Chapter 5: Kitchen Essentials 2 – Equipment and Techniques

Foundations pages 271 – 316

Introduction• Every kitchen and foodservice operation requires

equipment

• The equipment depends on the size of the kitchen, number of customers, the types food served, and the style of service

• Items are divided into categories according to their function: knives, smallwares, measuring and portioning devices, cookware, strainers and sieves, food prep, and storage containers

Receiving and Storage Equipment

• The receiving area is the first step in the flow of food

• Before accepting the product, and employee checks the quality and quantity of items being delivered against what was ordered

• A receiving table/area, scale, and utility cart can make receiving shipments an easy process

Storing Food• Without proper storage of food items an

operation will waste money when it throws items away

• Dry goods (flour, sugar, and grains) must be stored 6 inches off the floor on stainless steel shelving

• Perishable items (dairy, meat and produce) must be stored in refrigerators and/or freezers

Storing Food• Shelving: should be made of stainless steel

because it is easy to clean and very strong

• Refrigerators and freezers: there are 2 basic types– Reach-in: large, portable fridge/freezer with 1 – 3

compartments– Walk-in: built into the foodservice operation

• Refrigerators must maintain a temperature between 32°F – 41°F, while freezers must be kept at 10°F - -10°F

Pre-preparation Equipment

• There are many types of pre-preparation equipment used in the foodservices industry

• Including:– Knives– Hand tools and small equipment– Measuring utensils– Pots and pans

Knives

• Knives are the most widely used pieces of kitchen equipment

• Each knife is used for a specific purpose

• A good knife is made of stainless steel because is it very durable and stays sharp for a long time

Parts of a Knife

• A knife has 2 main parts; the blade and the handle

• The blade is the cutting surface of the knife– It is made of metal and may be forged or stamped

• A forged blade is made from a single piece of metal and that is dropped into a mold and then struck with a hammer and pounded into the correct shape

• A stamped blade is a cut-out shape of a knife from a sheet of metal

Parts of a Knife• Cutting edge: located

along the bottom of the blade between the tip and the heel

• Spine: the top of the blade and is the non-cutting edge

• Heel: widest and thickest part of the knife and used to cut through large, tough, or hard items

Types of Knives

• Boning: a thin, flexible, 6-inch knife to separate raw meat from the bone

• Chefs’ (French): an 8 – 14 inch tapered knife that is a good all-purpose knife for chopping, slicing, and mincing

• Clam: short, blunt-point knife to shuck, or open clams (unlike an oyster knife, it has a very sharp edge)

Types of Knives

• Fillet: short, thin, flexible blade for cutting fish fillets about 6 inches long

• Santoku: a general all-purpose knife with a 5 – 7 inch blade

• Serrated slicer: long, thin serrated blade used to cut breads and cakes

• Slicer: the blade may be as long as 14 inches and used for slicing cooked meats

Knife Care• Honing is the regular maintenance required to keep

knives in their best shape– Chefs keep their knives sharp by using a steel or

sharpening stone

• A sharpening stone is used to grind and hone the edges of steel tools– Used only when a knife cannot be sharpened by a steel

• A steel is a long metal rod that is lightly grooved and magnetized– It helps to return the blade to its convex shape

Knife Care

Sharpening Stone Steel

Knife Care• To properly care for knives, follow these

guidelines:– Keep knives sharpened • A sharp blade cuts more evenly and with less force

than a dull blade, so it is safer

– Use a knife only for its intended purpose– Keep the handle of the knife clean and dry– Never leave knives soaking under water– Never hand someone a knife• Place it on a counter and let the other person pick it up

Hand Tools and Small Equipment• Smallware: small hand tools and small equipment

• Hand tools are designed to aid in cutting, sharpening, moving, or combining foods– Easy to use and are an essential part of food pre-

preparation

• Like knives, hand tools are designed for specific tasks

Hand Tools and Small Equipment• Bench scraper• Can opener• Cheesecloth: light, fine mesh

gauze used for straining liquids such as stocks, bundling herbs, or for thickening yogurt

• China cap: a pierced, metal, cone-shaped strainer used to remove solids from stocks and soups

Hand Tools and Small Equipment

• Fish scaler: removes scales from a fish• Food mill: a machine that comes with several

detachable parts• Offset spatula: turns foods on a griddle or

broiler• Parisienne scoop: or melon baller, cuts ball

shapes out of soft fruits and vegetables• Ricer: used to create rice-like pieces of cooked

food through a pierced hopper

Hand Tools and Small Equipment

• Skimmer: a skimmer has a larger round, flat head with holes and is used to remove foam from stock or soup

