The Odyssey of the Steamer

Ruth’s main steamer in the restaurant’s kitchen broke down on Monday. She needs it for the coming weekend. After much research we ordered a replacement generator for it. The part came in the next day. It was the wrong part. We were told by multiple sources that replacement part for our steamer is no longer made. We found a similar used steamer in Indianapolis. We were told it was in good working order. We drove to Indy and picked it up. Our long time “kitchen mechanic” opened it up to find that it was dismantled and most of the parts were laying on the floor of the machine.

We then, as we should have in the beginning, went to Cleveland Range directly. Our original steamer is still made. Cleveland sent us to a parts company in Kalamazoo which has a branch in Mishawaka. The Mishawaka company cross referenced our serial number and the discontinued part number and found the new replacement part number. Their supplier is in Fort Wayne, Indiana, an hour away. They said we had to replace the blower element as well, but Fort Wayne did not have the second part. We went back to our original supplier who has both the newly numbered part and the blower part. We drove to Aurora, Illinois, returned the wrong part and picked up the correct part. It arrived back in Nappanee on Thursday morning to be installed. We are up and running. We then received a call from the company in Aurora saying that the blower part had been forgotten and was lying on their dock. Obviously we didn’t need the second part since by then we were up and running. We are waiting on the Indianapolis company to pick up the trashed steamer. Ruth is happy, but we are taking no chances.

Tonight, Don Hart, who plays the Rabbi in The Round Barn Theatre’s current production of “Fiddler on the Roof” is coming before show time to bless the steamer. If it worked for him to bless Motel’s new sewing machine, a Singer, so we are confident our “new” steamer will make it through the weekend with hot cooked food.