12 Equipment Appendix, payne-Palacio, Theis, Food Service Management

Foodservice Equipment

General Considerations

  • A thorough understanding of foodservice equipment is crucial.
  • The field is constantly evolving, so continuous research is necessary before making equipment decisions.
  • Methods for staying updated:
    • Visiting factories
    • Talking to manufacturers and sales representatives
    • Testing equipment
    • Consulting kitchen designers
    • Attending trade shows
  • Current goals of equipment design:
    • Improved performance
    • Reduced energy usage
    • Efficient use of space
    • Reduced labor
    • Durability
    • Ease of cleaning, operating, and servicing
    • Multitasking capability
  • Foodservice equipment designers have been focused on energy efficiency and reducing water and electricity consumption.
  • Equipment choices should be based on the specific needs of the foodservice operation.

Cooking Equipment

Ranges
  • In commercial foodservice, a range refers to the cooktop unit.
  • Various cooktop combinations are available.
Open Burners
  • Most popular for short-order preparation.
  • Can use gas flames or electric coils.
  • Features:
    • Heat concentrated under kettles
    • Burners available in different sizes
    • Heating elements and grates are simple and easily removable for cleaning
    • Elevated gas cones for complete combustion and ventilation
    • Burners can be turned on and off as needed
    • Instant heat is available
    • High Btu output is achieved with a blower forcing air into the burner
  • Typical sauté range burner rating: 20,000–35,000 Btus.
  • Home gas range rating: 9,000-15,000 Btu.
Closed Burners (Hot Tops)
  • Ranges with a flat metal heating surface.
  • Designed for heavy-duty continuous cooking because the entire surface area is heated.
  • Various burner arrangements exist.
  • Types of gas range tops:
    • Uniform hot tops: even heat distribution from bar burners set in fire brick under a smooth top.
    • Graduated heat: concentric ring burners with separate controls providing intense heat in the center (approximately 1,100°F1,100°F) to low heat at the edge (450°F450°F). Projections on the underside help direct heat to edges.
    • Front-fired tops: burners under the front of the range top, concentrating heat at the front.
  • Food is never cooked directly on a hot top surface.
  • Hot top ranges take longer to heat up than open tops and are often left on throughout service.
  • Advantages: ease of cleaning and even heat.
  • Disadvantage: greater energy use than open burner ranges.
Induction Top Ranges
  • Generate heat only when a pan is placed on the unit.
  • Only utensils transfer heat to the food.
  • The cooking environment remains cool, and energy use is reduced.
Griddle Tops
  • Designed for cooking food directly on the range top surface.
  • Usually 3/4- or 1-inch thick.
  • Separate temperature controls every two feet of surface length.
  • Splatter guards and grease troughs are important.
  • Available with a grooved surface for a broiled appearance.
Wok Top Ranges
  • Also called Chinese ranges, chop suey-style ranges, and guangdong-style ranges.
Stock Pot Ranges
  • Useful for some operations.
Range Combinations and Options
  • Manufacturers build combinations of burners and hot tops in approximately 12-inch widths.
  • Below-range options:
    • Oven
    • Storage cabinet
    • Refrigeration
    • No base (tabletop range)
  • A flue-riser is usually mounted above the range to prevent splatters and direct flue gases to the exhaust hood.
  • Flue-riser options:
    • One or two shelves
    • Salamander broiler
    • Cheesemelter
Range Weights
  • Heavy-duty ranges:
    • Durable and suited for large-volume foodservice operations with constant usage.
    • Sizes: Electric-36 inches wide, 36 inches deep, 32 inches high; Gas 31 to 34 in wide, 34 to 42 in deep, 33 to 34 in high.
  • Medium weight or restaurant type:
    • Lighter construction, used where demands are less constant.
    • Sizes: Complete units, 6, 8, or 10 burners, or combination with fry-top and/or even-heat top; 1 or 2 ovens. Approximate size 35 to 64 inches wide, 27 to 32 inches deep, 34 inches high; ovens, 26 inches wide, 22 inches deep, 15 inches high.
Modular Units
  • Range sections are often joined to other modular units, such as broilers and fryers.
  • Euro-style range (Waldorf or Island-style) is gaining popularity, especially in upscale operations and display kitchens.
