Texican products are superior to any other equipment items available. Texican products have been available since 1989 and to the best of our knowledge, every item we have manufactured is still in use somewhere. These products are very durable and will provide operators with years of uninterrupted service. Just ask an operator who has one. End users are our best sales people because once they use one, they will never use anything else. It may be the best investment you will ever make in terms of kitchen equipment.

The thermostat is set at 160-165 degrees F when shipped. This temperature is ideal for keeping the chips dry and crispy. Freshly fried chips can be loaded directly into the cabinet and in a few minutes, they are dry and ready to go. You can adjust the temperature to best fit your needs and personnel.

The TCD-1 uses less that 50% of the power needed for a 3-drawer warmer because the enclosed storage area and high density insulation maintain constant temperatures, reducing the heating requirements. By keeping the heat inside the cabinet, the dispensers do not add to service/kitchen area heat, reducing air conditioning needs.

Outside of the daily cleaning of the cabinet interior, the only other maintenance required is a semi-annual oiling of the motor. There are two oil holes on the top of the motor, one in front and one in back. A drop of oil (3 in 1 or similar light weight oil) in each hole is all that is needed.

All equipment items are designed for standard 120v/60 service. Just plug into any 20 ampere outlet. Each equipment item is equipped with an 8’-0” cord and grounded plug.

Yes, there are two basic sizes and capacities. The model TCD-1 and TCD-1PT are the largest with a capacity of 44 gallons of chips, equal to 9-10 warmer drawer equivalents and available either as a counter top unit or free standing on a portable stand. The model CD-45 is about half the size of the TCD-1 with a capacity of 22 gallons or 4-5 warmer drawer equivalents and available only as counter top unit.

All equipment needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. The basic design of the dispensers was developed with a very simple method of cleaning. The loading doors are installed with slip hinges and can easily be removed and washed. The entire front assembly is secured with spring loaded latches and slip hinges. Open the latches and the main door assembly swings open exposing the entire interior. Remove the perforated interior panel and all interior surfaces are exposed. Sweep out chip crumbs and remove any oil that may have accumulated on the interior liner. Daily cleaning is easy and highly recommended because it removes all oil and residue, ensuring that chips will have the same fresh flavor everyday. Standard cleaning solutions can generally be used but avoid using corrosive or abrasive products. Sheila Shine stainless steel cleaner can be used on the exterior only.

Tostada Dispensers are equipped with Lexan (clear high density polycarbonate) .22” thick loading doors. These doors are generally fine for single restaurants, but in high volume or chain operations, these doors could be broken in time. When installed in high volume or for chain operations, it is highly recommended that the dispensers be ordered with .250” thick anodized aluminum loading doors as they can not be broken. Some dealers only order the aluminum doors, called model TCD-1AL or CD-45AL. Aluminum replacements are expensive, so if you have a crew that loves to test the limits or your equipment, you would be well advised to order your dispenser with aluminum doors at the start and save money later.

Texican Specialty Products does not sell equipment directly to end users. All sales requests are directed to local or national equipment and food services companies. It is always prudent to get quotations from two or more dealers to get the best price. National food and supply companies such as Clark Associates, Sysco Foodservice, US Food service or Ben E. Keith Co. are also good sources for equipment. If specified, equipment can be shipped directly to the end users. If you need additional dealer sources, search our national dealer lists in this site or contact us.

Only the TCD-1 Tostada Dispenser series has an optional portable stand which bolts directly to the cabinet. The stand is specifically designed for the TCD-1 as it makes the cabinet and stand one piece. It is not recommended that dispensers be placed loose on tables or stands. The CD-45 tostada dispenser is only available as a counter top model.

Texican Tostada Dispensers are heated cabinets for the storing, heating and serving of corn or flour tortilla chips. The cabinets provide a sanitary means of maintaining tortillas a consistent temperature throughout a restaurant’s serving hours. The warmer drawers can be used for all kinds of foods that require heat, mounted under a counter or free standing with legs. The drawers are an ideal option to rethermalize refrigerated food in a safe manner.

If any moisture is left in the cabinet overnight & not allowed to dry out, the elements will absorb that water & cause a trip on your GFI. To resolve this issue, plug your machine in a non-GFI outlet. If the unit starts up with no issue, then continue to run the machine from 45 min to an hour on fairly high heat. This should dry out the elements.

Parts, such as on-off switches, can be purchased directly from the factory. The on-off switches are specially designed for our products and can not be purchased locally. All other electrical parts can be purchased from the factory, or in some cases locally. Most service agencies can determine what problem you may have as the equipment is relatively simple and does not required specially trained personnel. Replacement loading doors must be ordered from the factory.

We have a list of all of our part numbers we sell and use on our machines.

The model number is found on the manufacturer sticker that is located on the back of your chip warmer. (See image.)

All equipment comes with a full set of operating instructions, problem trouble shooting, warranty limitations and a listing of parts. To ensure proper operating procedures, it is best to read the operational instructions prior to starting use.

The heating system consists of electric heating elements which are controlled by a thermostat and in some cases, equipped with high temperature limit switches. A constant speed blower wheel and electric motor continuously circulate heated air so all areas of the cabinet interior and chips are maintained at preset temperatures. The thermostat is adjustable and is set at 165 degrees F at the factory, but can be set at any temperature between 140-170 degrees.

Texican Tostada Dispensers do two things extremely well: 1) Because the cabinets are fully insulated and use a continuous convection style air flow, the temperature inside the cabinets is very stable so all the chips stay at the same temperature until served. The opening and closing or bun warmer drawers constantly change the temperature of the chips by very nature of the drawer design. Rapid temperature changes can cause the chips to lose flavor and crispness. 2) Drawers have a higher breakage rate for the same reason, the design of drawers. Placing bowls or serving scoops into drawers break more chips because of the excessive handling required. Tostada dispensers are filled from the top and are baffled to make the chips move in a manner that greatly reduces breakage. The chips, when served, are scooped up, not down, ensuring less breakage. Due to the reduction in chip loss, the tostada dispensers will literally pay for themselves in time.

Each Tostada Dispenser is equipped with a set of loading doors at the top (either in lexan or anodized aluminum) and a stainless steel access door on the lower front. The loading doors are hinged to open the entire interior so chips can be loaded from a variety of storage containers. An interior baffle guides the chips from the front to the back and then back to the front on a sloped perforated interior panel. The access door hinges down and rests on heavy duty stainless steel brackets and serves as a shelf for the loading of hot chips to bowls or baskets. Chips can be removed with our Chip-Pala scoop which can be found in our store.

Everyone’s needs are somewhat different due to the seating capacity, available space for the dispenser, meal turns and personnel.The CD-45 is well suited for installation in a back bar for lounge service, patios, party rooms, taquerias and restaurants of 100 seats or less. Larger seating capacity would require more frequent chip replacement. The TCD-1 can usually satisfy the needs of restaurants from 100-200 seats of average volume. Many restaurants use a CD-45 at the back bar and 1-2 TCD-1 in the service and/or dining areas.