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How to match the right cooking kit to your kitchen
Don’t know which prime cooking equipment is right for you? Our sector-by-sector guide can help operators make the right choice
Outfitting a professional kitchen can be a bewildering task for hospitality operators, and choosing cooking equipment is near the top of the list. With an array of appliance types and brands on offer, zeroing in on the most appropriate kit depends on your venue and the cuisine you serve.
So to help operators make a decision, we have put together a review of the cooking equipment options available to any chef, whether you run a small back-bar operation or a hotel kitchen serving thousands.
Full-service restaurants: efficiency is key
As restaurant operators are contending with staff shortages, smaller kitchen footprints and rising energy costs, coupled with a growing demand for flexible, health-conscious menus, Unox believes its X-Generation range of combi-ovens helps to meet these challenges. “These ovens go beyond traditional combi functionality, combining versatile cooking modes with advanced technology to simplify cooking processes and ensure repeatable, consistent results,” says former UK managing director Scott Duncan.
The ovens use the Digital.ID platform, which offers customisable programmes, user profiles and cloud access. Features like Hey.Unox voice control and Optic.Cooking ingredient recognition are designed to allow easy operation and automatic cooking programme selection.
Multi-functionality has also found its way into cooking suites via the incorporation of induction planchas, such as plaque Athanor, supplied by Grande Cuisine, which can be used for direct and indirect (pan) cooking. “These ‘dual purpose’ cooking surfaces make a suite much more versatile, especially if the menu or cooking style change in the future,” says Grande Cuisine director Steve Hobbs.
Athanor at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
In Auchterarder in Perthshire, Restaurant Andrew Fairlie’s existing Athanor cook suite was updated last year to improve efficiency and working conditions. “We needed more cooking space because we had chefs queuing to use certain parts of the stove,” recalls head chef Stevie McLaughlin. He created that cooking space by adding more radiant burners to the stove. “Our garnish chef can now be on one stove making both soup and a confit, whereas before he would have had to do one after the other.”
For those restaurants requiring a grill, one option for reducing energy consumption while maintaining high power is a Synergy Grill, which used patented technology around its gas burner system. Andrew Hirst, executive head chef of Milsom Hotels & Restaurants, says: “The energy consumption of the Synergy Grill itself is so impressive. So far we’ve ran seven key events, and the gas bottle is only half used. It’s almost like it’s just sipping the gas. It’s reduced our gas usage by nearly 50%.”
Quick-service restaurants: reliability with fast output
Frying is often a staple of quick-service restaurants (QSR), and with training time at a premium, the Henny Penny F5, supplied by Jestic Foodservice Solutions, is a powerful low-oil-volume fryer designed so that any member of the team can operate it. Controlled from a 4mm thick, recessed ‘kitchen-proof’ touchscreen display, the F5 can be automatically pre-programmed with a wide range of core menus and food items to ensure consistent cooking. THe F5 is wipe-clean on the outside and can also filter oil in just three minutes, meaning it can be cleaned mid-service and making the end-of-shift clean-down simple and swift.
Henny Penny F5
Meanwhile, Zodiac Stainless Products’ double electric fryer has been developed for operations that demand speed, output and reliability. With two independently-controlled four-litre oil tanks, the fryer enables simultaneous preparation of multiple items – from chips and fish to appetisers and small plates – without flavour crossover. Its lift-out elements and integrated drainage system are designed to simplify cleaning and maintenance, while the high heat output and rapid recovery make it suitable for quick service.
Zodiac double fryer and panini press
Large-scale catering: high production and high quality
Kitchens offering mass catering need cooking appliances that can produce high-quality results at scale. At Breda Murphy Food Services in Mitton near Whalley, Lancashire, its on-site deli and home delivery service requires a production kitchen capable of delivering a menu of more than 25 meals.
Murphy chose Rational’s iVario Pro technologically advanced bratt pan, helping her company to quadruple production to 600-700 units daily. “We used to cook 10kg of meat using 12 rings and 10 pans. Now we do 40kg at a time, six days a week,” she says. “To go from pots and pans and a huge mess to one piece of equipment that can poach, fry, braise, hold and pressure cook – it’s paid for itself in 18 months.”
Particularly for public sector kitchens, MKN’s latest Optima modular cooking equipment series combines digital and analogue controls, including a stainless steel rotary knob. The system offers “seamless, ergonomic operation with both high-tech capability and tactile reliability”, according to Wayne Bennett, regional vice-president, UK and Ireland.
Induction technology allows for variable power settings, precise temperature control and energy-efficient operation. The product line includes electric deep fat fryers, griddles, bain maries, multicookers, braisières, infragrills, standing boiling kettles and modular worktops.
Hotels: bespoke options fit all sizes
Hotels are likely to require a combination of prime cooking equipment, so to plug the gap between choosing a more expensive premium bespoke cooking range or lower cost, modular options which may not match their requirements, Exclusive Ranges has recently launched ‘ER Bespoke’ – a fully customisable cooking solution.
These ranges can be configured with a range of high-spec appliances, including the most popular cooking methods, as well as planchas, induction units, grills, pasta cookers and refrigeration.
At the luxury end of the hotel market, an exclusive London venue with views of Hyde Park used a Varithek ACS front of house cooking system for its refurbished penthouse apartment. Supplied by BGL Rieber, the Varithek mobile cooker is self-ventilated and so can be used both inside and outside on the penthouse’s terrace by guests and visiting private chefs for functions of up to 40 guests.
Pubs and bars: space matters
For pubs and bars with limited space, induction cookware supplier Adventys has released a compact range of modular ‘back bar’ cooking appliances.
The range is designed to fit into the tightest working spaces, allowing users to maximise cooking and preparation space without compromising performance. All units have a standard depth of 650mm and a width of 400mm, making them interchangeable as kitchen requirements evolve. Units are available in both single and two-zone induction layouts, as well as plancha and wok module variations.
Adventys
Suppliers
Adventys www.adventys.co.uk
BGL Rieber www.bglrieber.co.uk
Exclusive Ranges exclusiveranges.co.uk
Grande Cuisine www.grandecuisine.co.uk
Jestic Foodservice Solutions www.jestic.co.uk
MKN www.mkn.com
Rational www.rational-online.com
Synergy Grill Technology synergygrill.com
Unox www.unox.com/en_gb
Zodiac Stainless Products zodiacspco.co.uk
Photo: PH888/Shutterstock
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