  • Modular equipment is back-to-back.
Two-Sided Cookers
  • Often called a clamshell.
  • Offer the benefits of both a griddle and a grill.
  • Some models sandwich food between heated top and bottom plates (platens), eliminating the need for turning.
  • Other models utilize a bottom plate and an infrared, noncontact broiler on top.
  • Both gas and electric cookers are available, constructed of stainless steel, varying in widths from two to six feet.
  • Platens are made of cast iron, highly polished steel, cold-rolled steel, or a chrome finish.
Steam Shell Cooker
  • A newcomer in two-sided cooking technology.
  • Circulates steam below the cooking surface for near-instant temperature recovery and even surface heat.
  • Steam is disbursed to the food when the lid is closed, reducing cooking time and retaining moisture and natural flavors.
Sandwich Toaster
  • Adds grill marks to the bread.
Broilers
  • Salamanders and cheesemelters are types of broilers.
  • Salamanders are designed to broil, brown, finish, and reheat food products.
  • Cheesemelters provide a finishing touch on a variety of foods and are used heavily for Mexican and Italian dishes.
Hearth-Type or Open-Top Broilers
  • Utilize a heavy cast iron grate horizontally above the heat source.
  • Charcoal or ceramic material above gas or electric burners form the radiant bed of heat.
  • Juice and fat drippings cause smoking and flaming, necessitating an efficient exhaust fan.
  • Available in multiple sections of any desired length.
Deep Fat Fryers
  • Made of chromium-plated steel or stainless steel.
  • Features:
    • Automatic temperature control with signal light and timer
    • Quick heat recovery
    • Cool sediment zone
    • Self-draining device
    • Easy removal of sediment and filtering of fat
  • Capacity is expressed in pounds of fat or pounds cooked per hour.
  • Fuel input determines production capacity.
  • Fryers should fry from 1½ to 2 times the weight of fat per hour.
Types of Fryers
  • Deep fat fryers:
    • Sizes from 11 × 11 to 24 x 24 inches with fat capacities of 13 to 130 pounds.
    • Models are available as freestanding, counter, or built-in, single, or multiple units.
    • Three types: open-pot, tube-style, and flat-bottom.
    • The menu determines the right type and size.
  • Pressure deep fat fryers:
    • Equipped with a tightly sealed cover, allowing moisture to build up steam pressure within the kettle.
    • Cooking is accomplished in approximately one-third of the normal time.
  • Semiautomatic speed production model:
    • Equipped with conveyor to permit continuous batch cooking and automatic discharge of product as completed.
  • Convection deep fat fryers:
    • Combine convection cooking, continuous fat filtration, and a heat exchanger to produce an energy-efficient, highly productive piece of equipment.
Installation
  • Adequate ventilation is necessary, venting into hood recommended.
  • Flue venting from fryer to general vent flue is not desirable.
  • Table or work space adjacent to fryer is necessary.
Tilting Frypan
  • A versatile piece of equipment that can be used as a frypan, braising pan, griddle, kettle, steamer, thawer, proofer, bagel maker, oven, or food warmer-server.
  • Eliminates most top-of-range cooking and provides for one-step preparation of many menu items.
  • Can double as a sink to assist with cleanup.
  • Features:
    • All interior and exterior surfaces are of heavy-duty stainless steel
    • Contoured pouring spout
    • One-piece counterbalanced hinged cover
    • Self-locking worm-and-gear tilt mechanism
    • Even-heat smooth flat bottom (either gas or electric)
    • Automatic thermostat heat controls for a wide range of temperatures
  • Available in several sizes and capacities as floor models on tubular legs with or without casters, wall-mounted, or small electric table-mounted.
  • Conserves fuel and labor.
  • Has quick-connect installation conducive to rapid rearrangement, easy maintenance, and good sanitation.
  • Easy to clean and reduces use of pots and pans and their washing.
Pasta Cookers
  • The popularity of Italian food has led to the development of equipment to cook small batches of various kinds of pasta easily.
  • Similar in appearance to a deep-fat fryer.
  • Individual servings of different kinds of pasta are lowered into boiling water in wire baskets and cooked simultaneously.

