EQUIPMENTS AND FUEL

KITCHEN EQUIPMENTS AND COOKING FUEL

INTRODUCTION

A kitchen, is a room or part of a room (sometimes called "kitchen area" or a "kitchenette") used for food preparation and cooking. The development of the kitchen in the world has been intricately and intrinsically linked with the development of the cooking range or stove. Until the 18th century, open fire or charcoal were the sole means of heating food, and the architecture of the kitchen reflected this. When technical advances brought new ways to heat food in the 18th and 19th centuries,  architects took advantage of newly-gained flexibility to bring fundamental changes to the kitchen.

Technological advances during industrialization brought major changes to the kitchen. Iron stoves, which enclosed the fire completely and were more efficient, appeared. Gas pipes were first laid in the late 19th century, and gas stoves started to replace the older coal-fired stoves. The trend to increasing gasification and electrification continued at the turn of the 20th century. A trend began in the 1940s to equip the kitchen with electrified small and large kitchen appliances such as blenders, toasters, and later also microwave ovens. Following the end of World War II, massive demand in Europe for low-price, high-tech consumer goods led to Western European kitchens being designed to accommodate new appliances such as refrigerators and electric/gas cookers.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENTS

Various types of equipment are used in a kitchen. The type, amount and size of equipment will   depend on the type of menu being provided and number of people to dine. Kitchen equipment may be divided into three categories:

1) Large equipment – cooking ranges, electric ovens, microwave ovens, steamers, boiling pan, deep fat-fryers, sinks, tables.

2) Mechanical equipment – peelers, mincers, mixers, refrigerators, dish-washers.

3) Utensils and small equipment – pots, pans, whisks, bowls, spoons and laddles.

LARGE EQUIPMENTS

 Ranges and Ovens

An oven is an enclosed compartment for heating, baking or drying. It is most commonly used in cooking and pottery. Two common kinds of modern ovens are gas ovens and electric ovens.

Ovens used in pottery are also known as kilns. An oven used for heating or for industrial processes is called a furnace or industrial oven.

In the past, cooking ovens were fueled by wood or coal. Modern ovens are fueled by gas or electricity. When an oven is contained in a complete stove, the burners on the top of the stove

may use the same or different fuel than the oven. Steam ovens introduce water (in the form of steam) into the cooking chamber. This can aid the formation of a crisp crust on baked goods and prevent the drying-out of fish and casseroles. The degree of humidity is usually selectable among at least several steps. Some steam ovens use water carried to the oven by the user in a container; others are permanently connected to the building plumbing.

More modern ovens, such as General Electric's Trivection oven, may also provide combined thermal and microwave cooking. This can greatly speed the cooking of certain types of food while

maintaining the traditional characteristics of oven cooking such as browning.

Ovens also vary in the way that they are controlled. The simplest ovens may not have any controls at all; the several ovens simply run continuously at various temperatures. More-conventional ovens have a simple thermostat: which turns the oven on and off to maintain the required set temperature nearly constantly and selects the temperature at which it will operate. Set to the highest setting,

this may also enable the broiler element. A timer may allow the oven to be turned on and off automatically at pre-set times. More sophisticated ovens may have complex, computer-based controls allowing a wide variety of operating modes and special features including the use of a temperature probe to automatically shut the oven off when the food is completely cooked to the desired degree for cleaning. Some ovens provide various aids to cleaning. Continuous cleaning ovens have the oven chamber coated with a catalytic surface that helps break down (oxidize) food splatters and spills over time. Self cleaning ovens use pyrolytic decomposition (extreme heat) to oxidize dirt. Steam ovens may provide a wet-soak cycle to loosen dirt, allowing easier manual removal. In the absence of any special methods, chemical oven cleaners are sometimes used or just oldfashioned scrubbing.

Steamers

There are basically three types of steaming ovens:

Atmospheric; Pressure; and Pressure less.

