Equipment,
Professional Chefs
What equipment does an apprentice chef need?
We’ve all seen shows like Hell’s Kitchen or MasterChef, and at
times, it really seemed like hell broke loose. And then, there is Donna Hay,
Bill Granger, Jamie Oliver and the like - people who make cooking look like,
well, a piece of cake.
So, which one is the real side of the chef coin?
Well, both.
It is no secret the road from an apprentice chef to the chef in
charge of a famous restaurant is long and hard, but there are some things that
should make it easier. Very often, the speed of work in the kitchen is the
determining factor and there is no better ally for that than your equipment.
As an apprentice chef, you will need equipment that’s
high-quality, inexpensive, and easy to keep clean. You need to know how to use
your equipment to its full potential, how to store it, and how to make sure it
complies with health and safety standards. You also need to make sure you
choose utensils that are right for you personally.
Choosing knives
A good cooking knife could last you for a large portion of your
career! When choosing one, you need to think about:
●
Where your knives will be stored. Often health and
safety regulations require them to be kept locked up when not in use, even if
they are already in a locked kitchen.
●
How many knives you will need. You won’t be able to get
by with just one – different
blades are used for different tasks.
●
How comfortable you are using the knife. Make sure you
have one that won’t slip in your fingers. This goes for things like whisks and
peelers too – a cook’s utensils are an extension of the hand!
Choosing chopping boards
Chopping boards are vital in a kitchen, but they need to be
kept clean to prevent cross-contamination which could lead to illness. You can
buy colour-coded chopping boards – one colour for
dairy, one colour for meat and so on - so that the possibility of
cross-contamination is kept to an absolute minimum. Many kitchens store their
boards in racks under labels noting which colour is to be used for which food
group.
Choosing thermometers
You can’t be too careful when it comes to thermometers. Most
kitchens use a digital probe thermometer to check if food is cooked, as you
cannot always judge purely from the colour of the food. Like with chopping
boards, many kitchens will colour-code their thermometers to prevent
cross-contamination from raw food.
Choosing more specialised
equipment
The food industry is constantly innovating to make cooking
easier and faster. For example, a salad spinner is designed to take the hassle
out of making salads by draining the water from them, a slicer is intended to
make cutting food faster, and an immersion blender is designed to help you make
soup and sauces quickly and easily. A few things to bear in mind when buying
tools like this for your kitchen:
●
Will there be any wires attached to the product that
may get in the way inside a
kitchen? If so, see if your product is available in a wireless version.
●
Can the product be colour-coded if needed? Sticking a
coloured label on a piece of kitchen equipment usually won’t be an option, as
health and safety policies won’t allow it.
●
Do you have the storage space for it?
As an apprentice chef it helps to
have a working knowledge of anything and everything you might find in a
kitchen. Research and weigh up what you’re most likely to need!
Becoming an apprentice chef is the
first step on a long journey, but the proper equipment and the knowledge of how
to use it is a very good start.
Find this interesting? Check out these other blogs:
Top 5 Secrets To Becoming A Master Chef
6 Must-have Kitchen Accessories For 2016
Introducing Olympia Kiln
Find this interesting? Check out these other blogs:
Top 5 Secrets To Becoming A Master Chef
6 Must-have Kitchen Accessories For 2016
Introducing Olympia Kiln
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