Ovens

  • Two basic oven designs:
    • Still-air radiation: heated air circulates around the outside of the heating chamber and radiates through a lining.
    • Convection: heated air from a heat source is forced over and around food racks by fans.
  • Features:
    • All welded construction of structural steel for durable rigid frames
    • Inner lining of 18-gauge rust-proof sheet metal reinforced to prevent buckling
    • A minimum of 4 inches of nonsagging insulation on all sides, up to 10 inches in large bakery ovens
    • Thermostatic heat control that is precise between 150°F and 550°F
    • Signal lights and timer
    • A level oven floor or deck of steel, tile, or transite (concrete and asbestos combination)
    • Well-insulated, counterbalanced doors that open level with the bottom of the oven to support a minimum 150-pound weight
    • Nonbreakable hinges
    • Concealed manifolds and wiring
    • Cool handles
    • A system designed to eject vapors and prevent flowback of condensate
    • A light that is operated from outside the oven
    • A steam injector for baking of hard rolls
    • Thermocouple attachments for internal food-temperature record
    • Glass windows in doors that are available on request
Types of Ovens
  • Deck:
    • Units stacked to save space.
    • Separate heating elements and controls for each unit and good insulation between decks.
    • Decks at good working heights.
    • 7 or 8 inches of clearance for baking, 12 to 16 inches high for roasting.
    • Capacity expressed in the number of 18 × 26-inch bun pans per deck.
    • Pie, cake, or baking pans should be sized to fit multiples of that dimension.
    • Floor space requirements and inside dimensions vary with types.
  • Convection oven:
    • Forced air circulation cabinet, which uses a high-speed centrifugal fan to force air circulation and guarantee even-heat distribution by an airflow pattern over and around the product in a minimum of time, from one-third to three-quarters of time required in a conventional oven.
    • More cooking is accomplished in smaller space because food is placed on multiple racks instead of on a single deck.
    • Sizes vary with the manufacturers, but a typical convection oven measures 36 inches wide by 33 inches deep or larger models 45 inches wide by 24½ inches deep.
    • Removable rack glides designed to accommodate 8 or 9 trays or baking sheets, 2 inches apart, thus holding more than other ovens that require greater floor space.
    • Units may be stacked to double the output in the relatively small floor space.
    • Convection ovens must be well insulated; may have interiors of stainless steel or vitreous enameled steel.
    • Shelves and shelf supports lift out for easy cleaning; fitted with inside lights, timer, thermostatic heat control, glass doors or window in doors, removable spillage pan.
    • Quick-connect installation and addition of casters made for flexibility in arrangement.
    • Muffle-type seals on doors for roasting and baking reduce shrinkage because of moisture retention and reduced time for cooking.
  • Revolving tray or reel ovens:
    • Flat tray decks suspended between two revolving spiders in a Ferris-wheel type of rotation.
    • Compact, space saving.
    • Welded steel, heat-tight construction.
    • All parts highly resistant to heat and corrosion.
    • Main bearings and entire tray load supported independently of side walls.
    • Trays stabilized to keep level and sway proof.
    • Each tray equipped with individual emergency release.
    • Heavy-duty motor.
    • Smooth roller-chain drive, self-adjusting, automatic controls.
  • Rotary ovens:
    • Similar to revolving tray ovens except rotation is on a vertical axis instead of a horizontal one.
    • Revolving tray and rotary type ovens are most suitable for large-volume baking.
  • Microwave ovens:
    • Electromagnetic energy directed into heating cavity by magnetrons producing microwaves that penetrate food, rapidly and evenly heating water and other polarized molecules within it and causing almost instantaneous cooking of the food.
    • Energy produced at a given rate is not stored, nor does it heat the air surrounding or the dish containing the food (glass, china, plastic, paper).
    • Components include heating cavity of stainless steel, radio-frequency generator, power supply, usually 220 volts, between 30 and 50 amperes.
    • Must pass close inspection to ensure safety during use; automatic shut-off before door can be opened.
    • Can be stacked; used extensively for fast reheating of prepared bulk or plated foods, but items can also be cooked quickly and served immediately on the same dish.
  • Combination ovens:
    • An oven that combines a convection oven, pressureless steamer, proof cabinet, and cook-and-hold oven in a single compact unit.
    • An ultrahigh-speed oven that uses a combination of microwaves and high-velocity convection heat to cook food at speeds that surpass a microwave.
    • An oven that uses a combination of intense light and infrared energy to cook foods quickly.
  • Conveyor ovens:
    • Programmable for temperature/speed/heat zones, typically uses one of three technologies:
      • Infrared: radiant heating process that does not heat the air surrounding the food but transfers heat directly to the surfaces it contacts.
      • Jet sweep: sometimes called air impingement; hundreds of air ducts under and over the food sweep away cold air, cooking the food uniformly.
      • Convection: fans circulate hot air in the oven cavity.
  • Cook-and-hold ovens:
    • Food temperature rises until nearly done, then burner turns off and a fan continues to circulate stored heat.
    • Once the hold temperature is reached, the burner and fan cycle to maintain heat.
  • Other specialty ovens:
    • Wood-burning ovens and gas-fired brick ovens, often called pizza ovens because of their most common use.

