Quantity Kitchen Equipment

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Introduction to different Equipment

The ‘volume cooking’, ‘quantity cooking’, and ‘bulk cooking’ are all synonymous and as all three names suggest, these take place extensively in specialized events where there area large number of people to be fed. Even though the methods of cooking and the selection of ingredients remain same in volume cooking, what differs is the approach. Such cooking can be done within a premise or even off the premise. The food is prepared in one location and served in another, in some cases.

In early kitchens the equipment consisted of an open fire for cooking, which was

generally placed on the floor, the fuel being coal, wood, sun-dried cow dung cakes or

balls lighted between two or three bricks on which the cooking vessel is placed. This

is still practiced in rural India.

The need for a piece of equipment which could be moved in and out of the house led

to the development of the galvanized iron bucket with a grill on the top followed by

the smokeless “chullah”, the “tandoor” or traditional Indian oven which was followed

by the gas and electric stove and finally the cooking range and the solar cooker. This

is but an example of one type of cooking equipment, but the last few decades have

seen a complete revolution in the catering equipment industry, which now provides

for the modern caterer a range varying from very simple easy-to-use gadgets to

extremely complicated automatic devices. This development has been in response to

the needs of the different types and sizes of catering units varying from the simple

fresh fruit kiosk to the streamlined restaurant, which have sprung up to satisfy the

ever increasing demands of people for eating out. Catering equipment for food service

establishments is basically not very different from that used for cooking and serving

food at home except that, because of the volume of food cooked and served, and the

greater degree of handling required, it is constructed for greater quantity, durability,

speed, efficiency and economy.

  

Equipment Required for Mass/Volume feeding---Cooking Equipments

Heat Generating Equipments

a) Range Tops. The range is still the most important piece of cooking equipment in

the kitchen, even though many of its functions have been taken by other tools, such as

steamers, steam kettles, tilting skillets, and ovens.

b) Ovens. The oven and the range top are the two workhorses of the traditional

kitchen, which is why the two are so often found in the same units. Ovens are

enclosed spaces in which food is heated usually by hot air or, in some newer kinds of

ovens, by microwaves or infrared radiation. In addition to roasting and baking, ovens

can do many jobs normally done on the range top. Many foods can be simmered,

stewed, braised, or poached in the oven, freeing the range top and the chef’s attention

for other tasks.

c) Conventional Ovens. These ovens operate simply by heating air in an enclosed

space. The most common ovens are part of the range unit, although separate oven

units or ovens as part of a broiler unit are also available. Stack ovens are units that

consist of individual shelves arranged one above the other. Pans are placed directly on

the oven deck rather than on wire shelves. Temperatures are adjustable for each

separate unit.

d) Convection Ovens. These ovens contain fans that circulate the air and distribute the

heat rapidly throughout the interior. Because the forced air, foods cook more quickly

at lower temperatures. Also, shelves can be placed closer together than in

conventional ovens, without blocking the heat flow.

e) Revolving Ovens. These large ovens, also called reel ovens, are large chambers

containing many shelves or trays on a ferris-wheel type attachment. This oven

eliminates the problem of hot spots or uneven baking, because the mechanism rotates

the foods throughout the oven. Revolving ovens are used in bakeshops and in high

volume operations.

f) Slow-Cook-and-Hold ovens. While the traditional oven is nothing more than a

heated box equipped with a thermostat, some modern ovens have more sophisticated

features, such as computerized, electronic controls and special probes that sense when

a roast is done and tell the oven to switch from cooking temperature to holding

temperature. Many of these ovens are designed to be especially useful for lowtemperature

roasting. The sensitive controls make it possible to cook at steady,

reliable temperatures of 200oF (95oC) or lower and to hold foods at 140oF (60oC) for

long periods. Large cuts of meat take many hours to roast at a low temperature like

200oF (95oC). By setting the controls in advance, the operator can even let meats roast

overnight, unattended. These ovens are available as convection ovens and as regular,

stationary-air ovens.

g) Combination Steamer Ovens. A relatively new kind of oven is one that can be

operated in three different modes: as a convection oven, as a convection steamer, and,

with both functions on at once, as a high-humidity oven. Injecting moisture into an

oven while roasting meats can help to reduce shrinkage and drying.