• Sieve• Spoons• Tamis/drum sieve: a screen that stretches across a metal

or wood base that is shaped like a drum and used to puree very soft foods and remove solids from purees

• Tongs• Wire whip• Zester

Measuring Utensils

• Widely used in the foodservice industry and measure ingredients and temperatures

• Bimetallic stemmed thermometer: used for checking large or thick food

• Thermocouple: measures the temperature in thick or thin foods almost instantly

Measuring Utensils

Pots and Pans

• Pots and pans are often called cookware– Shape, size, and material may differ– May be made out of copper, cast iron, chrome,

stainless steel, or aluminum

• In general, pots are larger vessels with straight sides and two loop handles

• Pans tend to be shallower, with one long handle and either straight or sloped sides

Type of Pot Description Uses

Brazier Medium to large pot, more shallow than sauce pots, has straight sides, two looped handles, and typically made of heavyweight material and a thick bottom.

Braise meat and vegetables

Double Boiler A pot that has an upper and lower pot. The lower pots holds boiling or simmering water that gently cooks the food in the upper pot.

Melting chocolate or heating milk, cream or butter

Sauce pot More shallow than stock pots, with straight sides and two loop handles

Prepare sauces, soups, and other liquids

Stock pot Very large pot that sometimes has a spigot

Prepare stocks

PansType of Pan Description Uses

Braising pan High-sided, flat-bottomed cooking pan. Also called a brazier or a rondeau.

Braise, stew, and brown meat

Cast-iron Skillet A heavy, thick pan made of cast-iron that holds heat extremely well.

Pan grill, pan-fry, and braise foods like meat or vegetables

Crêpe pan A shallow skillet with very short, slightly slopping sides.

Crêpes (specialty pancake)

Fish poacher Long, narrow, metal pan with a perforated rack that cooks use to raise and lower the fish so it doesn’t break.

Fish

Hotel pan Thin metal pan that is used to hold prepared food in a steam table, hot-holding cabinet, or refrigerator.

Holds eggs, occasionally baking, roasting, or poaching meats and vegetables

PansType of pan Description Uses

Roasting pan A shallow, rectangular pan with medium-high sides, and two handles.

Roast and bake foods such as meat and poultry

Saucepan Medium height, straight sides, and a single long handle.

General cooking, in particular liquid or liquid-based mixtures, on ranges

Sauté pan French term = Sauté US = Fry panBoth have slopped sides and one long handle.

Sauté and to pan fry

Spring form pan Two-part, spring-loaded baking pan. The bottom piece and ring secure with a spring to hold the bottom piece.

Desserts (cheesecake)

Wok Metal pan with a rounded bottom and curved sides. The curved sides make it easy to toss and stir food.

Frying and steaming in Asian cooking

Care of Pots and Pans

• Always wait for pots and pans to cool before washing or rinsing to avoid warping

• Overall make sure to wash in hot, soapy water, and dry immediately

• Copper: use commercial cleaners to remove discoloration before regular washing

• Nonstick coating: use a plastic mesh scrubber to scrub inside of the nonstick pan to avoid scratches

Food-Preparation Equipment

• In addition to knives, hand tools, and pots and pans, other items are necessary to prepare food for cooking:– Cutters and mixers– Steamers– Broilers– Ranges, griddles, and fryers– Ovens

Cutters and Mixers

• Always use safety guards when using cutting machines

• Offer assistance and more training – It is illegal for minors to use, clean, or maintain

cutters or mixers

• Used to cut meats and vegetables and to mix sauces and batters

Cutters and Mixers• Countertop blender: consists of a base that houses

the motor and a removable, lidded jar with a propeller-like blade in the bottom

• Immersion blender: it’s a long, stick-like machine also called a hand blender, stick blender, or burr blender

• Food processor: grind, puree, blend, crush, and knead foods

• Horizontal cutter mixer (HCM): cuts, mixes, and blends foods quickly with a high-speed, horizontal, rotating blade

Cutters and Mixers

• Mandoline: manually operated slices made of stainless steel with adjustable slicing blades to slice and julienne

• Meat grinder: a free standing machine or a mixer attachment

• Meat slicer: a machine with a slanted, circular blade that passes through the machine or is pushed by an employee

