The catering equipment found in commercial kitchens makes cooking processes easier and more efficient. Some restaurant equipment, of course, is too bulky and powerful for a home kitchen. Many tools, however, are perfect for personal use. Even if you only use your home kitchen for simple meals, you can still benefit from tools that restaurants regularly take advantage of.
- Portion Scoops
You likely already own an ice cream scoop, but there are so many other uses for portion scoops. Also referred to as dishers, these nifty tools come in a variety of sizes. Larger dishers are often used for portioning foods such as tuna salad or biscuit dough. Smaller ones are great for cookies and mini muffins.
You simply use it by scooping whatever food you are working with and leveling it against the side of the bowl. Then, you squeeze the lever to cleanly plop the ball out onto a plate or baking sheet.
Using a portion scoop makes tasks such as baking easier and saves time. Because each scoop is even, your cookies, for instance, will all be round and approximately the same size.
- Quality Baking Sheets
The last thing you want to see when you are baking is your sheet warping in the oven. To prevent this problem, restaurants use rimmed, heavy-duty baking sheets that are less likely to be affected by extreme temperatures. These kinds of sheets also tend to avoid discoloration over time. You can use them to do everything from roasting vegetables to acting as a drip catcher.
- Baking Stone
If you are looking to make restaurant-quality pizza, consider purchasing a baking stone for your kitchen. You can, of course, make a pizza on a regular aluminum pan. Aluminum, however, is not the best conductor of heat. A baking stone is thicker and made of cordierite, which is much better at absorbing heat.
Baking stones are not too expensive, should last a while, and, most importantly, will make your pizza nice and crispy. They can also be used to make other recipes, such as fresh bread or even roasted chicken.
- Storage Containers
Food storage in restaurants is incredibly important. Businesses want to make sure that their food remains fresh and safe from spoiling. Cambro storage containers are commonly found in the foodservice industry and are a great addition to any home kitchen. 4 to 6 quart containers are big enough for personal use while being small enough to easily store. They usually come with markings on the side so that you can quickly measure amounts.
You can use restaurant-quality containers for a variety of things, such as letting the dough rise, bringing meat, or soaking beans. If you are bringing food to a party, you can easily transport a batch in these durable storage devices.
- Squeeze Bottles
When you buy oil from the store, the container it comes in is usually not ideal for pouring. You either can barely get a dropout or end up drenching your food in oil. This problem is easily solved with squeeze bottles. Fill one up with oil and you will be able to precisely squirt oil onto your dishes. These bottles are also great for storing your homemade sauces or decorating plates.
- Bench Knives
These tools are thin, rectangular pieces of metal that have a handle attached to one side. In commercial settings, bench knives are typically used to cut up doughs and transfer rolled out pastries. If you are into baking, this tool is a must-have. They are also good for more typically uses such as chopping up food, scraping pans, and clearing away scraps.
