Chapter 13 Smallwares Smallwares are the pots, pans, and other hand tools used to prepare food

Pots and pans *Many Use the term pot and pan interchangeable *pot: is a cooking container that is tall, or taller, than it is wide *pan: is wider then it is tall

Materials used in cookware Different materials have different properties that affect how the way foods cook Conduction is how well pots and pans transfer heat from the burner or oven to the food they contain Three top metals used in pots and pans: Copper Stainless steel aluminum

copper An excellent conductor of heat Cooks items quickly and evenly Drawbacks: Expensive and heavy Extra work to keep it clean and shiny Reacts with certain foods – because of this it is often lined with another metal

Aluminum Widely used material for commercial cookware Costs less than copper or stainless steel Weighs less A good conductor of heat Not as good as copper Disadvantage: Discolor some preparations

Stainless steel Slightly less expensive A bit lighter then copper pots Does not tarnish Disadvantage: Does not conduct heat as well as copper or aluminum Creates hot spots, or uneven heating

Other materials Carbon steel: other wise known as black steel: Used to make saute pans, frying, and roasting pans Conducts heat well but will rust if left wet Can give off a metallic taste if used to cook acidic foods Cast iron: An excellent conductor of heat Most often used in frying pans Extremely heavy and may crack or chip if dropped

Types of pots and pans In addition to the material used the size and shape is also important Hotel pans: also called steam table pans Are rectangular stainless steel pans used to hold foods in steam tables Standard sized is 12 X 20 in Available in depths of 2.5, 4 and 6 inches Commercial foodservice equipment is designed to accommodate the standard dimensions of hotel pans

Sheet pans: Bowls: Large and shallow, Used for baking and food storage Standard size is 18 X 24 inches Made of aluminum Ovens, refrigerators and carts are designed to accommodate them Bowls: Used for mixing and storage of products Made of stainless steel for durability

Bain marie: Measuring equipment: A hot water bath used to cook foods gently They are typically tall cylinder-shaped Made of stainless steel Measuring equipment: Containers used for measuring volume and a variety of shapes and sizes Measuring spoons- ranging from eight of a teaspoon up to tablespoon – used for measuring small amounts of ingredients

Scales Portion scales: Balance beam scale: A small scale used for weighing smaller quantities and individual ingredients Available as mechanical spring-type scales or as electronic scales with digital readout Balance beam scale: A scale with two balanced platforms Things to be weighed are placed on one platforms and counterweights are placed on the other Popular with bakers and pastry chefs because of its ability to weigh large amounts of dry ingredients

Receiving scale: Large capacity scale to weigh big quantities of products when they are delivered Can weigh several 100’s of pounds Available in both mechanical and electronic

Thermometers Used to measure temperatures during cooking, holding, and cooling Essential for ensuring safe food handling practice Bimetallic coil thermometer Use a coil made from two metals contained in the probe Are oven safe or instant read Read the temperature of meat Candy thermometer Deep-fat thermometer Used to measure higher temperatures Used when cooking sugar and deep frying

Thermocouple thermometer Instant read thermometer that utilizes a probe that is connected to an electronic meter Some can be placed in an oven and the meter is placed on the outside so the cooking can be monitored Infrared thermometer Work by aiming a beam of laser light onto a small spot on the surface of an object Temperatures can be measured from a distance without touching the product Can only measure the temperature of the surface and not internally

Straining equipment Helps to strain the solids from the liquids Come in many forms including: China cap: a cone shaped strainer used to remove lumps and particles from liquids such as sauces Colander: large bowl shaped strainer used to drain large quantities Chionois: type of china cap that has a finely woven metal mesh, removes small particles from sauces. Strainer: another wise known as a sieve, made of mesh or perforated metal

Drum sieve: metal or nylon mesh screen stretched over a circular metal or wooden frame, used for sifting large quantities of dry ingredients Ricer: a cylindrical, metal sieve with an attached plunger. Cooked foods as potatoes are forced through with a plunger to form small rice shaped pieces Cheese cloth: a cotton, gauze like material, sometimes used in place of a chinois. They are used to make bags to hold herbs and spices for flavoring stocks and other foods Food mill: a strainer used to puree soft foods a hand cranked paddle pushes the food through a strainer.

Cutting and processing equipment Graters: a single plate with a series of teeth or a hollow metal box with different size teeth on each side. Used for shredding vegetables, cheese, chocolate and other items. Rasp: a hand held grater that is used for zesting citrus fruits. And used to very finely grate spices, and hard cheeses. Mandoline: used to slice food by pushing the food onto and across a sharp metal blade. The plate can be adjusted to change the thickness of the slice Food processors: tabletop machine with a motorized base and a variety of bowls and blade attachments. Used to grind, puree, and blend. However it can be used to shred, julienne and dice foods into a variety of sizes.

Blenders: employ high velocity blades for mixing pureeing, liquefying fluid or semi fluid foods. Bar blender: two part machine consisting of a motorized base and covered container. The blades are located in the bottom of the container. Immersion blender: is a one piece machine consisting of a motorized shaft with blades on the end. It is immersed in a container of liquid and mixes or purees the product. Meat grinder: a machine or attachment used to grind meat or other foods into various textures. Different size dies can be used to produced different sized products

Buffalo chopper: is a machine used for chopping large quantities of food. It consists of a rotating bowl that the food is placed into and the bowl then passes under a set of rotating blades that chop the food Slicer: has a rotating blade to slice foods thinly and evenly. A carriage holds the food being sliced to allow hands to be clear of the blades

Small wares storage All smallwares must be properly cleaned, rinsed, sanitized and allowed to dry. When storing bowls, pots, and pans that they are stored on a shelf they must be inverted Clean and sanitize shelving units to keep them up to code

Kitchen equipment safety Osha regulation people under 18 years of age are not permitted to operate, clean or repair power equipment such as meat slicers or bakery mixers. Before working with such equipment: Get trained Wear any personal protective equipment Use machines guarding Ask for help if you don’t know how to use it Be aware that age restrictions exist Follow the manufacturers instructions for machine use and cleaning Pg 215