Steam Equipment

  • Steam may be supplied from a central heating plant, directly connected to the equipment, or generated at the point of use, which requires a water connection and a means of heating it to form the steam.
  • Pressures vary according to needs, with an automatic pressure control and safety valve if the supply is above 5 to 8 pounds per square inch (psi).
  • Equipment is made of stainless steel or aluminum for rust resistance and has smooth exterior and interior surfaces for easy cleaning and sanitation; timing and automatic shut-off devices; and concealed control valves.
  • Steam cookers offer fast cooking in two general types: cabinet cookers and steam-jacketed kettles.
Cabinet Cookers
  • Steam injected into the cooking chamber comes in direct contact with food.
  • To ensure that steam is clean, the supply may need to be generated on-premise from a tap-water source instead of from the steam system for a group of buildings.
  • Features:
    • Door gaskets to seal
    • Doors of full-floating type, with automatic bar-type slide-out shelves linked to doors
    • Timers and automatic shut-off, and safety throttle valve for each compartment so doors cannot be opened until steam pressure is reduced
    • Perforated or solid baskets for food
    • Capacity in terms of the number of 12 × 20-inch counter pans side by side each shelf or 10 × 23-inch bulk pans.
  • Counter pans are used both for cooking and serving.
Types of Cabinet Cookers
  • Heavy-duty, direct connected steamers:
    • Compartments fabricated to form one-piece body and entire interior of stainless steel.
    • 5 to 8 pounds per square inch with continuous steam inflow and drain-off of condensate.
    • One to four compartments with adjustable shelves.
    • Inside dimensions 28 × 21 inches desirable to accommodate two 12 × 20-inch counter pans on each shelf, and 10 to 16 inches high.
  • Pressure cookers:
    • Operate at 15 pounds steam pressure for small-batch speed cooking; reheating frozen meals or thawing and cooking frozen foods.
    • Smaller than free-venting cabinets.
    • Self-sealing inside door cannot be opened under pressure.
    • 15-pound safety valve and 30-pound gauge; automatic timers and cutoffs.
    • Inside capacities, from 12 to 40 inches wide, 14 to 28 inches high, 18 to 31½ inches deep; one to three cooking compartments.
  • Self-steam-generating (nonpressure):
    • Intended for installations without direct steam supply; requires water (hot preferred) connection and adequate source of heat supply to produce the steam.
    • Steam generators fit below cookers; designs and capacities similar to heavy-duty steamers.
  • Pressureless forced convection steamers:
    • High-speed steam cookers with convection generators producing turbulent steam, without pressure, in the cooking compartment.
    • Doors may be safely opened at any time during the cooking cycle, and cooking is faster than in the conventional pressure cooker.
Installation
  • Heavy-duty steamers of cabinet type may have pedestal support or be equipped with feet and have at least 6-inch clearance from the floor, or be wall mounted to save space.
  • Install in drip pan or floor depression with drain.
  • Modular units available in many combinations with other steam equipment.
Steam-Jacketed Kettles
  • This equipment has two bowl-like sections of drawn, shaped, welded aluminum or stainless steel with air space between for circulation of steam to heat the inner shell.
  • Food does not come in contact with steam.
  • Features:
    • Steam outlet safety valve and pressure gauge.
    • Steam pressure inside the jacket that determines the kettle's operating temperature (e.g., 50 psi = 298°F).
    • Direct-connected or self-generated steam supply.
    • Full or two-thirds jacketed.
    • Stationary or tilting.
    • Open or fitted with no-drip, hinged and balanced cover.
    • Mounted on tubular legs, pedestal, or wall brackets, or set on a table.
    • Power twin-shaft agitator mixer attachment for stirring heavy mixtures while cooking
    • An electrically operated device to automatically meter water into the kettle is available.
    • May have a cold water connection to the jacket to cool products quickly after cooking.
    • Modular design (square jacket) makes it easy to combine with other modular equipment to save space.
    • Basket insets are available for removing and draining vegetables easily.
Types of Steam-Jacketed Kettles
  • Deep kettles, fully or two-thirds jacketed:
    • Best for soups, puddings, pie fillings.
  • Shallow kettles, always full-jacketed:
    • Suitable for braising and browning meats, stews; prevents crushing of under-layers of food as in deep type.
  • Trunnion or tilting kettles:
    • Mounted on trunnions with tilting device and pouring lip for easy unloading; either power-driven or manual mechanism; self-locking devices to secure kettle in any position; large floor models, or small units mounted to table to form battery; used on deep or shallow-type kettles.
    • Capacities: from 1 quart to 80 gallons; up to 12-gallon size suitable for table mounting and rotation vegetable cookery.
  • Stationary types for liquids or thin mixtures:
    • Tangent outlet for straight-flow drain-off; capacities from 10 to 500 gallons.
Installation
  • Kettle set for easy draw-off of food; drip into grated drain in floor or table.
  • Mixing swivel faucet over kettle to fill or clean.
  • Table models at height convenient for workers.
  • Adequate voltage or gas supply for self-generating models.
Cook/Chill and Cook/Freeze Systems
  • Food is cooked, packaged in a special airtight and watertight plastic casing at or above pasteurization temperature, chilled rapidly in ice water, and stored up to 45 days in 28°F to 32°F storage.
  • Pumpable foods are cooked in mixer kettles, pumped into the casings, sealed, and chilled in the tumble chiller.
  • Solid foods, such as roasts, are browned, encased, vacuum-sealed in casings, and then cooked in the cook/chill tank.
  • In this tank, the product is water bath cooked and then rapidly cooled by circulation of ice water in the same tank.
  • Rethermalization may be accomplished in a convection oven, combination oven, a convection steamer, pressure steamer, or steam kettle.

