Kitchen Tools and Equipment Guide PDF

Kitchen Tools and Equipment Specific Objectives: At the end of the lesson, you are expected to: a. Describe the different kitchen tools and equipment; b. Distinguish the use and proper handling of different kitchen equipment...

Kitchen Tools and Equipment Specific Objectives: At the end of the lesson, you are expected to: a. Describe the different kitchen tools and equipment; b. Distinguish the use and proper handling of different kitchen equipment and tools. Hunting for Information: Thorough knowledge of equipment is essential for success in the kitchen. Few food-service operations depend on nothing more than a range and an oven, an assortment of pots and pans, and knives and other hand tools. Modern technology continues to develop more and more specialized and technically advanced tools to reduce kitchen labor. This lesson introduces you to the most commonly used equipment in food-service kitchens. Cooking Equipment 1. 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 over by other tools such as steamers, steam kettles, tilting skillets, and ovens. Types of Cooktops 1. Open elements (burners), either electric coils or gas flames. These tops are the fastest to heat and can be turned off after short use. However, cooktop space is limited to one pot per burner. 2. Flattop or hot top (lightweight). Burners covered with steel plate. More cook space is available. Top supports moderately heavy weights. 3. Heavy-duty flattop. Burners covered with heavy cast steel. The top supports many heavy pots. A thick top requires longer preheating. Set burners for different levels, and adjust cooking heat by moving pots to different spots on the top. A ring-top range is a type of flattop that has removable rings, allowing access to even more intense heat from the flames below. 4. Induction cooktops. The top of an induction unit does not become hot. Rather, it works by magnetically agitating the molecules in steel or iron cookware so the cookware becomes hot. As a result, much less energy is used and the kitchen stays cooler, because only the pots and pans and their contents become hot. There are no hot surfaces or open flames. Also, no warm-up is required. The top can be turned instantly on or off. Small, easily portable induction burners are available. These are useful for off- premise catering operations, for buffet service, and even for tableside heating and cooking. However, the disadvantage of this cooktop is that only iron or steel pots can be used. Dos and Don’ts  1. Make sure gas pilots are lit before turning on burners. If burners do not light, turn off gas and allow the gas to ventilate before trying again to light pilots or burners. 2. For maximum heat, adjust air intake so gas flames are blue with a white tip. 3. Do not keep flattop ranges on high heat unless items are being cooked over them. Damage to tops could result. 2. OVENS 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. 1. CONVENTIONAL OVENS Conventional 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 or decks arranged one above the other. Pans are placed directly on the oven deck rather than on wire shelves. Temperatures are adjustable for each deck. Dos and Don’ts Many of these points apply to other types of ovens as well. 1. Preheat ovens thoroughly, but no longer than necessary, to avoid excess energy use. 2. To avoid high energy loss and interruption of cooking, do not open the door more often than necessary. 3. Space items well to allow for heat circulation. 4. Be sure the pilot light is on before turning on gas ovens. 2. CONVECTION OVENS Convection ovens contain fans that circulate the air and distribute the heat rapidly throughout the interior. Because of 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. Dos and Don’ts 1. For most products, set the temperature 25°–50°F (15°–30°C) lower  than you would a conventional oven. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations. 2. Watch cooking times closely. The forced heat cooks foods more quickly and tends to dry out some foods if they are overcooked. Roasts shrink more than they do in conventional ovens. 3. Many convection oven models should not be operated with the blower switch off, as the motor may burn out. 4. The forced air of a convection oven may deform soft items. Cake batters, for example, develop ripples. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations. 3. BROILERS AND SALAMANDERS Broilers are sometimes called overhead broilers to avoid confusing them with grills. Overhead broilers generate heat from above, and food items are placed on a grate beneath the heat source. Broiling is a favorite 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 2,000°F (1,100°C) at the burner. 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, as illustrated in the photo. 4. 