Commercial equipment

Deep fat fryer

Used for deep frying fish, poultry, vegetables, etc in very hot oil. Correct frying temperature is controlled and maintained by a thermostat.

This can be a very dangerous piece of equipment and staff must be trained on how to use it properly. It must not be overfilled with oil and wet foods must be drained thoroughly before frying (to avoid hot oil spitting and splashing out of the fryer, potentially causing burns).

Salamander grill

Food can be placed under the heat source for grilling, toasting, glazing or gratinating.

Baking oven

Used for baking bread, cakes, pastries, etc. This oven is not as deep as a conventional oven, which helps to maintain a more even temperature and achieve a more even bake. Some baking ovens have separate heat control for each compartment.

Bain marie

This piece of equipment contains one or more water baths. Food can be placed into the water bath to keep hot, without scorching. A bain-marie can be open-topped, with a reservoir in which different containers can be placed.

It’s important to keep water topped up in the bain-marie, to avoid overheating.

Convection/steam oven

This oven uses a combination of convection heating and steaming. It can be used for steaming, roasting, baking, braising, poaching and general oven cooking/defrosting of food. It can also be used to reheat convenience/ready-made meals.

Great care must be taken when opening the oven door, as hot steam and vapour may escape, causing burns.

Boiler

Can be used for boiling and stewing food. Also used for making soups and sauces. The boiler can be tilted to remove the contents.

Bratt pan

This piece of equipment can be used for many tasks, including frying, stewing, braising and boiling food. It has a large shallow cooking reservoir and a lid.

Convection oven

Can be used for roasting, baking, braising and general oven cooking of food. The oven has a fan inside which helps to circulate hot air around the oven, ensuring an even cooking temperature throughout the oven. This helps to cook the food more quickly.

High pressure steamer

This piece of equipment can be used to steam cook ingredients very quickly. This can be important when cooking vegetables, as the quicker they are cooked, the more nutrients are retained in the food. Fish and chicken can also be steamed in this way.

Great care must be taken when opening the oven door, as hot steam and vapour may escape, causing burns.