h) Barbecue Ovens or Smoke Ovens. Barbecue ovens are like conventional ovens, but

with one important difference: they are able to produce wood smoke, which surrounds

the food and flavours it while it bakes or roasts. Special woods, such as hickory,

mesquite, or various fruit woods such as apple or cherry, must be added to the smokeproducing

part of the oven, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This device

is usually nothing more complicated than an electric heating element that heats small

blocks or chips of the wood so that they are hot enough to smoke but not hot enough

to burst into flame. Depending upon on the model, various cooking features are

available. Thus, ovens may have smokeless roast/bake cycles, cold-smoke cycles

(with the smoke element on but the oven off), holding cycles, and broiling

capabilities.

i) Infrared or Reconstituting Ovens. These units contain quartz plates that generate

intense infrared heat. Infrared ovens are used primarily for reconstituting frozen

foods. They bring large quantities of foods to serving temperature in a short time. The

heat is even and controllable.

j) Microwave Ovens. In these ovens, special tubes generate microwave radiation,

which creates heat inside the food.

k) Broilers and Salamanders. Broilers are sometimes called overhead broilers to avoid

confusing them with grills. Overhead broilers generate heat from above; food items

are placed on a grate beneath the heat source. Broiling is a favourite way of preparing

steaks, chops, chicken, and many other items. Heavy-duty broilers produce very high

heat and consume vast quantities of energy. Some broilers are said to go as high as

2000oF (1100oC) at the burner. Foods must be watched closely to avoid burning.

Cooking temperature is adjusted by raising or lowering the grate that holds the food.

Salamanders are small broilers used primarily for browning or glazing the tops of

some items. They may also be used for broiling small quantities during off-peak

hours. Salamanders are usually mounted above the range.

l) Grills. Grills are used for the same cooking operations as broilers, except the heat

source is below the grid that holds the food rather than above it. Many people favour

the taste of grilled foods, because of the “charcoal” taste that is actually created by

smoke from meat fats that drip into the heat source. Although smoke from meat

creates the taste that people associate with grilled foods, actual wood smoke flavours,

such as hickory or mesquite smoke flavour, and can be added to foods if those woods

are burned in the grill under the food. In order to do this, you must use a grill

designed to burn such fuels.

m) Griddles. Griddles are flat, smooth, heated surfaces on which food is cooked

directly. Pancakes, French toast, hamburgers and other meats, eggs, and many potato

items are the foods most frequently cooked on a griddle. Griddles are available as

separate units or as apart of a range top. Clean griddle surfaces after every use, so that

they will cook at peak efficiency. Polish with a griddle stone or griddle cloth until the

surface shines. Follow the grain of the metal to avoid scratching. Condition griddles

after each cleaning or before each use, to create a no-stick surface and to prevent

rusting. Procedure: spread a thin film of oil over the surface and heat to 400oF

(200oC). Wipe clean and repeat until griddle has a smooth, no-stick finish.

o) Rotisseries. Rotisserie broilers cook meats and other foods by turning them slowly

in front of electric or gas-powered heating elements. Even though classical cooking

theory categorizes spit cooking as roasting, these cookers are more closely related to

broilers, because the foods are cooked by the infrared heat of the elements. Although

they are especially suitable for chicken and other poultry, rotisseries can be used to

cook any meat that can be fastened to a spit. Both enclosed (oven like) rotisseries and

open or unclosed units are available. Small units hold about 8 chickens and size range

all the way to very large models that can hold as many as 70 chickens. Because the

heating elements are on the side (or sometimes above), the fats and juices don’t drip

into the flames as they do with grills. Drip pans catch juices, which can be used for

basting or gravy making.

p) Deep Fryers. A deep fryer has only one use – to cook foods in hot fat. Yet because

of the popularity of fried foods, this function is an important one. Automatic deep

fryers are powered by either gas or electricity and have thermostatic controls that

maintain fat at preset temperatures. Automatic fryers remove food from the fat

automatically after a present time. Pressure fryers are covered fry-kettles that fry

foods under pressure. Foods cook faster, even at a lower temperature.