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 like grilled foods because of their charcoal taste, which is created by smoke from meat fats that drip into the heat source. GRIDDLES. Griddles are flat, smooth, heated surfaces on which food is cooked directly. Pancakes, French toast, hamburgers and other meats, eggs, and potato items are the foods most frequently cooked on a griddle. Clean griddle surfaces after every use so 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 nonstick surface and to prevent rusting. Procedure: Spread a thin film of oil over the surface and heat to 400°F (200°C). Wipe clean and repeat until griddle has a smooth, nonstick finish. ROTISSERIES. Rotisserie broilers cook meats and other foods by turning them slowly in front of electric- or gas-powered heating elements. Although they are especially suitable for chicken and other poultry, rotisseries can be used to cook any meat or other food that can be held on a spit or in any of various attachments or accessories. Both enclosed (ovenlike) rotisseries and open or unclosed units are available.  DEEP FRYERS. A deep fryer has only one use: to cook foods in hot fat. Standard 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 preset time. Pressure fryers are covered fry kettles that fry foods under pressure. Foods cook faster, even at a lower fat temperature. PROCESSING EQUIPMENT 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. There are three main mixing attachments, plus some specialized ones. The paddle is a flat blade used for general mixing. The wire whip is used for such tasks as beating cream and eggs and making mayonnaise. The dough arm or hook is used for mixing and kneading yeast doughs. Dos and Don’ts 1. Make sure the bowl and the mixing attachment are firmly in place before turning on the machine. 2. Make sure you are using the right size attachment for the bowl. Using a 40-quart paddle with a 30-quart bowl, for example, could cause serious damage. Sizes in quarts are marked on the sides of large bowls and on the tops of attachments. 3. Turn off the machine before scraping down the bowl or inserting a spoon, scraper, or hand into the bowl. Mixer motors are powerful and can cause serious injury. 4. Turn off the machine before changing speeds. FOOD CUTTER. The food cutter or rotation chopper, familiarly known as the buffalo chopper, is a common piece of equipment used for general food chopping. General Operation Food is placed in a rotating bowl, which carries the food to a pair of knives spinning rapidly under a cover. The fineness of the cut depends on how long the food is left in the machine. Dos and Don’ts 1. Always make sure the machine is completely assembled before use. 2. Close the cover lock knob, or the machine will not turn on. 3. Never reach under the bowl cover while the machine is running. 4. For uniform chopping, place the food in the bowl all at one time. 5. Keep the knives sharp. Dull knives bruise food rather than cut it cleanly. BLENDER. It is more suited for mixing and puréeing liquids than for chopping solid foods. In the commercial kitchen, the blender is used to mix, purée, and emulsify liquids such as soups, sauces, and batters. It is also used in bars and coffeehouses to prepare certain drinks. Blender motors may have from 2 to 10 speeds, or even more. The containers are made of stainless steel, glass, or plastic. The blade assembly at the base of the container can be disassembled for thorough cleaning. POTS AND PANS 1. Stockpot. 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. Sizes: 8– 200 quarts (liters). 2. Saucepot. A round pot of medium depth. Similar to a stockpot but shallower, making stirring or mixing easier. Used for soups, sauces, and other liquids. Sizes: 6–60 quarts (liters). 3. Brazier. A round, broad, shallow, heavy-duty pot with straight sides. Also called a rondeau. Used for browning, braising, and stewing meats. Sizes: 11–30 quarts (liters).  4. Saucepan. Similar to a small, shallow, light saucepot, but with one long handle instead of two loop handles. May have straight or slanted sides. Used for general rangetop cooking. Sizes:11/2–15 quarts (liters). 5. Sauté pan, straight- sided. Also called a sautoir. Similar to a shallow, straight-sided saucepan, but heavier. Used for browning, sautéing, and frying. Because of its broad surface area, the sauté pan is used for cooking sauces and other liquids when rapid reduction is required. Sizes: 21/2–5 inches (65–130 mm) deep; 6– 16 inches (160–400 mm) in diameter. 6. Sauté pan, slope-sided. Also called a sauteuse. Used for general sautéing and frying of meats, fish, vegetables, and eggs. The 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. Sizes: 6–14 inches (160–360 mm) top diameter. 7. Cast-iron skillet. Very heavy, thick-bottomed fry pan. Used for pan-frying when steady, even heat is desired. 8. Double boiler. A pot with two sections. The lower section, similar to a stockpot, holds boiling water. The upper section holds foods that must be cooked at low temperatures and cannot be cooked over direct heat. Size of top section: 4–36 quarts (liters). 9. Sheet pan or bun pan. A shallow, rectangular pan (1 inch/25 mm deep) for baking cakes, rolls, and cookies, and for baking or broiling certain meats and fish. Sizes: full pan, 18 × 26 inches (46 × 66 cm); half-pan, 18 × 13 inches (46 × 33 cm). 10. Bake pan. A rectangular pan about 2 inches (50 mm) deep. Used for general baking. Available in a variety of sizes. 