t altered by the naturally acidic compounds found in olive oil. This stainless steel is resistant to corrosion and has a non-porous, clean surface. In other words, this material is chemically neutral, and it isn’t affected by olive oil’s compounds. In no way do stainless steel olive oil dispensers negatively impact the look, feel, taste, and aroma of olive oil.
Because 304 stainless steel is not porous, the taste and aroma of olive oil are never affected by it. Not only will your olive oil remain “true” to its original flavor, but the vessel itself can also be used for different types of oil with no risk. That means that the dispenser can be used for premium Greek olive oil one time, and six months later you can switch to Italian olive oil without being concerned that the former contents will change the different oil’s taste. Additionally, 304 stainless steel resists corrosion from anything acidic. Consequently, it’s the perfect material for olive oil dispensers.
Hygiene and Contamination Prevention
Preserving olive oil isn’t solely about stopping degradation. Bacterial contamination can impact food safety and the oil’s quality as well. Bacteria can also ruin olive oil’s flavor and purity. Olive oil’s consistency and chemical makeup usually prevent bacterial growth, but this kind of contamination may occur if food bits get into the oil via the spout somehow. However, stainless steel olive oil dispensers guard against that kind of corruption. Because 304 stainless steel isn’t porous, it resists bacteria from infiltrating the contents of the dispenser. Unlike glass, which can occasionally chip or create other ways for bacteria to get into the oil, stainless steel is smooth and hygienic.
Additionally, stainless steel olive oil dispensers can be taken apart and easily cleaned. That means that all parts can be washed and sterilized, including the caps, spouts, and dispenser vessels. This ensures that no food bits or bacteria are in the olive oil dispenser prior to refilling it. This cleanliness is particularly crucial for commercial kitchens, which are subject to food safety standards and inspections.
Practical Implications for Commercial Operations
Preserving olive oil in stainless steel dispensers has many clear benefits in commercial kitchens. Research has shown that preserving extra virgin olive oil properly can extend its lifespan by as much as 70 percent. Eliminating, or at least mitigating, the negative effects of light and heat allows restaurants to purchase olive oil in large quantities. That means that you get the savings inherent in buying in bulk. You don’t need to worry about stainless steel olive oil dispensers because they protect this product so well. A long shelf life means a reduction in waste, which in turn means better inventory management and bigger savings. That’s a win-win!
Commercial kitchens that invest in top-quality olive oil can rest assured that their premium stock is protected by stainless steel. Using stainless steel olive oil dispensers guarantees that your customers get the freshest, most sublime olive oil flavor possible, because it won’t turn rancid or lose its taste.
Conclusion: A Better Protection Solution
All of your concerns when it comes to storing and using this kitchen essential are answered by choosing stainless steel olive oil dispensers. This material, 304 stainless steel, addresses any potential problems your olive oil inventory may face – light, heat, and exposure to oxygen. It is neutral and isn’t altered by the oil’s natural compounds. It is non-porous, so it maintains its hygienic features. It is durable and outlasts both glass and plastic.
For B2B (business to business) buyers such as restaurants and hotels, choosing stainless steel olive oil dispensers is the smart decision. These vessels preserve olive oil; they are durable and smartly designed, and they keep olive oil tasting fresh and natural for a very long time. Stainless steel olive oil dispensers mean that you, as a commercial kitchen owner and/or manager, have one less thing to worry about in your hectic day-to-day operations. This key ingredient in virtually all professional kitchens deserves to be stored efficiently and effectively. If you’re looking to buy olive oil dispensers, no matter how large or small your commercial kitchen is, choose stainless steel. It outperforms other materials like plastic and glass, and the designs in today’s marketplace are beautiful, too!