q) Tilting Skillet. The tilting skillet, also known as the tilting brazier and tilting fry

pan, is a versatile and efficient piece of equipment. It can be used as a griddle, fry

pan, brazier, stew pot, stock pot, steamer, and bain marie or steam table. The tilting

skillet is a large, shallow, flat-bottomed pot. Or, to look at it another way, it is a

griddle with 6-inch high sides and a cover. This skillet also has a tilting mechanism

that enables liquids to be poured out of it. Power may be gas or electric. Clean the

skillet immediately after each use, before food has time to dry on. Add water, turn on

the skillet to heat it, and scrub thoroughly.

r) Steam-Jacketed Kettles. Steam-jacketed kettles, or steam kettles, are sometimes

thought of as stockpots that are heated not just on the sides as well. This comparison

is only is only partly accurate, because steam kettles heat much more quickly and

have more uniform and controllable heat than pots on the range.

s) Steam Cookers. Steam cookers are ideal for cooking vegetables and many other

foods rapidly and with minimum loss of nutrients and flavour. For this reason, they

are becoming more common in both large and small kitchens.

 Cold Generating Equipment

Walk-in / Cold Storage- Walk-ins are refrigerated compact areas where one could walk inside, and hence the name ‘walk-in’. they can be custom-made to any size suited for an operation. One could have walk-in refrigerators or freezers depending on the requirement. Certain companies are now specializing in modular shelving so that the storage of food can be as per food safety norms and HACCP.

Freezer / Deep Freezer- Freezers are available in various sizes and are very important for any bulk-cooking operation. As quantity cooking involves planning and advance mise en place, one needs sample refrigerated space to store the same until it is ready for cooking. These are available in various sizes depending on the requirement. Now-a-days roll-in trolley style or the ones which have shelving.

Blast Chiling Equipment- Blast chillers and freezers are two of the most important equipment used in bulk-cooking operations. When food is cooked quickly, there has to be a process where the food is allowed to cool down to a temperature below the danger zone (below 3dg C). Blast chillers and freezers are the two types of equipment that are used for this purpose. These come in very handy in commercial establishments such as airline catering and cruise lines, as the food cooked needs to be frozen or chilled at a faster rate. The hot food can be chilled or frozen in less than 2 hrs, thereby maintaining food safety and hygiene.

Processing Equipments

a) Mixers. Vertical mixers are important and versatile tools for many kinds of food

mixing and processing jobs, both in the bakeshop and in the kitchen.

b) Food Cutter. The food cutter or food chopper, familiarly known as the “buffalo

chopper,” is a common piece of equipment used for general chopping of foods. A

variety of attachments make it a versatile tool.

c) Slicer. The slicer is a valuable machine because it slices foods more evenly and

uniformly than can be done by hand. Thus it is valuable for portion control and for

reducing cutting loss.

d) Vertical Cutter/Mixer and Food Processor

The vertical cutter/mixer (VCM) is like a large, powerful, high-speed blender. It is

used to chop and mix large quantities of foods very rapidly. It can also be used for

puréeing (soups, for example) and for mixing liquids.

Holding & Storage Equipment

a) Hot Food Holding Equipment. Several types of equipment are used to keep food

hot for service. This equipment is designed to prevent the growth of bacteria that can

cause disease. Because food continues to cook at these temperatures, it should be held

for as short a time as possible.

1. Steam tables are standard holding equipment for serving lines. Standard-size

counter pans or hotel pans are used as inserts to hold the foods. Flat or domed covers

may be used to cover the foods.

2. A bain marie is a hot water bath. Containers of foods are set on a rack in a

shallow container of water, which is heated by electricity, gas, or steam. The bain

marie is used more in the production area, while the steam table is used in the service

area.

3. Overhead infrared lamps are used in service areas to keep plated food warm

before it is picked up by the service staff. They are also used for keeping large roasts

warm.

b) Cold Food Storage Equipment. The quality of the food you serve depends to a

great degree on refrigeration equipment. By keeping foods cold, usually below 40oF

(5oC), the refrigerator (known in the trade as the ‘cooler’ or the ‘box’) guards against

spoilage and bacterial growth. Freezers are used to hold foods for longer times, or to

store foods purchased in frozen form.

c) Pots, Pans, and Containers

1. Stock pot. A large, deep, straight-sided pot for preparing stocks and

simmering large quantities of liquids. Stockpots with spigots allow liquid to be

drained off without disturbing the solid contents or lifting the pot.