11. Roasting pan. A large rectangular pan, deeper and heavier than a bake pan. Used for roasting meats and poultry. 12. Fish poacher. A long, narrow, straight-sided pan with a removable rack insert. Used for poaching whole fish. 13. Wok. A round- bottomed steel pan with two loop handles. Used for stir- frying, especially in Chinese cuisine. Woks are best used with special burner units that have a high heat output and a broad ring-shaped support that holds the wok steady during cooking.  14. Hotel pan, also called counter pan, steam table pan, or service pan. A rectangular pan, usually made of stainless steel. Designed to hold foods in service counters. Also used for baking, steaming, and subsequent serving. Also used for storage. Standard size: 12 × 20 inches. Fractions of this size (1/2, 1/3, etc.) are also available. Standard depth: 21/2 inches (65 mm). Deeper sizes are also available. (Standard metric pan is 325 × 530 mm.) 15. Bain-marie insert, usually called simply bain- marie. A tall, cylindrical stainless-steel container. Used for storage and for holding foods in a bain-marie (water bath). Sizes: 1–36 quarts (liters). 16. Stainless-steel bowl. A round- bottomed bowl. Used for mixing, whipping, and producing hollandaise, mayonnaise, whipped cream, and egg white foams. Round construction enables whip to reach all areas. Available in many sizes.  MEASURING DEVICES 1. Scales. Portion scales are used for measuring ingredients as well as for portioning products for service. Traditional portion scales are spring-operated and usually have a dial to indicate weight. 2. Volume measures used for liquids have lips for easy pouring. Sizes are pints, quarts, halfgallons, and gallons. Each size is marked off into fourths by ridges on the sides. 3. Measuring cups are available in 1-, 1/2-, 1/3-, and 1/4-cup sizes. They can be used for both liquid and dry measures. 4. Measuring spoons are used for measuring very small volumes: 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, and 1/4 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 scoopfuls per quart. 7. Thermometers measure temperature. There are many kinds for many purposes. A meat thermometer indicates internal temperature of meats. It is inserted before cooking and left in the product during cooking. An instant-read thermometer gives readings within a few seconds of being inserted in a food product. It reads from 0°F to 220°F. Fat thermometers and candy thermometers test temperatures of frying fats and sugar syrups. They read up to 400°F. Special thermometers are used to test the accuracy of oven, refrigerator, and freezer thermostats KNIVES, HAND TOOLS, AND SMALL EQUIPMENT KNIFE MATERIALS The metal a knife blade is made of is an important consideration, as the metal must be able to take and hold a very fine edge: 1. Carbon steel was for many years the traditional favorite because it can be honed to an extremely sharp edge. Its disadvantages are that it corrodes and discolors easily, especially when used with acid foods and onions. Also, it discolors some foods (such as hard-cooked eggs) and may leave a metallic taste. Because of these disadvantages, it has given way to high-carbon stainless steel (described below), which is now the preferred material for the best knives. 2. Traditional stainless-steel alloys will not rust or corrode, but they are much harder to sharpen than carbon steel. Stainless steel is used mostly for low-cost, lightweight knives. 3. High-carbon stainless steel is a relatively new alloy that combines the best aspects of carbon steel and stainless steel. It takes an edge almost as well as carbon steel, and it will not rust, corrode, or discolor. Knives made of this material are highly prized and relatively expensive. Most high-quality knives today are made of high-carbon stainless steel. DIFFERENT KINDS OF KNIVES 1. French knife or chef’s knife. Most frequently used knife in the kitchen, for general-purpose chopping, slicing, dicing, and so on. The 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. 2. Santoku knife or Japanese cook’s knife. A wide-bladed knife that is often used as a substitute for the traditional chef’s knife. Blades are usually 5  inches (13 cm) or 7 inches (18 cm) long. 3. Utility knife or salad knife. A narrow, pointed knife 6–8 inches (160–200 mm) long. Used mostly for pantry work, cutting 4. Paring knife. A small, pointed blade 2–4 inches (50–100 mm) long. Used for trimming and paring vegetables and fruits. 5. Boning knife. A 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. 6. Slicer. A long, slender, flexible blade up to 14 inches (360 mm) long. Used for carving and slicing cooked meats. 7. Serrated slicer. Like a slicer, but with a serrated edge. Used for cutting breads, cakes, and similar items. 8. Butcher knife. A heavy, broad, slightly curved blade. Used for cutting, sectioning, and trimming raw meats in the butcher shop. 9. Scimitar or steak knife. A curved, pointed blade. Used for accurate cutting of steaks. 10. Cleaver. A heavy, broad blade. Used for cutting through bones. Do not confuse a cleaver with a similarly shaped Chinese cook’s knife, which is lighter in weight. 