Scientific Equipment and Techniques in Kitchen

There is an ever-growing breed of restaurants that are using scientific-esque instruments and techniques to improve the quality and consistency of the food cooked. The following are some examples:
pH meters are used to ensure a particular type of food is seasoned exactly the same way every time. Getting the pH of seasoning such as lemon juice and malic acid (used as a season for roast foie gras) right is crucial and the use of pH meters guarantees consistency throughout the season.
A rotary evaporator is a device used in laboratories to gently evaporate liquids from a solution. It lowers the pressure inside a flask and condenser, thus lowers the boiling point of the solvent and other volatiles in the solution. By creating a vacuum, water can be boiled well below 100ºC. Secondly, the rotating flask creates a thin film of liquid covering the entire surface of the flask, thus speeding up the evaporation of the aroma compounds.
Overhead stirrers are used to stir small quantities of liquids for very long times at either slow or very high speeds. They are effective for creating very delicate fluid gels, such as hot tea and iced tea.
Deionisation units, which are cheaper versions of reverse osmosis systems, use ion exchange resins to remove the dissolved ions. These units are basically plastic beads which react with metal ions and extract them from of the solution.
A centrifuge device uses centrifugal force to separate liquid by means of differences in density rather than size. Bottles are filled with a mixture, and then spun around a central axis inside the centrifuge. The centrifuge makes it possible to extract more liquid from a puree, for example, compared to just squeezing through a muslin. Also, removing solids helps a sauce to foam better and makes it more stable.


Multi-Cuisine Charcoal Oven

Charcoal_Oven 
The smell of food cooked over charcoal is at times so incredible that we salivate in anticipation of the first bite. This highly sought-after taste is very much in demand. Although cooking with charcoal is generally time consuming, dirty and most times messy, the aroma it adds to food more than makes it worthwhile. The “Josper" charcoal oven is an elegant-looking solid fuel charcoal oven without the venting challenges most often associated with a conventional char-broiler. The unit comes with two adjustable broiler racks that allow the chef to cook a wide variety of meats and vegetables in the oven simultaneously, making this versatile piece of equipment capable of very high production.
        There appears to be no limitation to the things you can cook in it. In addition, it cooks faster than traditional barbeque grill. By combining the features of an enclosed oven with the traditional characteristics of barbeque cooking, this piece of equipment offers a high efficiency in utilizing the heat produced by the charcoal. The dual damper system helps minimize charcoal consumption while allowing the unit to maintain high cooking temperatures for extended periods of time. Of course, it also helps to greatly influence and enhance the flavour of the foods being cooked. 
        You only need around 16kg of charcoal a day. The temperature is normally used at 250-300°C but can be adjusted up to 500°C. The oven exterior finish colour can be custom-made to your requirements.


Refrigerant Selection

        Types of preferred refrigerant used In the hospitality and foodservice industry (in refrigerators, cold rooms, and air-conditioning systems) presently are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), that are considered 'greener' than previous alternatives (either CFCs or HCFCs), the most popular being R134a, R404A and R507A, which have an ozone depletion potential that is essentially zero. This precipitates the common question: How does one choose the most suitable type of refrigerant under different operating circumstances, and what essentially distinguishes one from another? There are several differences that have been identified between R404A, R507A and R134a.
        The Leakage rate for R134a is approximately 30% of R404A and R507A. Characteristics of R404A and R507A are almost similar, although R507A has a marginally superior cooling capacity. R134a cannot be used for low temperature applications. Selection of R404A or R507A for Low Temp Application is dependant on availability in a particular local market. It is recommended that we select R134a for Medium Temp Applications, as it requires lower running cost, and has low leakage rates, although start-up cost is higher. There are companies which are presently developing usage of CO2, which is already being practised in Australia. CO2 has 0 GWP, whereby R404A and R507A has GWP exceeding 1000.
        However, some current markets, Asia for example, may not be technologically ready for this yet (maintenance knowledge, components, controls, safety measures, etc.) To conclude, for low temperature application, it is recommended to select R404A or R507A depending on local market availability. For medium temperature application, it is recommended that we select R134a. For clients who are willing to go the extra mile in investing in "Green Solutions", CO2 is the recommended refrigerant, but the client is advised to initiate preliminary discussions with the supplier of the refrigeration system to verify economic feasibility.


Restaurant Concept Ideas “Gone too Far”

Food In Dark
We all know that the restaurant industry is very competitive, and that every effort especially in this economic climate is being made to grab potential customer’s attention... but some may have gone too far. We all know of the now infamous Japanese sushi restaurant in Japan, where you can eat your meal off of a “Semi-naked woman”. But now some restaurants have come up with new and crazy ideas to capture the market’s attention. For instance cannibalistic eating, where the chef creates an edible human dummy that you then feast upon. In China you can eat your food in the dark, with the assistance of night vision goggles military style. Or how about going to the hospital for dinner: a restaurant in Taipei incorporates this concept with nurse’s uniforms and assisted eating as if you were handicapped in some way. Are these the future of restaurant concepts, the more audacious and wackier, the better? Has the current clientele seen it all and needs to be shocked to be interested.
        
 Canibalistic
Have we run out of all the new and different ways food delivery can happen in a restaurant? Although I do recognize that theme restaurants that provide people not only food but also entertainment are here for good, I still believe that with the advent of new technologies, we will also see new concepts coming out of our industry, concepts with technology that will not change our basic foods but allow the customer to experience it in a new way.

Volume 30



As it has been said..

“ Bad cooks -- and the utter lack of reason in the kitchen -- have delayed human development longest and impaired it most.”

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By  Frederich Nietzsche
 



Dr. CKP Fixit says...

Remotely located condensing units should be specified where possible, where valuable space is gained , while reducing heat loads in kitchens and eliminating acoustic disturbances in restaurants.


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