There are also combination steaming ovens; pressure/ convection steam; pressureless/ fully pressurised; steaming/ hot air cooking; combination of hot air and steam; combination of hot air

and steam with two settings.

In addition, dual pressure steamers, switchable between low pressure and high pressure, and two pressure settings plus zero are available. Steaming ovens continue to improve and become more

versatile. The modern combination steamers which can be used for steaming, stewing, packing, braising, roasting, backing, vacuum cooking, gratinating, reconstituting, blanching and defrosting. They have electronic controls for easier setting and more precise time/ temperature controls. The advantage of the electronic control is that they assist in fuel efficiency. They are available in several sizes and process efficiencies.

Boiling Pans

Many types are available in different metals – aluminium, stainless steel, etc – in various sizes (10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 litre capacity) and they may be heated by gas or electricity. As they are

used for boiling or stewing large quantities of food, it is important that they do not allow the food to burn. For this reason the steam-jacket type boiler is the most suitable. Many of these are fitted with a tilting device to facilitate emptying the contents.

Deep Fat-Fryers

A deep fat-fryer is one of the most extensively used items of equipment in many catering establishments. Fryers are heated by gas or electricity and incorporate a thermostatic control in order to save fuel, regulate temperature and prevent overheating. There is a cool zone below the source of heat into which food panicles can sink without burning, thus preventing spoiling of other foods being cooked. This form of heating also economises fat consumption.

Pressure Fryers:

Food is cooked in an air-right frying utensil enabling food to be fried a lot faster and at a lower oil temperature and pressure.

Hot Air Rotary Fryers:

These are designed to cook batches of frozen blanched chips or battered foods in 4-6 minutes without any oil. Computerised fryers are available which may be programmed to control automatically cooking temperatures and times, on and off switches, basket lifting and product holding times. Operational information is fed from a super-sensitive probe, which is immersed in the frying medium and passes information about temperature and rates of temperature change which may be caused by: the initial fat temperature, amount food being fried, fryer efficiency and capacity, fryer recovery rate, quantity and condition of fat, product temperature and water content.

With all the above information the fryer computes exact cooking times and an automatic signaling device indicates the end of a cooking period.

Hot-Cupboards

Hot-cupboards are used for heating plates and serving dishes and for keeping food hot. Care should be taken to see that the amount of heat fed into the hot-cupboard is controlled at a

reasonable temperature. This is important, otherwise the plates and food will be too hot.

Bains-Marie:

The bain-marie consists of a large container filled with a working liquid (usually water) and another, smaller container filled with the substance to be heated. The smaller container is partially 

immersed in the larger container, and the larger container is heated. The temperature of the working liquid cannot normally exceed the boiling point of that liquid at the ambient atmospheric pressure, and so the temperature of the inner container can be brought to a known limit and held there by bringing the outer working liquid to a boil. Bains-Maries are used for holding large quantities of food for service. It is generally used for servicing foods in commercial organizations such as hospitals, restaurants, canteens, hotels etc.

Grills and Salamanders

A salamander grill is a culinary utensil used to cook food. Mainly used to grill, the utensil can also be used for browning food, such as a pastry or pudding, as a portable stove, or as a broiler. The salamander or grill heated from above by gas or electricity probably causes more wastage of fuel than any other kitchen equipment through being allowed to bum unnecessarily for long unused periods. Most salamanders have more than one set of heating elements or jets and it is not always necessary to have them all turned on full.

Salamander bars and draining trays should be cleaned regularly with hot water containing a grease solvent such as soda. After rinsing they should be replaced and the salamander lit for a few

minutes to dry the bars. For under-fired grills to work efficiently they must be capable of cooking food quickly and should reach a high temperature 15-20 minutes after lighting, and the heat should be turned off immediately after use. When the bars are cool they should be removed and washed in hot water containing a grease solvent, rinsed, dried and replaced on the grill. Care should be taken with the fire bricks if they are used for lining the grill as they are easily broken.

