Lesson 1: Uses of Kitchen Tools, Equipment and Paraphernalia

introduction

Commercial cooking is preparing and cooking food for others for sale like in restaurants, school canteen, and cafeteria. It is the outcome of the man’s demand for food that is readily available and the fast-changing phases of his/her lifestyle.

Any cook should be familiar with the correct kitchen tools, equipment, and paraphernalia and they are made of different materials, and has certain advantages and disadvantages. The cooking requires specific tools, equipment and paraphernalia for proper & efficient preparation of food. Every tool and equipment are designed for a specific function in the kitchen.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson the students should be able to:

Identify the types of kitchen tools, equipment, and paraphernalia.
Use appropriate kitchen tools, equipment, and paraphernalia properly.
Value the importance of using appropriate kitchen tools, equipment, and paraphernalia.

COOKING MATERIALS

keep in mind!

Ceramic and heat-proof glass

is used especially for baking dishes, casseroles, and measuring cups. Glass and ceramic conduct the heat slowly and evenly

Aluminum

is the best for all around use. It is the most popular, lightweight attractive and less expensive materials.

Glass

is good for baking but not practical for top or surface cooking.

Cast iron

is sturdy but must be kept oiled to avoid rusting.

Teflon

is a special coating applied inside of aluminum or steel pots and pans. It prevents food from sticking to the pan.

Double boiler

is used when temperature must be kept below boiling, such as for egg sauces, puddings, and to keep food warm without overcooking.

Stainless steel

is the most popular material used for cooking, but it is more expensive.

kitchen tools

baster

is handy for returning some of the meat or poultry juices from the pan, back to the food.

Colanders

also called a vegetable strainer are essential for various tasks from cleaning vegetables to straining pasta or tin contents.

Cutting board

is a wooden or plastic board where meat and vegetables can be cut.

Emery board/

sharpening steel

is used to sharpen long knives.

Garlic press

is a kitchen tool which is specifically designed for the purpose of pulping garlic.

Cans, bottles, and cartons opener

are used to open a food tin, preferably with a smooth operation, and comfortable grip and turning knob.

Dredgers

are used to shake flour, salt, and pepper on meat, poultry, and fish.

Funnel

is used to fill jars, made of various sizes of stainless steel, aluminum, or of plastic.

GRATERS

are used to grate, shred, slice, and separate foods such as carrots, cabbage, and cheese.

KITCHEN SHEARS

are practical for opening food packages, cutting tape or string or simply to remove labels or tags from items.

Handy poultry and roasting tools

make it easier to lift a hot roasted turkey from the roaster to the serving platter, without it falling apart.

Rotary egg beater

is used for beating small amount of eggs or batter.

Seafood serving tools

make the task of cleaning seafood and removing the shell much easier.

Spatula

is used to level off ingredients when measuring, and to spread frostings and sandwich fillings.

Pasta spoon or server

is used to transfer a little or a lot of pasta to a waiting plate, without mess.

Potato masher

is used for mashing cooked potatoes, turnips, carrots, or other soft, cooked vegetables.

Serving spoons

are utensils consisting of a small, shallow bowl on a handle used in preparing, serving, or eating food.

Soup ladle

is used for serving soup or stews, but can also be used for gravy, dessert sauces or other foods.

Spoons

are kitchen utensils that are used for several purposes, such as stirring, serving, and transferring food.

Serving tongs

enable you to easily grab and transfer larger food items, poultry, or meat portions.

Scraper

is a rubber or silicone tool to blend or scrape the food from the bowl, metal, silicone or plastic egg turners or flippers.

Wooden spoons

are used for creaming, stirring, and mixing. They should be made of hard wood.

MEASURING TOOLS

Measuring cups and spoons

are used to measure solids and dry ingredients, such as flour, fat, and sugar.

Household scales

are used to weigh large quantity of ingredients in kilos, commonly in rice, flour, sugar, legumes or vegetables and meat up to 25 pounds.

Graduated measuring glass

is commonly made up of heat-proof glass and transparent so that liquid can be seen.

SCOOPS OR DIPPER

are used to measure serving of soft foods, such as fillings, ice cream, and mashed potato.

Portion scales

are used to weigh serving portions from one ounce to one pound.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

Refrigerator/freezer

is necessary in preventing bacterial infections from foods.

Oven

is a chamber or compartment used for cooking, baking, heating, or drying.

microwave oven

is a very popular kitchen device that heats and cook food using microwave radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum in a very quick time and maintain the nutrients in food.

Auxiliary equipment

like griddles, tilting skillets, broilers/grills, steamers, coffee makers, deep-fat fryers, wok, crockery, cutting equipment (meat slicer, food choppers, and grinders.

Blender

used to chop, blend, mix, whip, puree, grate, and liquefy all kinds of food.