Mixers

  • Bench models are made for use on tables, counters, and back bars; floor models are available.
  • Features:
    • Three- or four-speed transmission, ball-bearing action.
    • Timed mixing control with automatic shut-off.
    • Action designed for thorough blending, mixing, and aerating of all ingredients in the bowl.
    • Electrically controlled brake.
    • Ability to change speeds while in action on some machines.
    • Durable washable finish as stainless steel or anodized aluminum.
  • Bowls are made of heavily tinned steel or stainless steel.
  • On some models, a safety ring prevents operation of the mixer unless the ring is locked in place.
  • Standard equipment includes one bowl, one flat beater, one wire whip.
  • Other attachments are available such as a dough hook, chopper, slicer, dicer, oil dripper, bowl splash cover, and dolly, purchased separately.
  • Most models have one or two adapters with smaller bowls, beaters, and whips that may be used on the same machine.
  • Capacities are from 5 to 200 quarts.

Choppers, Cutters, Slicers

  • Some foodservices meet their needs for puréeing, chopping, dicing, shredding, and slicing through the use of mixer attachments; others need specialized pieces of equipment in certain work areas.
  • Various sizes and capacities of such machines are available in pedestal or bench models or mounted on portable stands.
  • A food processor is useful for puréeing small quantities of food.
  • All should be made of smooth, noncorrosive metals, have encased motors, safety protectors over blades, and parts removable for cleaning and should slice in horizontal or angle-fed troughs.
Vertical Speed Cutter-Mixer (VCM)
  • Has a gray enamel cast-iron base, a stainless steel or aluminum bowl, and blades that move at 1,140 rpm.
  • Designed to mix, cut, blend, whip, cream, grate, knead, chop, emulsify, and homogenize.
  • A counterbalanced see-through bowl cover interlocks with the motor and has an easy tilt design for emptying.
  • Mounted on a tubular steel frame and has a variety of cutting blades, shafts, and baffles for specific uses.
  • Capacities are 30 and 45 quarts.

