Catering Equipment

Catering equipment is used by almost everyone on a regular basis. In-fact there is probably some catering equipment in your office.

Dishwashing and Oven Equipment

One area of catering equipment is  dishwashers/ware-washers an example of this piece of catering equipment is the Bar Aid range of dish and glass washers, it delivers market quality and exceptional wash results with 4 models to cope with every aspect of glass and dishwashing.

Each model comes complete with an automatic integral water softener, WRC approved type ‘A’air gap, drain pump, detergent and rinse aid pumps, double skinned construction and they are also multi phased making them suitable for either 1ph or 3ph supply. Life is simple for the operators too - The machine is controlled by a simple touch of a single button.

Breakthroughs  in the catering equipment industry have meant that machines like this are available to everyone and have improved the efficiency of many food related businesses, as staff are put on more important tasks instead of stuck cleaning dishes.

But how do dishwashers actually work? Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies largely on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher cleans by spraying hot (55–65 degrees Celsius or 130–150 degrees Fahrenheit) water on the dishes. A mix of water and detergent is used for cleaning purposes, followed by clean water to remove the detergent residue. Some dishwashers have multiple wash and rinse periods within the complete cycle. In some dishwashers, a rinsing aid can be added to the rinse cycle. As there is no human contact during the process, strong detergents may be used which would be too alkaline for habitual exposure to the skin. Many dishwashers have a heating element to achieve fast drying and sanitation of the dishes. In some models, this element can also be used to heat cold water to the desired wash temperature.

Another area of catering equipment is the oven, they are very common and a kitchen without an oven is not a kitchen. However there are many many different types of oven such as; The Pickwick Village Stove Potato baker, this is an authentic Victorian design, finished in a choice of green or black. The insulated oven chamber is stainless steel with a further heated storage unit above to hold an additional 40 baked potatoes ready to serve. That oven isn’t a regular oven and is a lot more specialised, a more general use oven would be; Rational SCC101E Electric Self Cooking Center Combination Oven.

Barbeque Catering

Also catering equipment can be used at the home such as a barbeque. An example of one of these barbecues is Cinders the Clubman; description;  No assembly required, cooking heat reached in less than 5 minutes, flush fitting controls for greater heat control, low pressure burners for sheltered patio use, flame failure device ensuring safety of operation, high capacity and fast throughput of food, excess fat can be collected in a ring pull can and self cleaning by reflected heat meaning no dismantling to clean.

The modern barbeque has numerous regional variations in many parts of the world. Notably, in the Southern United States, practitioners consider barbecue to include only indirect methods of cooking over hardwood smoke, with the more direct methods to be called “grilling”. In British usage, barbecuing and grilling refer to a fast cooking process directly over high heat, while grilling also refers to cooking under a source of direct, high heat—known in the U.S. and Canada as broiling. In US English usage, however, grilling refers to a fast process over high heat, while barbecuing refers to a slow process using indirect heat and/or hot smoke (very similar to some forms of roasting). For example, in a typical U.S. home grill, food is cooked on a grate directly over hot charcoal, while in a U.S. barbecue, the coals are dispersed to the sides or at significant distance from the grate.

Its South American versions are the southern Brazilian churrasco and the Argentine asado. Alternatively, an apparatus called a smoker with a separate fire box may be used. Hot smoke is drawn past the meat by convection for very slow cooking. This is essentially how barbecue is cooked in most U.S. “barbecue” restaurants, but nevertheless, many consider this to be a distinct cooking process called smoking.

One final area which involves the use of catering equipment is the design of your kitchen the steps below will help you in designing the placement of your catering equipment.

Planning the Layout of your Catering Equipment

Design the placement of your interior appliances and cabinets to expedite your working area. If you plan to cater entire meals, allow room to house thermo carts with an easy access to the door for transportation.

Divide your catering kitchen into work areas by food group. When preparing desserts, your pastry board should be as close as possible to the flour and sugar bins and only a short reach from a centralized refrigerator. In addition, plan for a meat and entrée work area on one side of your cook top and a side dish preparation station on the other.

Equip sinks and trash receptacles with knee or foot levers to ensure sanitary operation.
Position warming trays near the packaging area. The last step before transporting your food is the final packaging. Here, you will transfer prepared hot dishes into thermo carts and put the cold foods into the cooling chests. With warming trays close by, your packaging process will go smoother.

Provide adequate lighting for food preparation. Can lights, recessed in the ceiling or kitchen bulk header should be closely spaced in areas requiring precision work. Track lighting is a workable option but make sure you purchase fixtures that will accommodate high wattage light bulbs.

Choose stainless steel cabinets and appliances for an easy-to-clean surface that withstands bleaching. Reducing the incidence of food-borne bacteria is imperative in a catering kitchen. Stainless steel does not absorb bacteria like wood can and it wipes clean.