Fry Plates & Griddle Plates

Griddles are flat plates of metal used for frying, grilling, and making pan breads (such as pancakes, injera, tortillas, chapatis, and crepes). Traditional iron griddles are circular, with a semicircular

hoop fixed on opposite edges of the plate and rising above it to form a central handle. Rectangular griddles that cover two stove burners are now also common, as are griddles that have a ribbed area that can be used like a grill pan. Some have multiple square metal grooves enabling the contents to have a defined pattern, similar to a waffle maker. Like frypans, round griddles are generally measured by diameter (20 – 30 cm).

Griddles with zone heating are useful when demand varies during the day. These reduce energy consumption in quiet periods while still allowing the service to be maintained.

Barbecues

Barbecues are becoming increasingly popular because it is easy to cook and serve quick tasty food on them and the outdoor location, smell and sizzle develop an atmosphere which many

customers enjoy.

There are three main types of barbecue: traditional charcoal, gas (propane or butane) and electric. Remember that the charcoal fired type takes about an hour before the surface is ready. With gas

and electricity the barbecue is ready to cook almost immediately.

Sinks

A sink or basin is a bowl-shaped fixture that is used for washing. Different materials are used for sinks according to the purpose for which they are intended: Heavy galvanised iron for heavy pot wash; Stainless steel for general purposes.

Tables

Formica or stainless steel topped tables should be washed with hot detergent water then rinsed with hot water containing a sterilising agent –alternately, some modern chemicals act as both detergent and sterilizing agents. Wooden tables should not be used. Marble slabs should be scrubbed with hot water and rinsed. All excess moisture should be removed by wiping with a clean, dry cloth. No cutting or chopping should be allowed on table tops; cutting boards should be used. Hot pans should not be put on tables; triangles must be used to protect the table surface. The legs and racks or shelves of tables are cleaned with hot detergent water and then dried. Wooden table legs require scrubbing.

MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT

Mincers

Mincers are used for chopping vegetables or meat. Mincers are compact, hygienically designed machines capable of providing a cool, efficient mincing action without squashing or pulping the

product.

Mixers

A mixer is a kitchen appliance intended for mixing, folding, beating, and whipping food ingredients. Mixers come in two major variations, hand mixers and stand mixers. A hand mixer, as the name implies, is a hand-held mixing device. It typically consists of a handle mounted over a large enclosure containing the motor, which drives one or two beaters. The beaters are immersed in the food to be mixed.

A stand mixer is essentially the same as a hand mixer, but is mounted on a stand which bears the weight of the device. Stand mixers are larger and have more powerful motors than their handheld

counterparts. They generally have a special bowl that is locked in place while the mixer is operating. Heavy duty commercial models can have bowl capacities in excess of 100 quarts (95 L). Typical home and commercial models are equipped with bowls of around 4 quarts (4 L). A typical home dick stand mixer will include a wire whip for whipping creams and egg whites; a flat beater for mixing batters; and a dough hook for kneading.

Blender

A blender or liquidiser is a kitchen appliance used to mix ingredients or puree food. The blending container can be made of glass, plastic, or stainless steel, and often has graduated markings for approximate measuring purposes. At the top of the container is a lid to prevent ingredients from escaping during operation. At the bottom is a serrated blade assembly, sometimes removable for

cleaning purposes.

Refrigerators

A refrigerator (often called a "fridge" for short) is a cooling appliance comprising a thermally insulated compartment and a mechanism to transfer heat from it to the external environment,

cooling the contents to a temperature below ambient.

Refrigerators are extensively used to store foods which deteriorate at ambient temperatures; spoilage from bacterial growth and other processes is much slower at low temperatures. A device

described as a "refrigerator" maintains a temperature a few degrees above the freezing point of water; a similar device which maintains a temperature below the freezing point of water is called a "freezer". Freezers keep their contents frozen. They are used both in households and for commercial use. Most freezers operate at around -18°C (0°F).

