Miscellaneous Kitchen Equipment Chapter 17 © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Miscellaneous Kitchen Equipment

Chapter 17

© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

In this chapter, you will learn to identify the important features of:

Food mixers and their attachments Food slicers, cutters, and grinders Blenders and juicers Toasters and food warmers Coffee brewers and espresso/cappuccino

machines

Learning Objectives


Most popular type – also called planetary mixer for circular mixing action by its mixer arm or agitator.

Identified by size of mixing bowl. Comes in countertop and floor models. Purchase based on what foods will be mixed – how much, how

thick or heavy, whether it will increase in volume. Stainless steel benches (tables) can hold countertop mixers in

place to prevent “walking” during mixing action. For large machines, a bowl dolly allows them to roll. Large machines have bowl adapters that allow for use of

smaller bowls when necessary.

Food Mixers

Considerations for vertical mixers


Food Mixers

Bowl Capacity

Motor HP

Common Locations, Uses in Foodservice

5 qt. 1/6th Sufficient for small kitchens: mixes dough, dressings, mashes potatoes.

12 to 20 qt. ½ to 1 Most common sizes: good for all of the above, yeast-based doughs.

30 qt. ¾ to 1½ Bakeries, pizzerias, anywhere dough is made in large quantities.

40 to 80 qt. Up to 2½ Largest retail bakeries, restaurants, pizzerias.

Common sizes and uses of vertical mixers


Food Mixers5

How mixers work… Motor drives transmission, which is gear-driven or belt-driven. Mixing mechanism is vertical steel shaft connected to gear

drive. Most mixers have 3 or 4 speeds:

Gear-driven machines do not allow changing speeds while mixer is in operation.

Generally, higher horsepower in gear-driven machine allows for better mixing of heavy ingredients.

Belt-driven machines allow speed-up or slow-down during mixing. (Also called variable speed mixer.)


Attachments and accessoriesFood Mixers

Bowl guard – Heavy wire shield fits over bowl during mixing to prevent hand injuries. Mixer can’t operate unless bowl guard is in place.

Agitators – Beaters, paddles, balloon whips, dough arms are designed for specific mixing jobs and different bowl sizes.

Optional tools – Slicers, grinders can be attached to the power take-off (PTO), a hub on the motor that makes mixer more versatile. Speed-drive attachments make some accessories work faster.


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Mixer Variations

Hand-held mixer – Allows mixing without having to transfer food from a pot or pan into a mixer or food processor. Can be fitted with agitator attachments. Sized based on container they can mix, from 1 pint to 30 quarts.

Spiral mixer – Designed to mix large batches of dough, with a large (7½-10 HP) motor and programmable speeds for kneading.

Vertical cutter mixer (VCM) – Best described as a combination mixer and blender. Cutting or mixing blades can be attached to a central shaft for a variety of tasks: chopping, kneading, mashing, shredding, etc. Sizes from 4 quart tabletop (1 HP motor) to 130 quart freestanding (25 HP motor).

Vacuum tumbler – A motorized mixing machine specifically for kneading meat with marinades. Helps meats cook uniformly and increases yield.

Salad greens washer/spinner – Gentle agitation in cold water cleans salad greens, which are then dried through the centrifugal force of spinning. Helps greens last longer and thorough washing is a precaution against food-borne illness.


Food Slicers

Menu and volume – What will you be slicing, and how much of it? There are medium-duty and heavy-duty slicers. Cheese is especially tough on slicer blades.

Identified by diameter of cutting knife or blade; 10-inch and 12-inch disks are most popular.

Manual or automatic – Hand-operated for slicing to order, or a machine that can slice large amounts quickly?

Check safety features – Slicer accidents are fairly common. The ½ HP motor is a better overall choice than the 1/3 HP motor, which

might not be quite powerful enough for some jobs. Check for ease of cleaning, sanitizing, as this must be done daily. Specialized slicers available for slicing and stacking large quantities of

lunchmeats; also for bread, for making french fries, and for coring tomatoes.