Refrigerators

  • There are three basic categories: reach-ins, walk-ins, and blast chiller/freezers.
  • These can be central or self-contained units.
  • Features include water- or air-cooled compressors; pass-through, cabinet convertible temperatures; efficient nonabsorbent insulation; tight-fitting doors, strong no-sag hinges, strong catches; and all cleanable surfaces and parts.
  • Reach-ins are fitted with tray glides to accommodate standard tray sizes or removable wire or slatted stainless steel shelves.
  • Walk-ins have portable, sectional, slatted metal shelving.
  • Some reach-in models can be detached from the motor unit to provide portable, temporary refrigerated storage.
  • Counter units have individual compressors for salad, frozen dessert, and milk storage areas, and self-leveling dispensers for cold or freezer storage and service.
  • Ice makers are central and self-contained units and can make cubes, tubes, or flakes with capacity is measured in output per hour.
  • Water coolers have a glass filler or bubbler faucet with capacity depending on cooling volume per hour and size of storage tank, designed for convenient storage of clean glasses.
  • Bottle chillers have a top opening cabinet, usually found in bar operations.
  • Wine refrigerators are reach-in units designed to hold red and white wines at optimal serving temperatures.
  • Display refrigerators are reach-ins designed to merchandise products, often with well lit interiors, revolving shelves, and multiple doors for self-service.
  • Dough retarders are upright reach-ins or under-counter units designed to hold unbaked dough at a consistent temperature and high humidity.
  • Undercounter drawers hold foods at refrigerator or freezer temperatures under a countertop griddle/grill or fryer.
  • Wall and overcounter allow wall-mounted refrigeration to provide extra storage over a work or service station.

Dish and Utensil Cleaning Equipment

Stationary Warewashers
  • Undercounter or upright, door-type warewashers may be operated by one person and are usually used in small-volume operations.
  • Undercounter models are similar to home-style dishwashers but are designed to withstand heavier, more frequent use and to clean faster and with more power, often completing an entire cycle in as little as 90 seconds.
  • Models may include a booster heater, low-detergent alert signal, detergent pump, and pump drains.
  • Door-type or single-rack warewashers have a 35 to 55 rack per hour capacity and may be designed as a corner or straight-through model.
Moving Warewashers
  • Rack conveyors are designed to transport racks of ware between wash and rinse arms.
  • They range from single-tank machines capable of washing approximately 125 to 200 racks per hour to multiple tank machines that wash between 250 to more than 300 racks per hour.
  • Optional features may include recirculating prewash and power prewash cycles, corner scraper units, gas-heated and/or low-water models, automatic activators that run the machine only when racks are in it, and automatic loaders and unloaders.
High-Speed Warewashers

*The largest operators require the highest speed warewashers—the flight-type or circular conveyor machines that are capable of handling between 8,000 and 24,000 dishes per hour.
*Because of the design of the conveyor on a flight-type machine, dishes and trays do not require a rack to move through the prewash, wash, rinse, and final rinse tanks of the machine.
*Options on this type of warewasher include straight-line or circular configuration, high- or low-temperature operation, customized length (minimum of 13 feet) and width, left-to-right or right-to-left operation, extra water- and energy-saving capability, noise-reducing insulation, custom conveyors, variable speeds, automatic "eyes" to shut off the cycles when no ware is present, dryer attachments, special designs for insulated trays and silverware troughs, and theft-proof/tamper-resistant designs for correctional facilities.

Specialty Warewashers
  • Pot and pan/utensil warewashers feature high-pressure water scraping capabilities with a longer wash cycle than standard warewashers.
  • Pot and pan sinks are also available with mechanisms to agitate the wash water.
  • Flatware washers eliminate the problems of nesting spoons and dried-on, difficult-to-clean foods such as eggs that often adhere to flatware.
  • Tray washers are designed to hold all sizes of trays, full sheet pans, and other large, flat-surface items.
Support Systems
  • Items that may increase efficiency and lower costs in this area are garbage troughs, food waste pulpers, tray accumulators, tray conveyors, blowers and tray dryers, scrape and sort tables, soak sinks, exhaust condensers, automated dispensers, and hot water boosters.