UTENSILS AND SMALL EQUIPMENTS

Cookware and Bakeware

Cookware and bakeware are types of food preparation containers commonly found in the kitchen. Cookware comprises cooking vessels, such as saucepans and frying pans, intended for use on a stove or range cooktop. Bakeware comprises cooking vessels intended for use inside an oven. Some utensils are both cookware and bakeware.

Braising pans and roasting pans (also known as braisers and roasters) are large, wide and shallow, to provide space to cook a roast (chicken, beef, or pork). They typically have two loop or tab handles, and may have a cover. Roasters are usually made of heavy gauge metal so that they may be used safely on a cooktop following roasting in an oven. Unlike most other cooking vessels, roasters are usually oblong or oval. There is no sharp boundary between braisers and roasters - the same pan, with or without a cover, can be used for both functions.

Casserole pans (for making casseroles) resemble roasters and dutch ovens, and many recipes can be used interchangeably between them. Depending on their material, casseroles can be used

in the oven or on the stovetop. Casseroles are commonly made of glazed ceramics or pyrex.

Dutch ovens are heavy, relatively deep pots with a heavy lid, designed to re-create oven conditions on the stovetop (or campfire).

They can be used for stews, braised meats, soups, and a large variety of other dishes that benefit from low heat, slow cooking. Dutch ovens are typically made from cast iron, and are measured by

volume.

Large and small skillets Frying pans, frypans, or skillets provide a large flat heating surface and shallow sides, and are best for pan frying. Frypans with a gentle, rolling slope are sometimes called omelette pans. Grill pans are frypans that are ribbed, to let fat drain away from the food being cooked. Frypans and grill pans are generally measured by diameter (20–30 cm).

Saucepans (or just "pots") are vessels with vertical sides about the same height as their diameter, used for simmering or boiling. Saucepans generally have one long handle. Larger pots of the same

shape generally have two handles close to the sides of the pot (so they can be lifted with both hands), and are called sauce-pots or soup pots (3–12 liters). Saucepans and saucepots are measured by volume (usually 1–8 L). While saucepots often resemble dutch ovens in shape, they do not have the same heat conduction characteristics.

Saute pans used for sauteing, have a large surface area, like a frypan, but with vertical sides, to prevent food from escaping during cooking.

Stockpots are large pots with sides at least as tall as their diameter. This allows stock to simmer for extended periods of time without reducing too much. Stockpots are typically measured in olume (6- 36 L). Stock pots come in a large variety of sizes to meet any need from cooking for a family to preparing food for a banquet. A specific type of stockpot exists for lobsters, and an all-metal  tockpot usually called a caldero is used in hispanic cultures to make rice.

Woks are typically lens-shaped. This allows a small pool of cooking oil to be heated to a high heat using relatively little fuel, while the outer areas of the wok are used to keep food warm after it has been fried in the oil. In the Western world, woks are typically used only for stir-frying, but they can actually be used for anything from steaming to deep frying.

Baking pans are designed for use in the oven (for baking) and encompass a variety of different styles of bakeware such as cake pans, pie pans, and loaf pans. These are often made from light or

medium gauge metal. The longest lasting bakings sheets and pans are made with heavy-gauge steel or aluminum. They are heavier in weight which helps in heat distribution evenly and prevents the metal from warping.

Cake pans include square pans, round pans, and speciality pans such as angel food cake pans and springform pans often used for baking cheesecake.

Sheet pans or cookie sheets are bakeware with large flat surfaces.

Cutting, Mashing, Grating & Grinding Tools

Cutting - A chef's knife, also known as a French knife, is a cutting tool used in food preparation. It is the primary general-utility knife for most Western cooks. A chef's knife generally has a blade eightinches (20 cm) in length and 1 and a half inches in width, although individual models range from six to 14 inches (15 to 36 cm) in length.

Grater is a kitchen utensil used to grate foods into fine strips or crumbs. Several types of graters have different sizes of grating slots, and can therefore aid in the preparation of a variety of foods. They are commonly used to grate cheese and lemon or orange peel (to add zest), and can also be used to grate other soft foods. They are commonly used in the preparation of toasted cheese, Welsh rarebit, and macaroni and cheese.

