Cooking Equipment

While it is most closely associated with display cooking applications, more foodservice operators now to turn to induction technology to serve as auxiliary cooking equipment. This type of equipment generates heat by inducing eddy currents and hysteresis, which are the physical processes harnessed to generate heat directly in the fabric of the pan.

Consultant Q&A: Dan Bendall, principal, FoodStrategy, Inc., Rockville, Md.

Induction cooking is a cleaner and more sustainable way of cooking compared with using traditional gas or infrared electric burners. Operating at between 85 percent and 95 percent efficiency, depending on the unit, induction continues to be among the most energy-efficient heat sources available. Foodservice operators use these fast-heating appliances to prepare or hold food.

Almost anything a foodservice operator can prepare in a convection oven can be made in a cook-and-hold oven. This may be why these units have become essential in commercial kitchens.

Cook-and-hold ovens offer a variety of features that promote easier cleaning and maintenance, including removable interiors or top-mounted control modules. Smooth interior coved corners also help prevent food buildup. Antimicrobial handles on some units prevent pathogen growth.

What clothes lint is to dryers, breadcrumbs are to conveyor toasters. These accumulate in nooks and crannies and can create problems if not taken care of properly.