Waste Disposers

*One system for the disposal of waste may solve the problem in a given situation but, in many cases, it may be feasible to combine two or more of the following methods.

  • Unit disposers for food waste at vegetable and salad preparation sinks and dish scrapping areas eliminate the need for garbage can collections, storage, and outside pickup unless their installation and use are prohibited by environmental controls.
    *All waste paper, cardboard cartons, wood crates, plastics, tin cans, broken china, and glassware (and garbage) might need to be discharged into trash bins for pickup if incineration of burnable waste is restricted by antipollution regulations in the community.

Can and Bottle Crushers:

  • Reduction Capability: Up to 90 percent reduction in disposable bulk
  • Benefits: Cuts labor costs, reduces refuse space, and lowers the cost of pickup
  • Capacity: Models vary from 50 cans and bottles per minute to 7,500 per hour
  • Design: Rollers set in a "V" design to prevent clogging and progressively reduce cans to the smallest bulk possible

Compactors:

  • Function: Reduces the volume of all waste conveniently and economically
  • Force: One model uses 13,000 pounds of force to compact materials
  • Compaction Ratio: Can compact paper, milk cartons, cans, bottles, and food scraps to a minimum 5-to-1 ratio, and as high as 200-to-1, depending on the materials
  • Discharge: Compacted material (up to 50 pounds) can be discharged into a polybag or carton on a dolly
  • Operation: Machines operate on a 120-volt, 20-ampere outlet, with safety interlocks, and a sanitizing-deodorizing spray to control odors

Pulping System

  • Reduction: Reduces the volume of disposable materials (food scraps, paper, plastic, and cooked bones) up to 85 percent, depending on the mix. Cans, silverware, and glass are automatically ejected.
  • Process: Durable teeth on a rotating disc and cutters pulp the material in the tank.
    *It is then circulated to a water-press above, reducing the pulp to a semidry form, which is forced into a discharge chute to containers.
    *The water from the press recirculates to the pulping tank.
    *This equipment is available in several sizes and can be integrated into the dishwashing system.

Transport Equipment

  • Powered equipment for transport of food and supplies is usually kept to minimum distances through careful planning.
    *Automatic and emergency shutoffs, easy access to working parts, safety, and cleanability are important considerations.

Conveyors and Subveyors

  • Features:
    • Reverse for two-way service
    • Emergency brakes and safety guards
    • Automatic stop and start with removal of tray, or continuous flow.
  • Conveyors use horizontal transportation; stationary or mobile units for flexibility.
  • Subveyors use vertical conveying, intended for limited space on a single floor with work or serving units on different floors.

Monorail and Driverless Vehicles

  • Require special equipment and installation.
  • Reduce labor and hand-pushing of carts, are speedy, but are relatively expensive to install.
    *Monorail requires an overhead rail and "Amsco" system, a special electronic track under the floor
    *Driverless vehicles are monitored from a control panel, battery-powered, and directed over the track to locations on the same floor or to a bank of special elevators that automatically open and close on signal.

Nonmechanical Kitchen Equipment

Tables and Sinks
  • Often fabricated by specification order to fit space and need, made of stainless steel (No. 12 or 14 gauge, No. 4 grind).
  • Features include welded and polished joinings; rounded corner construction; seamless stainless steel tubular supports with welded cross rails and braces of the same material; and adjustable inside-threaded stainless steel rounded or pear-shaped feet.
  • Worktables may be fitted with ball-bearing rubber-tired casters (two swivel and two stationary) and brakes on two casters.
Tables
  • Table tops are made of one sheet without seams; edges integrally finished, rolled edge, raised rolled edge where liquids are used, turned up as flange or splashback with rolled edge.
  • Legs and feet can be tubular, welded, or seamless metal; adjustable; of simple design; and provide a minimum of 6 inches of space between bottom of unit and floor.
  • Drawers operate on ball bearings, equipped with stop, removable.
  • Undershelves: stationary bar, slatted, solid, removable sections; sink or bain-marie.
  • Dimensions: Standard, length 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, 108, 120 inches; width 24, 30, 36 inches; height 34 inches; other dimensions by individual specification.
Types of Tables
  • Baker's tables: Fitted with drawers; separate storage bins as specified.
    *