11. Oyster knife. A short, rigid, blunt knife with a dull edge. Used for opening oysters.  12. Clam knife. A short, rigid, broad-bladed knife with a slight edge. Used for opening clams. 13. Vegetable peeler. A short tool with a slotted, swiveling blade. Used for peeling vegetables and fruits. 14. Steel. Not a knife, but an essential part of the knife kit. Used for truing and maintaining knife edges. 15. Cutting board. An important partner to the knife. Hardwood boards are favored by many chefs. Hard rubber or plastic boards are thought to be more sanitary, but there is some evidence that bacteria actually survive longer on plastic and rubber than on wood. Cutting boards must be kept very clean, and they must be sanitized regularly. Color-coded composite boards are designed to help reduce cross-contamination, as each color is used for a different category of food (for example, green for vegetables, red for meats). HAND TOOLS AND SMALL EQUIPMENT 1. Ball cutter, melon ball scoop, or parisienne knife. The blade is a small, cup- shaped half-sphere. Used for cutting fruits and vegetables into small balls. 2. Cook’s fork. A heavy, two- pronged fork with a long handle. Used 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. A broad blade, bent to keep the hand off hot surfaces. Used for turning and lifting eggs, pancakes, and meats on griddles, grills, sheet pans, and so on. Also used as a scraper to clean benches and griddles. 6. Rubber spatula or scraper. A broad, flexible rubber or plastic tip on a long handle. Used to scrape bowls and pans. Also used for folding in egg foams and whipped cream. Heat-resistant spatulas can be used for stirring foods while cooking, but regular spatulas will melt at high heat. 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 wheel or wheel knife. A round, rotating blade on a handle. Used for cutting rolledout doughs and pastry and baked pizza.  10. Spoons: slotted, perforated, and solid. Large stainless-steel spoons that hold about 3 ounces (90 mL). Used for stirring, mixing, and serving. Slotted and perforated spoons are used when liquid must be drained from solids. 11. Skimmer. A perforated disk, slightly cupped, on a long handle. Used for skimming froth from liquids and for removing solid pieces from soups, stocks, and other liquids. Wire mesh versions are sometimes called spiders. 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 (also called whisks): Heavy whips are straight, stiff, and have relatively few wires. Used for general mixing, stirring, and beating, especially heavy liquids. Balloon whips, or piano-wire whips, have many flexible wires. Used for whipping eggs, cream, and hollandaise, and for mixing thinner liquids. 14. China cap. A cone-shaped strainer. Used for straining stocks, soups, sauces, and other liquids. Pointed shape allows the cook to drain liquids through a relatively small opening. 15. Fine china cap or chinois (shee-nwah). A china cap with very fine mesh. Used when great clarity or smoothness is required in a liquid. 16. Strainer. A round-bottomed, cup-shaped tool made of screentype mesh or perforated metal. Used for straining pasta, vegetables, and so on. 17. Drum sieve or tamis. A screen-type mesh supported in a round metal frame. Used for sifting flour and other dry ingredients and for puréeing soft foods. 18. Colander. A large, perforated bowl made of stainless steel or aluminum. Used to drain washed or cooked vegetables, salad greens, pasta, and other foods. 19. Food mill. A tool with a hand-turned blade that forces foods through a perforated disk. Interchangeable disks produce varying degrees of coarseness or fineness. Used for puréeing foods. 20. Grater. A four-sided metal box with grids of varying sizes. Used for shredding and grating vegetables, cheese, citrus rinds, and other foods. 21. Plane grater. Usually known by the brand name Microplane. These graters shave off thin shreds of the item being grated, the way a carpenter’s plane shaves wood. Available in varying degrees of fineness or coarseness.  22. Zester. A small hand tool used for removing the colored part of citrus peels in thin strips. 23. Channel knife. A small hand tool used mostly in decorative work. 24. Mandoline. A manual slicing implement consisting of blades fitted in a flat metal or wood framework. Folding legs position the mandoline on the worktable at a 45-degree angle for use. Levers allow the blades to be adjusted to control the thickness of the slices. A traditional mandoline has a flat blade and a serrated blade. Additional blades can be used in combination with the flat blade to cut julienne and bâtonnet. The serrated blade is used to cut gaufrette or waffle slices. For safest use, a detachable guard is also supplied. The guard holds the food and allows it to be sliced without getting the fingers near the blades. 25. Pastry bag and tubes. Cone-shaped cloths or plastic bags with an 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. Disposable plastic pastry bags are the most sanitary. 26. Pastry brush. Used to brush items with egg wash, glaze, etc. 27. Can opener. Heavy-duty 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 the food.