Chinois fits on top of a deep container and mashes food when pressed through it.

Eggbeater used to beat mixture vigorously and homogenise.

Mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix substances. The pestle is a heavy stick whose end is used for pounding and grinding, and the mortar is a bowl. The substance is ground between the pestle and the mortar.

Potato masher or bean masher is a food preparation utensil used to crush soft food for such dishes as mashed potatoes, apple sauce, or refried beans.

Meat mallets tenderise or flatten meat. Made from wood or metal, they are typically two-sided, one flat with slight bumps, and the other with more pronounced protrusions. Meat mallets can be made from wood, plastic, or steel, but their use has lessened with the invention of cube steak machines and other electric tenderizers. Meat mallets can also be used to crush ice.

Vegetable Peelers

A peeler is a metal blade attached to a metal, plastic or wooden handle that is used for peeling vegetables, frequently potatoes. There are two main varieties, the 'Yorkshire' (or sometimes called a Lancashire peeler) design involving the blade as an extension of a handle, in much the same way as the blade is attached to a knife.

The second variety more closely resembles a safety razor (sometimes it is called a Y-peeler (due to its shape), Rex peeler, yoke peeler, or speed peeler), with the blade perpendicular to the

handle, is used with a similar action to a razor, shaving off skin in strips parallel to the handle. Most speed peelers have an 'eye gouger' beside the blade, a loop of metal used to dig out eyes and

blemishes from the potato. Peelers can be used on citrus fruits, asparagus, eggplant, tomatoes and even mushrooms.

Extracting and Straining Tools

Cheesecloth This cloth is made of a tightly woven cloth and is used for straining fine particles from a liquid suspension

Coffee filter is a coffee-brewing utensil, usually made of disposable paper, but recently stainless steel filters are in use. They are used to brew filter coffee, the form of coffee common in India.

Colander Cooks use these to wash foods or to drain noodles or vegetables after boiling. Large metal ones are best.

COOKING FUEL

Application of heat is basic to all forms of cooking. This can be broadly grouped into two categories.

Dry Heat Heat is generated by burning fuel and directly using it for cooking. The heat energy so generated is directly conducted to the food through air and it is known as heat convection.

Wet Heat The heat generated by burning fuel is first used to boil water which produces steam. Steam carries heat to cook the food and this method is known as heat conduction.

Sources of Energy

Petroleum This includes crude petroleum and its distillates and fractions such as kerosene and diesel. This is a liquid form of fossil fuel which is pumped out.

Coal & Coke This is a solid form of combustible material which is mined out. This is largely used to generate electricity commercially.

Natural Gas This is a gaseous form of energy which is used directly to produce heat. This is also liquefied and the product is known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). This liquefied LPG may also be conveniently bottled in gas cylinder for use. It is also easy and convenient to transport rather than in gaseous form.

Unconventional As the name implies they are non-traditional

Energy sources of energy that include wind (mill) energy, wave energy, soloar energy etc.

Hydrothermal Produce energy which is harnessed through

Power plants turbines the rotation of which produces electricity which can be used to generate heat for cooking.

Biomass Photosynthetic activity of plants produce biomass

Energy / which is largely stored in stem (wood), roots and

Biofuels leaves in addition to flowers and fruits. The woody material is burnt to produce heat which is used for cooking. Biofuels, as the name implies are produced from biological sources. Starch and sugars are fermented to produce ethanol which is mixed with petrol and is called as gasohol.

Vegetable oil are converted to biodiesel, (palm diesel from palm oil) through a process called

esterification ans is a substitute for petroleum diesel. Heat energy used for cooking predominantly comes from biomass (parts of plants), gas (LPG), electricity, coal/ coke and oil (petroleum and vegetable oils).

