Choosing Kitchen Equipment and Equipment for Cooking

1. Choosing Kitchen Equipment andEquipment for Cooking FACS Standards 8.2.1, 8.2.2, 8.2.3 Kowtaluk, Helen and Orphanos Kopan, Alice. Food For Today. McGraw Hill-Glencoe. 2004.

2. Appliances can take a major portion of kitchen equipment budget • Shop carefully

3. Refrigerator-Freezer • Freezer may be: side, top, or bottom • Some defrost automatically; others manually – remove food, thaw, clean regularly • Some features add to cost although convenient

4. Features include: • Adjustable shelves • Temperature and humidity controlled compartments • Automatic ice makers • Doors with chilled water and ice on outside

5. Ranges, Cooktops, and Ovens • Gas or electric • All-in-one; separate built-in cooktop and oven units

6. Gas Range • Oven and broiler often separate • Broiler below oven; close door • Burners heated with flame, easily regulated • Heat level change almost immediate • Air flow needed for burning gas – don’t block vents

7. Electric Range • Elements – heating units • Oven and broiler – same compartment • 2 heating elements – top and bottom • Bottom for all cooking except broiling • Top for broiling only; leave door slightly open

8. 2 main cooktops • Coil elements – elements heat up and cool down relatively quickly – slower than gas; coils vary in size to fit smaller and larger cooking containers

9. Induction cooktops – glass-ceramic top covering heating elements; easy to clean; magnetic attraction of pan and heating element produce heat; cooktop stays cool except for heat transferred from pan

10. Cooktops • Sealed gas burners – no visible flame or pilot light; adds safety; aids cleanup • Smooth cooktops- easy to clean • Modules – allow greater flexibility; grill, griddle, or other accessory substituted for standard surface units

11. Ovens • Conventional, convection, microwave • Separate unit or part of range • One oven below cooktop and smaller one at eye level • Oven with 2 or more cooking methods in single unit

12. Conventional and convection • Self-clean – special cleaning cycle that uses high heat to burn off food stains • Continuous clean – special rough interior walls that absorb spills and splatters; soil residue easily wiped off

13. Oven temperature ranges from warm 200o F – broil 500o F • Broiler cooks food by direct heat in top of compartment

14. Convection Ovens • Similar to convention except fan circulates heated air – speeds cooking time and keeps temperature even • Food browns more evenly • Food cooks more quickly

15. Microwave ovens – many features • Equipped with turntable • Contain rack increasing capacity of oven • Browning unit • Temperature probes

16. Form of energy traveling like radio waves • Turn electricity into microwaves • Bounce off walls and floor and absorbed by the food • Passes through glass, paper, and plastic • Food molecules bounce off one another

17. Friction produces heat which cooks food • Cook in 1/4th the time of conventional method – energy efficient

18. Small Appliances • Can save money, time, and energy • Too many causes storage problem • Promote safety, comfort, ease of cleaning, easy of care

19. Toaster • Browns bread products – both sides at once • 2 and 4 slice models • Set dial for degree of browning

20. Toaster Oven • Toasts bread, heats foods, bakes small amounts of many foods • Can broil food

21. Electric Skillet • Thermostat controls temperature of skillet • Useful for frying, roasting, steaming, baking

22. Portable Electric Burner • Works like a cooktop on a range

23. Slow Cooker • Deep pot with heating element in base allowing food to cook slowly; convenient for cooking one-dish meals

24. Broiler/Grill • Small portable electric grill use to broil or grill foods indoors

25. Rice Cooker/Steamer • Used for large quantities of rice or for steaming vegetables; controlled heat cooks all types of rice perfectly

26. Cookware and Bakeware • Available as sets or individually • Major investment lasting for years

27. Consider purchasing guidelines: • Strong and durable materials and finishes; smooth edges; heat-resistant handles • High quality items; seamless construction; metal heavy enough to resist warping • Flat bottoms and secure lids

28. Saucepans • One long handle and come with a lid/cover • Usually made of metal or heatproof glass

29. Pots • Larger and heavier than saucepans – 3-20 quarts • Two small handles on opposite sides • Most often come with covers/lids

30. Skillets • “Frypans” of “frying pans” used for browning meat and frying foods • Vary in size and often have lids/covers

31. Double Boiler • 2 saucepans – one fitting on top of the other and with a lid/cover • Boiling water in the bottom pan gently heating food in upper pan; used to heat foods that scorch easily – milk, chocolate, sauces, cereal

32. Dutch Oven • Heavy gauge pot with close-fitting lid; used on range top or in oven; some have racks to keep meat from sticking to bottom

33. Steamer • Basketlike container placed in a saucepan containing a little boiling water; holes in steamer allow steam to pass through and cook food

34. Pressure Cooker • Heavy pot with locked-cover and steam gauge • Steam builds inside causing very high cooking temperature cooking food more quickly than in ordinary pot

36. Loaf Pan • Deep, narrow rectangular pan for baking breads and meatloaf

37. Cookie Sheet • Flat, rectangular pan for baking cookies and biscuits

38. Baking Sheet • Similar to cookie sheet, but has 1” sides used for cakes, chicken pieces, and fish

39. Cake Pans • Assorted sizes and shapes for baking cakes

40. Tube Pans • Variation of cake pan with central tube to trap added air

41. Pie Pans • Shallow, round pans with slanted edges used for pies, tarts, quiches

42. Muffin Pans • Used for baking muffins, rolls, cupcakes these pans are available with 6 or 12 cups

43. Roasting Pans • Large, heavy pans – oval or rectangular used for roasting meats and poultry – may be covered or uncovered

44. Casserole • Covered or uncovered pan used for baking and serving main dishes and desserts

45. Aluminum Foil Pans • Disposable pans useful for special, one-of-a-kind occasions; can be recycled

46. Tools • Designed for specific tasks • Dozens available to make food preparation faster and more convenient

47. Consider purchasing guidelines: • Fit a real need; avoid ones that will get seldom use • Well-designed, high-quality tool easy to clean and last a long time; sturdy handles • Heat-resistant • Store in convenient place

48. Turner • Used to lift and turn flat foods – hamburgers and pancakes

49. Tongs • Used to grip and lift hot, bulky foods – broccoli spears

50. Basting Spoon • Used to stir and baste foods during cooking