Cutters and Mixers• Mixer: come in 5-quart, 20-quart, 60-quart, and 80-

quart sizes and are used to mix and process large amounts of food with special attachments– Flat beater paddle: use to mix, mash, and cream soft

foods– Wire whip: use to beat and add air to light foods– Wing whip: a heavier version of a wire whip, use it to

whip, cream, and mash heavier foods– Pastry knife (paddle): use to mix shortening into

dough– Dough arm (hook): use to mix heavy, thick dough

Cutters and Mixers

Steamers

• Steamers are used to cook vegetables and grains

• A steamer allows the food to come into direct contact with the steam, heating the food very quickly

SteamersType of Steamer Description Uses

Steamer Stacking pots with the bottom pot that holds simmering/boiling water. Each above pot has holes that allows steam to circulate and cook food.

Vegetables and grains

Convection steamer

Steam is generated in a boiler and then piped to the cooking chamber, where it is vented over the food.

Cook large quantities of food

Pressure steamer Water is heated under pressure in a sealed compartment, allowing it to reach temperatures greater than 212°F. Allow steam to escape before opening.

Meats

Steam-jacketed kettle

The kettle’s bottom and sides have two layers, and steam circulates between them. Because the circulating steam evenly heats the sides instead of just the bottom, food cooks faster and more evenly.

Soups and stews

Steamers

Broilers

• Broilers use very intense direct heat the is above the food, that cooks very quickly

Type of Broiler Description Uses

Charbrolier Uses gas or electricity to mimic the effects of charcoal in a grill.

Grilled meats and vegetables

Rotisserie Cooks place food in a stick, or spit, and roast it over or under a heat source

Chicken, turkey, or other poultry items

Salamander A small radiant boiler usually attached to the back of a range.

Brown, finish, and melt foods to order

Broilers

Ranges, Griddles, and Fryers• Ranges are the most frequently used piece of

equipment– Range: cooking units with open heat sources

Type Description Uses

Deep-fat fryer Gas and electric fryers cook foods in oil at temps. Between 300°F and 400°F.

French fries, meats

Flat-top burner Cooks food on a thick slate of cast iron or a steel plate the covers the heat source and provides even consistent heat.

Breakfast items

Open burner A grate-style gas burner supplies direct heat by way of an open flame to the item being cooked.

All cooked foods

Wok burner A gas burner with multiple jets, designed to cradle a rounded wok pan in extremely intense heat.

Stir-fry

Ranges, Griddles, and Fryers

OvensType of Oven Description Uses

Convection oven Has a fan that circulates heated air around the food as it cooks. This shortens cooing time and reduces them temperature of convention ovens by 25 – 50 degrees

All baked items

Conventional oven

The heat source is located on the floor of the oven, heat rises into the cavity of the oven which contains racks for food to sit on as it cooks.

All baked items

Deck oven A type of conventional oven in which two to four shelves are stacked on top of each other.

Pizza

Rotary oven Has three to five circular shelves on which food cooks as the shelves move around a central rod.

Meats

Ovens

Safety Precautions• When working with large equipment, remember:– Learn to use the machine by getting proper

instruction– Use all safety features– Turn off and unplug electrical equipment completely

after each use– Clean and sanitize the equipment after each use– Reassemble all pieces properly and leave machines

unplugged after each use– Report any problems or malfunctions promptly

Holding and Serving Equipment• Once food has been prepared it is now ready to

present to the guest

• Bain-marie: any type of hot water bath used to keep foods warm

• Chafing dishes: used to keep foods hot on a buffet line

• Food warmer/steam table: designed to hold hotel pans (full size or small) with or without water

Holding and Serving Equipment

5.1 Summary Receiving equipment includes receiving tables/area, scales, and utility

carts. After food is received, it is stored on shelving or in refrigerators and freezers.

Pre-preparation equipment includes knives, measuring utensils, hand tools and small equipment, and pots and pans.

Pots come in many shapes and sizes and are made of copper, cast iron, stainless steel, and aluminum, with or without nonstick coating.

Pans also come in many shapes and sizes. Preparation equipment includes cutters and mixers, steamers, broilers,

ranges, griddles, fryers, and ovens. Holding and serving equipment can include the bain-marie, food

warmer/steam table, hot-holding cabinet, coffee maker, tea maker, ice machine, hot box, chafing dishes, and espresso machines.