Dry-Aging Walk-In Chamber by The Aging Room. Aberdeen Barn, Virginia Beach, VA, USA

Why Investing in Professional Premium Dry-Aging Equipment is Crucial for Your Business

Dry-Aging offerings are on the rise in North America, becoming more and more popular. You may see dry-aged meat in almost every steakhouse and retail location. But what about quality? Whether you are a meat gourmet or a business owner that sells meat, it is paramount to understand the quality of dry-aged meat. To do that, you need to see how it was done. What equipment and processes were used? Does the process reflect HACCP recommendations? Is the equipment safe and NSF certified? What is the weight loss, and what is the consistency of the flavor profile? 

Choosing the Right Equipment

The crucial part of the meat dry-aging process is choosing the right equipment and technology for a particular application, whether it is a restaurant, butchery, retail store, or factory. 

The technology will determine the equipment, its price, and its productivity, including the weight loss of your aged products and, of course, the quality of aged meat and its flavor profile. All of these, in turn, will determine your reputation and return on investment. 

Nowadays, the term Dry-Aged is broadly used, but some meats don't deserve to be called dry-aged because the flavor profile is either not clearly pronounced or absent. Some customers who don't know how dry-aged meat should taste will be disappointed or won't notice the difference. However, those who paid a premium price for a premium product and understood the umami taste will never return. Thus, reputation is KING, and you do need to invest in professional equipment! The benefits of investing in premium professional dry-aging equipment are plain and simple.

You pay more now and save while running the equipment on maintenance, repairs, and downtime. 

Main Benefits of Purchasing Professional Premium Dry-Aging Equipment

And let me stop on benefits more. I will not speak broadly but focus on the technology that our company offers to our customers.

Superior flavor, texture, and weight loss: We use Himalayan salt in our product. It plays several important roles in the aging process. 

The Himalayan salt wall in The Aging Room's dry-aging equipment helps enhance the meat's flavor and texture by drawing out moisture and promoting natural enzymes to break down the meat's fibers. This information is not abstract. For strength or tenderness, objective results can be obtained with sheer force measurements, such as with a Kramer shear cell or Warner-Bratzler shear device, or penetration measurements, such as with Instron devices.

Salt plays an additional important role in the aging process; it envelops the meat and prevents excessive weight loss. You will still lose 10-15% of the meat's weight, but not more than that if you carefully follow the user manual we provide with our equipment. Besides, the salt kills all bacteria, and the glowing color of it presents meat in the best natural way! So there is no UV radiation, no filters, no chemicals—only natural processes that were brought back with the help of modern technology.

The taste you can feel: Sour > Wet-Aged; Umami > Dry Aged; Metallic > Freshly prepared.

It is important to mention that to achieve sufficient salt air saturation, you need to use a substantial amount of salt, not one or two slabs but an entire wall of salt. 

And yes, it lasts; the salt lasts for 10 years or longer. 

Of course, you need to ensure that all parts and materials of your Aging Room can withhold aggressive salt; otherwise, don't be surprised if salt eats through the wall, fans, or doors. 

 

Precision temperature and humidity control

The Aging Room's dry-aging equipment is designed with precision temperature and humidity control, ensuring consistent and optimal dry-aging conditions. Cheaper dry-aging fridges may have less accurate temperature and humidity control, resulting in inconsistent dry-aging results or even spoiled meat. 

Durability and longevity

The Aging Room's dry-aging equipment is built with high-quality materials and designed to last many years with proper maintenance. Cheaper dry-aging fridges may be made with lower-quality materials and may not last as long, leading to more frequent replacements and higher costs over time. 

Support and expertise

The Aging Room offers exceptional customer support and expertise in the field of dry-aging, providing guidance and assistance to ensure that customers get the most out of their dry-aging equipment. Cheaper dry-aging fridges may not offer the same level of support and expertise, leaving customers to navigate dry-aging on their own. 

Proper tool for proper application

Before starting an aging program, you need to determine the weight of the aged product you plan to produce, and that will determine the size of your room and the process. 

For example, if it is 1,500 pounds per aging cycle, you will need a walk-in Aging Room measuring 5 ft. by 5 ft. In this room, the volume is pretty big, so the climate inside will not be easily disturbed; hence, you can open this room frequently and sell from it without hesitation that you will build excessive moisture or disrupt an aging flavor profile. 

If you need to produce about 300-500 pounds per aging cycle, you may be fine with a reach-in dry-aging chamber measuring 3 ft. by 3 ft. But because aging is such a delicate process, there are some caveats with sizes and the way how the technology will be handled. In order to maintain the dry-aging microclimate inside this Aging Room, it is recommended to open the door of this Aging Room unit up to 2-3 times a day at most. If this chamber is opened more frequently, the dry-aging process may not be sustainable.

 

Overall, while a cheaper dry-aging fridge or refurbished from a cold room or a cigar humidifier may seem more affordable, investing in premium dry-aging equipment will provide superior dry-aging results and a better overall value in the long run. 

 

Do you want your client to become a loyal customer and return after trying your dry-aged steak?

Then the answer is obvious: to have a professionally dry aged steak, you have to use professional equipment designed to its specifications and in compliance with all US-based certifications.

Learn More About The Aging Room's Chamber

The Aging Room Chamber offers a natural way of aging meat while showcasing the dry-aging process in a beautiful environment.

With the help of patented techniques and technology, the chamber creates and circulates a salty, cold, and humid microclimate to ensure an optimal drying process. Learn more about The Aging Room Chamber and the technology that perfects the meat aging process.

By showcasing the aging process to your customers, you are pointing out the investment and care you have taken to ensure the best dining experience possible.

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