2. Sauce pot: Round pot of medium depth, similar to stock pots, but shallower,

making stirring or mixing easier used for soups, sauces, and other liquids.

3. Brazier. Round, broad, shallow, heavy-duty pot with straight sides, used for

browning, braising and stewing meats.

4. Sauce pan. Similar to a small shallow, light sauce pot, but with one long

handle instead of two loop handles, May have straight or slant sides Used or general

range-top cooking.

5. Sauté pan, straight sided. Similar to a shallow, straight-sided saucepan, but

heavier used for browning, sautéing, and frying, also used for cooking sauces and

other liquids when rapid reduction is required, because of broad surface area.

6. Sauté pan, slope sided. Also called fry pan, used for general sautéing and

frying of meats, fish, vegetables, and eggs, sloping sides allow the cook to flip and

toss items without using a spatula, and they make it easier to get at the food when a

spatula is used.

7. Cast iron skillet. Very heavy, thick-bottomed fry pan used for pan frying

when very steady, even heat is desired.

8. Double boiler. Lower section, similar to a stockpot, holds boiling water.

Upper section holds foods that must be cooked at low temperature and cannot be

cooked over direct heat.

9. Sheet pan or bun pan. Shallow (1 inch or 25 mm deep) rectangular pan for

baking cakes, rolls, and cookies, and for baking or broiling certain meats and fish.

10. Bake pan. Rectangular pan about 2 inches deep. Used for general baking.

Comes in a variety of sizes.

11. Roasting pan. Large rectangular pan about 2 inches deep. Used for general

baking. Comes in a variety of sizes.

12. Hotel pan also called counter pan, steam table pan, or service pan.

Rectangular pans usually made of stainless steel. Designed to hold foods in service

counters. Also used for baking and steaming, and foods can then be served from

same pan. Also used for storage.

13. Bain marie insert, usually called simple bain marie. Tall, cylindrical stainless

steel containers. Used for storage and for holding foods in bain marie (water bath).

14. Stainless steel bowl. Round bottom bowl. Used for mixing and whipping, for

production of hollandaise, mayonnaise, whipped cream, egg white foams. Round

construction enables whip to reach all areas.

Measuring Devices

1. Scales: most recipe ingredients are measured by weight, so accurate scales are

very important. Portion scales are used for measuring ingredients as well as for

portioning products for service.

2. Volume measures used for liquids have lips for easy pouring. Sizes are pints,

quarts, half gallons, and gallons. Each size is marked off into fourths by ridges on the

sides.

3. Measuring cups are available in 1-, ½ -, 1/3-, and ¼ -cup sizes. They can be

used for both liquid and dry measures.

4. Measuring spoons are used for measuring very small volumes: 1 tablespoon,

½ teaspoon, and ¼ teaspoon. They are used most often for spices and seasonings.

5. Ladles are used for measuring and portioning liquids. The size, in ounces, is

stamped on the handle.

6. Scoops come in standard sizes and have a lever for mechanical release. They

are used for portioning soft solid foods. The number of the scoop indicates the

number of level scoop-fuls per quart (or litre). In actual use a rounded scoop-ful is

often more practical, so exact weights will vary.

7. Thermometers measure temperatures. There are many kinds for many

purposes.

a. A meat thermometer indicates internal temperature of meats. It is inserted

before cooking and left in the product during cooking.

b. An instant read thermometer will give readings within a few seconds of being

inserted in a food product. It reads from 0oF to 220oF. Many chefs carry these in

their jacket pockets like a pen, ready whenever needed. Instant-read thermometers

must not be left in meats during roasting, or thy will be damaged.

c. Fat thermometers and candy thermometers test temperatures of frying fats and

sugar syrups. They read up to 400oF

d. Special thermometers are used to test the accuracy of oven, refrigerator, and

freezer thermostats.