Considerations for slicers


Slicer Safety and Maintenance

No one under age 18 is allowed to operate a slicer.

Don’t use the slicer to cut solidly frozen foods, aluminum cans, foods in plastic wrap or other packaging.

Clean and sanitize the slicer daily according to the manufacturer’s instructions and safety requirements.

Dull blade is most common cause of slicing problems. Use sharpening

stone to sharpen; honing stone to remove burrs and smooth the surface. Sharpen blade only when completely clean and dry. Wipe debris away

after sharpening. Do not over-sharpen – a few seconds is sufficient. Replace the stones whenever you replace the blade to avoid damaging

the blade.© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Food processing is changing the shape, size or consistency of food. Three basic types of processors:

Continuous feed – Food enters processor through a chute at the top and is sliced by a blade. Good for consistency, high-volume output.

Bowl-style – Food is placed in a bowl, where a two-blade assembly at bottom of bowl does the dicing or chopping. Rotating action helps mix foods as it chops them.

Combination-style – A machine that does both. Motor sizes from ½ to 1 HP. Can process hundreds of pounds per hour. Wide assortment of blades (called plates) for different sizes, shapes of

product. Bowls of various sizes and depths are available to fit processors.

Food Processing

Considerations for food processors


Processor Safety and Maintenance

Keep fingers out of hoppers and discharge chutes. Pushers or stompers are implements used to push product into the processor.

Machine jammed? Unplug it before reaching in to clear it. Clean after each use with nylon brush, damp cloth and

recommended sanitizing solution.

Choose processor with plates

that are easy to change, sharpen, and clean.

Hand-wash and air-dry plates.

Don’t put into dishwasher.

Store on special plate rack.


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Blenders

Blender performs many light-duty food processing jobs. Bar mixer is primarily for bar use, mixing liquids, solids and

ice. Quicker and quieter than blender. Both larger than home-use models, to handle 100

blending cycles per day. Identified by capacity of container, 1 quart to 5 gallons. Containers made of stainless steel, glass or

polycarbonate. Choose standard two-speed, or variable-speed controls. Two-piece rubber lid allows ingredients to be added.

Considerations for blenders


Blenders

Specialty blendersSpindle blender (seen on left) has

stainless-steel mixing head(s) and mixing cups. Best known for making milkshakes.

Juicer or juice extractor squeezes fresh fruit to make juice. Manual-feed or hopper; motor ½ to ¾ HP.

© 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Courtesy of Waring Products, a division of Conair Corp., East Windsor, New Jersey.

Blenders

To make blender choices, ask these questions: How much blending must be done in a typical day? How quickly must the drink(s) be produced? How much space do you have? Where do you want to locate the blender(s)? How much noise are customers and workers willing to endure?

(Blending can be noisy business. Aim for a noise level below 72 decibels.)

What types of ingredients will be blended? Frozen or cooked items? Hard or chunky?

Selecting a blender


Toasters

Toasting is a three-step process:

1. Using heat to remove moisture from food.

2. Cooking the food so it’s warm and crisp.

3. Browning the food’s exterior. The basic commercial toaster types are:

Batch toaster – A 2-slot or 4-slot “pop-up” toaster. In “pop-down” models, food is loaded at top but emerges at

bottom of toaster. Makes for faster reloading. Drawer-style – Food is placed onto a drawer or platen, which

slides into heated chamber for toasting. Continuous toaster – Conveyor is used for maximum volume.

Some operations use their conveyor ovens to toast. There are horizontal and vertical continuous toasters.

Bagel toasters and contact bun toasters – specialized for these types of foods.

Considerations for toasters


Toasters

Menu and volume – What will you be toasting and how much of it during busiest time periods? Manufacturers’ output figures are on the high side.

