The Need
Hestan Commercial a manufacturer of high-quality commercial kitchens, based out of Anaheim, California, introduced a line of professional-grade grills for the residential market under the brand of Hestan Outdoor.
This new product line includes an array of grills, complementary doors and drawers, side burners, refrigeration products and a custom stainless outdoor island suite. With the grills being the centerpiece of the offering, Hestan designers and engineers had very specific ideas on how to create the most innovative, powerful, versatile and reliable grills available.
In this pursuit, one of the core design considerations was the ability to vent the food being prepared by partially opening the hood for a period of time. Traditional methods to accomplish this consisted of holding open a heavy hood – tying up one hand – or using something to prop it open at a fixed height. Hestan knew there had to be a better way.
The Solution
With a combined design engineering experience of more than 125 years in the commercial, indoor and outdoor appliance industry, the engineers at Hestan recalled previous counterbalance solutions provided by Weber Knapp Co. in Jamestown, New York. After contacting Weber Knapp, the solution to their design problem was found.