Knives, Hand Tools & Small Equipments

a) Knives and Their Uses

1. French knives or chef’s knife – Most frequently used knife in the kitchen, for

general purpose chopping, slicing, and dicing and so on. Blade is wide at the heel and

tapers to a point; blade length of 10 inches (260 mm) is most popular for general

work. Larger knives are for heavy cutting and chopping. Smaller blades are for more

delicate work. This is your most important tool, so you must learn to handle it and

care for it well.

2. Utility or salad knife – Narrow, pointed knife 6 to 8 inches (160 – 200 mm)

long. Used mostly for pantry work, cutting and preparing lettuce, fruits, and so on.

Also useful for carving roast chicken and duck.

3. Paring knife – Small pointed blade 2 to 4 inches (50-100 mm) long. Used for

trimming and paring vegetables and fruits.

4. Boning knife – Thin, pointed blade about 6 inches (160 mm) long. Used for

boning raw meats and poultry. Stiff blades are used for heavier work. Flexible blades

are used for lighter work and for filleting fish.

5. Slicer – Long, slender, flexible blade up to 14 inches (360mm) long. Used for

carving and slicing cooked meats.

6. Serrated slicer- like a slicer, but with serrated edge. Used for cutting, breads,

cakes, and similar items.

7. Butcher knife- heavy, broad, slightly curved blade. Used for cutting,

sectioning, and trimming raw meats in the butcher shop.

8. Scimitar or steak knife- curved, pointed blade. Used for accurate cutting of

steaks.

9. Cleaver – Very heavy, board blade. Used for cutting through bones.

10. Oyster knife – Short, rigid, broad bladed knife with a slight edge. Used for

opening oysters.

11. Clam knife – Short, rigid, broad bladed knife with a slight edge. Used for

opening clams.

12. Vegetable peeler – Short tool with a slotted, swiveling blade. Used for peeling

vegetables and fruits.

13. Steel – Not a knife, but an essential part of the knife kit. Used for truing and

maintaining knife-edges.

14. Cutting board – This is an important partner to the knife. Hard wood boards

are favored by many chefs. Hard rubber or plastic boards are thought to be more

sanitary, but there is some evidence that bacteria survive longer on plastic and rubber

than wood. Cutting boards must be kept very clean.

b) Hand Tool and Small Equipment

1. Ball cutter, melon ball scoop, or parisienne knife – Blade is a small, cup

shaped half sphere. Used for cutting fruits and vegetables into small balls.

2. Cook’s fork – heavy, two-pronged fork with a long handle. Some for lifting

and turning meats and other items. Must be strong enough to hold heavy loads.

3. Straight spatula or palette knife – A long flexible blade with a rounded end.

Used mostly for spreading icing on cakes and for mixing and bowl scraping.

4. Sandwich spreader – A short, stubby spatula. Used for spreading fillings and

spreads on sandwiches.

5. Offset spatula – broad blade, bent to keep hand off hot surfaces. Used for

turning and lifting eggs, pancakes, and meats on griddles, grills, sheet pans, and so on.

Also used as scraper to clean bench or griddle.

6. Rubber spatula or scraper – Broad, flexible rubber or plastic tips on long

handle. Used to scrape bowls and pans. Also used for folding in egg foams or

whipped cream.

7. Pie server – A wedge shaped offset spatula. Used for lifting pie wedges from

pan.

8. Bench scraper or dough knife – A broad, stiff piece of metal with a wooden

handle on one edge. Used to cut pieces of dough and to scrape workbenches.

9. Pastry wheels or wheel knife – A round, rotating blade on a handle. Used for

cutting rolled –out dough and pastry and baked pizza.

10. Spoons: solid, slotted, and perforated – Large stainless steel spoons, holding

about 3 ounces. Used for stirring, mixing, and serving. Slotted and perforated spoons

are used when liquid must be drained from solids.

11. Skimmer – Perforated disc, slightly supped, on along handle. Used for

skimming forth from liquids and for removing soled pieces from soups, stocks and

other liquid.

12. Tongs – spring type or scissors type tools used to pick up and handle foods.

13. Wire whip – Loops of stainless steel wire fastened to a handle. There are two

kinds of whips:

a) Heavy whips are straight, stiff, and have relatively few wires. Used for general

mixing, stirring, and beating, especially heavy liquids.

b) Balloon whips or piano wire whips have mainly flexible wire. Used for

whipping eggs, cream, and hollandaise, and for mixing thinner liquid.

