Cooking Equipment

Induction Equipment Guide

Fast, efficient, and safe, induction cooking is one of the latest and greatest advancements in cooking since the knife. The simple shape, structure, and design combine with the efficient inner-workings to give powerful heating potential while taking up minimal space in your kitchen so you can increase both versatility and output. Suitable for everything from saute pans to soup pots, the only real limitations of induction systems are the size of the cooking surface and the types of pans you can use. But with our selection of induction ranges , induction buffet tables , and induction ready cookware , those are no longer issues.

Restaurant Kitchen Layouts

Components of a Commercial Kitchen Most people hear "commercial kitchen" and think of ranges, grills, fryers, and maybe a frantic, angry chef yelling out orders. That may be the case, but the true commercial kitchen is much more than just the equipment or personnel found in it. A successful kitchen includes specific components organized in a particular pattern to optimize performance and efficiency. Those components are: Cleaning/washing Storage Food Preparation Meal Cooking Service Cleaning/Washing  The cleaning and washing section of a commercial kitchen includes sinks , warewashing machines , and drying racks . This section is first on the list because without dirty dishes there are no clean dishes to serve your food on. Three-compartment sinks are necessary for washing utensils, while warewashing machines can quickly clean plates and other serving vessels to keep the kitchen running at full speed. This section of the kitchen should be located near the kitchen entrance so servers can quickly drop off dirty dishes, and near the storage area so chefs can quickly find clean dishes. Storage The storage area can be split into non-food storage, cold storage, and dry storage. The non-food storage area can be split further into a section for disposable products, a section for cleaning supplies, and a section for the clean dishes from your cleaning/washing area. Remember, in order to avoid contamination, cleaning and sanitation chemicals cannot be stored above food, food equipment, utensils, dishes, or disposables like cups and plastic cutlery .  Cold storage is where you keep anything that needs to be refrigerated or frozen , while dry storage includes all nonperishables and other consumables . This area might also contain a receiving area for inventory shipments, shortening the distance new stock has to travel through your restaurant. Food Preparation The food preparation area has sinks for washing produce , cutting areas , and mixing areas. Typically, th

How To Light a Pilot Light

If you're having trouble starting your cooking equipment, it may be due to an extinguished pilot light. A pilot light is a small gas burner that stays lit continuously, so you can ignite a flame for your larger burner. Pilot lights can go out fairly often in busy commercial kitchens. A breeze may extinguish the flame, especially in high-traffic environments or near frequently-used doors. If all pilot lights are out on your equipment, turn on your ventilation hoods, check your gas line, and vent the area. If you smell a strong gas odor or suspect you have a gas leak, contact your gas provider immediately. Do not light a flame or turn on an electric switch until the problem is addressed. With these instructions, you can learn how to light a pilot for several types of equipment in your restaurant. Step-by-Step Instructions How to Light Range Tops On a range top, gas is always coming out of your pilot. 1. Light the pilot light (located within the burner) with a lighter. How to Light a Standard Oven Be sure to set the thermostat to the "off" position and wait 5 minutes before attempting to relight the pilot. 1. Hold down the red button on the gas safety valve to release gas. 2. Light pilot by pushing the red ignitor button. You may need to press it more than once. Continue pressing the igniter button until the pilot stays lit. If the pilot won’t light, you may need to continue holding the gas safety valve button to expel all oxygen from the system. How to Light Fryers 1. Turn fryer off. Turn the gas safety valve knob to “pilot.” 2. Hold the gas safety valve knob in for about 30 seconds to purge oxygen from the line. 3. While holding in the gas safety valve knob, light the pilot. 4. Turn gas safety valve knob to “on.” To turn the pilot off, turn the fryer off, and turn the pilot knob to "off." These techniques can be applied to a wide range of gas cooking equipment, but if you require any clarification or further instruction on the proper procedure to use for your unit, b