SYSTEMS OF GENERATING HEAT FOR COOKING

The following are some of the methods through which the heat for cooking is generated:

Cooking by Open Fire

The use of wood as a fuel source for home heat is as old as civilization itself. Wood as a source of heat is still common throughout much of the world. Wood fuel may be available as firewood (eg. logs, bolts, blocks), charcoal, chips, sheets, pellets and sawdust. The particular form used as fuel depends upon factors such as availability, quantity, quality, calorific value and above all its

economics.

Soft woods such as pine or birch, kindle quickly, produce intense heat, and are best for a quick, blazing fire.

Hardwoods like oak, ash, and hickory, burn more slowly, but produce harder coals, which retain the heat longer, and are better where long-continued heat is required.

Charcoal wood may be used in the form of small logs or cut out into bits called chips. Coal is made by charring or burning wood with only a limited supply of air (oxygen), burns easily and produces greater heat in proportion to its weight than any other fuel. It should never be burnt in a closed room to avoid smoke injury or choking.

Anthracite coal is a kind of mined out mineral charcoal derived from ancient vegetation buried in the earth, and so thoroughly pressed that nothing is left but pure carbon, a little sulphur, and the

incombustible ash. It kindles slowly, yields an intense, steady heat, and burns for a longer time without replenishing than the hardest wood.

Coke is often used in cities. It is the briquetted form of coal from which illuminating gas is manufactured. The heat is intense, but transient.

Fluid bed furnaces of late, are used for efficient and economic burning by using materials such as saw dust, charcoal dust, brans or husks. They are fed out at the bottom of the furnace and are carried  upward for buring at the top through strong air current.

Cooking by Oil

Oils burn easily and provide instant energy. There are two types of oil which can be used for this purpose with very little waste; kerosene and heavy diesel oil. Crude petroleum can also be used

directly without refining. Oil cooking is a cleaner method than firewood.

Kerosene is a colourless, thin, flammable liquid. Kerosene is noncorrosive, non-volatile, and extremely stable in storage. In countries like India, kerosene is the main fuel used for household cooking, especially by the poor. Kerosene stoves have replaced the traditional wood-based cooking appliances which are unhealthy, smoky, chocking and inefficient.

Diesel or diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum used as fuel for cooking.

Cooking by Gas

Gas is highly combustible and explosive; therefore must be handled with care. Gas is a safe fuel but like all fuels it must be used with atmost care. Gas is easier to control than electricity and it can

usually be adjusted to give the desired degree of heat. It is combusted in conjunctions with air to give the correct air:gas mixture as denoted by the colour of the flame, and is maintained at constant even pressure by means of a gas governor in the pipeline thus giving consistency of supply and performance.

Cooking by gas is easily the most flexible and useful method for cooking; very little coal gas or town gas is available in India but large quantities of butane gas are becoming increasingly available in the cities. This is a first-class cooking medium, as its calorific value is considerably more than normal town gas. A reasonable range of cooking equipment is now available in India for use with this medium, for frying, baking and roasting of food. By means of automatic regulators, the cooking process can be done at nominal cost. In addition to this, the price compares favourably with that of other cooking fuels.

Cooking by Electricity

Electricity cannot be seen, felt, tasted or smelled. Installed and used correctly, it is a very safe source of energy, but misused can kill (electricution) or cause serious injury. It is therefore essential that any electrical installation is undertaken by qualified engineers and maintained properly. It is fortunate that electricity is readily available in India and the manufacture and use of electrical cooking equipment is increasing quite rapidly. A considerable range of equipment necessary for the modern kitchen can now be obtained. It is one of the more efficient, waste less cooking, Hot-plates, boilers, toasters, cooking ranges, hot water boilers, chapatti plates, fish ranges, etc., make cooking and modern living pleasant.

Cooking with Solar Energy

Solar cooking uses only sunlight to cook. As they use no fuel they cost nothing to run.  Environmental organizations are promoting their use worldwide to help slow down deforestation and desertification, caused by the need for firewood used to cook. Solar cookers are also sometimes used in outdoor cooking, especially in situations where minimal fuel consumption or fire risk are considered highly important.