14. China cap – Cone shaped strainer. Used for straining stock, soups, sauces and

other liquids. Pointed shaped allows the cook to drain liquids thorough a relatively

small opening. Fine china cap or chinois (shee-nwah) China cap with very fine mesh.

Used when great clarity or smoothness is required in a liquid.

15. Strainer Round-bottomed, cup-shaped strainer made of screen-type mesh or

of perforated metal. Used for straining pasta, vegetables, and so on.

16. Sieve Screen-type mesh supported in a round metal frame. Used for sifting

flour and other dry ingredients.

17. Colander Large perforated bowl made of stainless steel or aluminum. Used to

drain washed or cooked vegetables, salad greens, pasta, and other foods.

18. Food mill. A tool with a hand-turned blade that forces foods through a

perforated disk. Interchangeable disks have different coarseness or fineness. Used for

puréeing foods.

19. Grater a four-sided metal box with different sized grids. Used for shredding

and grating vegetables, cheese, citrus rinds, and other foods.

s20. Zester Small hand tool used for removing the colored part of citrus peels in

thin strips.

21. Channel knife Small hand tool used mostly in decorative work.

22. Pastry bag and tubes Cone-shaped cloth or plastic bag with open end that can

be fitted with metal tubes or tips of various shapes and sizes. Used for shaping and

decorating with items such as cake icing, whipped cream, duchesse potatoes, and soft

dough.

23. Pastry brush Used to brush items with egg wash, glaze, etc.

24. Can opener Heavy-duty food service type can openers are mounted on the

edge of the workbench. They must be carefully cleaned and sanitized every day to

prevent contamination of foods. Replace worn blades, which can leave metal shavings

in food.

 Care & maintenance of Equipments

‘Prevention is better than cure’ is a very old proverb and it holds true for the maintenance of kitchen equipment. The following points need to be kept in mind in order to take good care of kitchen equipment:

Training – Proper orientation should be given to any new staff to make them aware of the correct ways of using any equipment. Operating instructions of machine should be placed near to them so that the staff could refer to the same in case of any doubt.

Maintenance- It is important to have all equipment periodically maintained in order to increase life and efficiency. There are mainly two types of Maintenance:

• Reactive Maintenance- Machine is fixed only when it is broken down and immediately maintenance is required so that work will not suffer.
• Preventive Maintenance- This is a planned Maintenance that is done by the engineering department in liaison with the concerned department in-charge.
• Annual Maintenance Contracts (AMC’s)-Yearly Basis

All equipment large or small, heavy or light requires care in handling, use and storage

on order to extend its life to the maximum, minimize depreciation and maintain it in a

reasonably attractive and efficient condition while in use. In small catering

establishment the care and maintenance is generally entrusted to those who operate

the equipment as the types invested on are generally small or medium duty pieces. In

larger establishments where heavy-duty equipment predominates, a maintenance

department performs this function.

In the case of small pieces like cutlery, some metals need less care than others do.

Stainless steel is the most non-corrosive and easy to-care for material, while plated

cutlery tends to get scratched easily and with time requires replacing.

With kitchen tools like the chef’s knives, choppers, etc. care is limited to preventing

the blades from rusting in the case of iron blades, by keeping them dry and covered. It

is also common practice to rub them with a little cooking oil to protect them from

rusting through contact with air. With whisks and beaters it is the rotating parts or the

wiry ends which need special attention. It is good practice to prevent food materials

from on drying on the rotatory parts and posing a cleaning problem.

Money, time and effort spent on care helps to maintain equipment in continuous

working order, while that spent on repair can mean interruption in work causing

unnecessary strain on staff, in addition to extra costs.

It is beneficial to keep records of all amounts spent on care and maintenance of every

large equipment. This helps to estimate the depreciation every year. Excessive costs

shown through records for a particular year can help to draw attention to high

maintenance costs, which weighed against the cost of the equipment may result in a

decision to change the model for a more efficient one. Records can also help to detect

inefficient in operation, or defects in design or manufacture.

Thus, if equipment is cared for systematically and proper procedures followed,

maintenance follows on its own to prolong the life and optimum usage of the

equipment.