Who is making the toast? In self-serve settings, pop-up or pop-down are good choices.

There are 2 to 7 heating elements in a toaster. The options: Quartz sheath – Heats up quickly but is brittle and can break. Metal sheath – Heats more slowly than quartz, but holds heat longer and

is more durable. There are electric and gas-powered toasters but, since gas requires venting,

electric is often more practical. Having an internal temperature monitor is important. For continuous toasters, select a single control for heat and conveyor speed –

or separate controls for each. How much space do you have? Vertical conveyors can be 3 feet tall.

Selecting a toaster


Food Warmers

Considerations for food warmers Warmers are designed for different types of foods and whether they will be used in a kitchen or for serving guests.

Drawer warmers work well to keep food moist, but must be able to quickly reheat after being opened. Ideal for foods that must be stored more than an hour. Opening them often can be a hassle.

Open warmers are handy for quick-service, but susceptible to drafts. Food can be warmed from above or below.

Base-heated warmer heats a well (or water in the well) into which food container is placed. The soup warmer (also for sauces, cheese, chocolate, etc.) is a type of base-heated warmer.

Buffet warmer heats with overhead lamps and insulated cables beneath the food. Also has a sneeze guard.

Thermal shelves are heated shelves to keep items like pizzas hot. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Food Warmers

Selecting a food warmer What type(s) of food will you be holding? What quantities, and for how long? How will the food be served? Will the public see or dish up from the

warming appliance? Health codes require that warmers be able to hold food at a minimum

internal temperature (not just surface temperature) of 135º F. Closed cabinet or open? Gas or electric power? Gas connections mean a little more room is needed

for gas warmers. Heat from overhead or beneath the food? Overhead warmers use infrared

warmer lamps, not heat lamps. Will food be wrapped, and in what? Paper, tinfoil, plastic wrap all have

advantages and downsides that affect how they are best warmed.


Steam and Hot-Food Tables

Considerations for steam and hot-food tables Steam table heats using shallow tanks of water, into which pans are

placed. Hot-food table heats using hot air that circulates beneath the pans of food. Both types available with gas or electric power, in a variety of lengths and

sizes. Some (such as the unit below) have ovens installed beneath. Pans need to be covered to retain heat. NSFI suggests dividing large

batches of food into smaller portions for holding and serving.

The bain-marie is a small, uncovered variation of the steam table, a single container for cooking, holding and serving soups or sauces.


Courtesy of Thermodyne Foodservice Products, Inc., Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Coffee Makers

Your choice of coffee maker will depend largely on how much you need to brew at a time and your available space. In all instances, water quality is key. Many programmable for timing, strength of brew, automatic shutoff:

Coffee brewer drips or sprays water into a filter filled with ground coffee. Drips from filter into a carafe or airpot. Makes 10-12 cups at a time.

Satellite brewer is a larger (1½ gallon) programmable brewer that holds coffee hot for dispensing.

French press is a glass carafe where water and coffee grounds steep and a plunger-type arm is used to separate grounds from water before pouring. For individual, tableside service.

Coffee urn is largest and fastest option, from ½ gallon to 80 gallon and with one to three taps. Multiple taps are best, with one for dispensing hot water for tea.

Considerations for coffee makers


Espresso Machines

Considerations for espresso machines Espresso maker is two small electric machines on a single base:

A coffee grinder and a pump that adds water to the ground coffee. Number of heads determines how many espresso shots can be brewed at a time.

Stainless steel side valve uses high-pressure steam to foam milk for lattés.

Brewing time per shot ranges from 20 seconds to 1 minute. Models available from manual (lever driven by hydraulic pump,

with barista doing most of the work), to super-automatic (machine does it all, including discarding used grounds).

Other considerations: Price, space available (these take up a lot of room!), and operator training.

Regular cleaning is key to great drinks and lack of maintenance problems.


Documents

Miscellaneous Kitchen Equipment Chapter 17 © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc