IN THE KITCHEN

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 148, 26 June 1925, Page 16

IN THE KITCHEN

MECHANICAL APPLIANCES

MODERN.EQUIPMENT

TO AID THE FEEDING OF LARGE CROWDS.

With the methods of mass production now so common in engineering practice and the methods of standardisation both as regards quality and quantity which are equally common, the public is now becoming quite familiar. These are designed as means of speeding up production and of securing uniformity of product with, at the same time, the elimination of waste. They have become the order of the day. Such methods, however, are not the monopoly of engineering practice. They have permeated almost, every phase of our social life. It is therefore not surprising to find that they have now. been widely applied to the catering trade for the provision , if meals to largo numbers of-people..* One illustration only need here be mentioned" (says the engineering correspondent of.the "Daily Telegraph"). Wo can call to mind the feeding of the millions who visitod Wembley Jast summer. The public was often entertained ! with figures of a prodigious order in connection with the catering service. In order to cope effectively with such numbers, and, indeed, with the usual num. j bers who of necessity frequent the iium- ' erous restaurants and refreshment rooms, similar quick and standardised methods can alone render efficient service. The tastefully-cut bread-and-butter and the correctly proportioned tea to produce the cup that refreshes would not be. possible by hand operation where meals are required in bulk. ■ : A particular branch of engineering in which wonderful strides have been made in recent years is that concerned with the mechanical equipment of large kitchens. Only a few years'ago nearly all the.work-in-the kitchens of large public institutions and important catering establishments was accomplished by 'man-i-iiiil labour, whereas'to-day nearly every operation involved in the preparation of food can be performed by efficient ma-* [ chinery, which enables tho oxacting requirements of modern hotels and restaurants/ clubs, and establishments of a public,nature to be successfully dealt with. ■ . ■ . ..-..' _ Thus there .are a number of engineer--i ing firms' specialising in the designs and in;imifacture, of mechanical- appliances for kitchen service,' aiid there is, at tho present time, a comprehensive raii^e of equipment,; including machines for "such purposes. as chopping, mashing, or peeling .vegetables, cutting meat, slicing bread ,and spreading it with butter, crushing ice, washing and cleaning crockery, cutlery, and silver. The trade lists of some of the firms which lead in this branch of engineering contain interesting particulars of • many clever inventions of great importance' to -those responsible for the organisation and management of kitchen services. In the majority of catering establishments much time and labour can be saved by the installation of up-to-dato machines for cutting bread and spreading it with, butter. The latest types of bread-cutters enable the thickness of the shces to be regulated with remarkable exactitude, and. also make it possible to regulate the quantity of butter used on each slice, so that waste is easily prevented. Handling;is entirely eliminated by these machines, which* are so constructed that the componeii t parts can be readily disconnected for cleaning purposes In* some types special provision is made for bringing the butter to the required consistency according to the prevailing temperature. Mechanical brcad-and-buter cutters can be operated by hand or power, and their output.'in certain cases reaches a high figure. MACHINES FOR ALL PURPOSES. _ .Another variety of mechanical appara: tvs found in most modern kitchens is utilised ' for cleaning and peeling potatoes'.. \An\efficient example made by. a British him has all -the*- running parts Htted with improved ball bearings, and when run by electric power is capable of,dealing with 501b to 601b of potatoes per minute. • ' * . -Another formidable task facing the large caterer is that of the cleansnV of the dishes, etc. Once again mechanical power has been pressed into service In ■machines of a well-known type, the soiled dishes are stacked on to a wood rack which, is slid into the machine iii which a torrent of water removes. all grease and iood particles.: A second rack is simultaneously being stacked with utensils, and slides into the-machine as the ftrsfc passes on to the rinsing water lhe washing, tank is of cast iron K alyamsed to prevent rusting, with a polished copper hood tinned inside The brass pipes through which the spray of water is produced are readily detachable and all parts are free from the pos-" ■sibihty of rusting. Breakage 'of the crockery-is avoided by the use of a conveyor^ with Bakelite links, this beinthe only material oilier than metal which offers abnglife and freedom-from repairs. Closely connected with serious operations are those of the washing of lmen, and here again the electric washing* and. _ wringing machine effects a .marked improvement of this otherwise laborious process. These machines comprise a special* smooth wood drum of the revolving and reversing type The "•ringer > of light construction 'with S, 0"11?? :V ld ■- l 01 'S compression ;, pTi r clcc, (nc lllotor is cnLire'y insulated rrom the framework of the washer and al] danger of electric shock is thereby removed. With all mechanical parts of the most modern type and enclosed an d friction reduced to a minimum, the power consumption is surprisingly small. Sncli machines have indeed worked wonders in rm Jtt*« *" MAKING BEVERAGES. ( -vAnother operation which lends itself to.tins automatic treatment is the mewunug out of the tea to meet the numerous demands for the "pot for one" or for two as the case may be. Prior to the introduction of such machines there was on y the troublesome method of weHiiri" p"rce7s r U/f S UP, UIe t6a in °sma" paicels. In the modern machine many advantages over this old method J e reahsed. The machine is first set to give the amount required, from which there can then be no deviation, and a further change is not possible until those in .charge of the machine effect the necessary alteration in the adjusting device -A turn of the handle of tho "machine gives tho .quick delivery of tl l 0 exact amount or leu required, mid. in a r ,,sh ot business, lea of uniform slren»lh may lie assured without wasto and with fairness to the customer. Once the machine is set to give the required amount, the mechanism is locked, and is then tree from the possibility of bein<* tampered with. Such machines can °bo set to give portions between '12 and 100 to the pound, and arc indeed a boon to the caterer. An easy elaboration of (.lie principle produces a machine which ad-' -nnU.fiF portions, required For one. I.wo, or three persons bein^ tnndc. Itciordiiiri!!i:!ir:!.!<;ira m«y !**.*: |}(| a .*J indiiwrUi« n'Mihux el [uu& His selicm his t'liW i

used, while the bulk of the tea is contained in a receiver -with a tightly-fitting lid and a transparent * slot to show at once the amount inside. A -closely, allied operation is that oE coffee making, and the demand for this beverage, particularly on the* Continent, creates the need for mnchines which, while simple in their action, will yield a product which will satisfy the tastes of even the connoisseur. Such machines are, however, available, in which every precaution to assure a high-quality product is taken. These machines may be obtained m sizes from £ gallon to 32 gallons. The containers are of porcelain, and are entirely enclosed, The machines are steam-heated, the coffee remaining hot for any length of time without boiling, and while coffe o is being drawn ri? m i °"c container another is being nlled in order to maintain a constant, supply, Thousands of these machines have been installed in the principal British and Continental restaurants, hotels, railway buffets, and tearooms and are rendering excellent^service, Another invention by a well-known engineering firm has proved of great value in large catering establishments. ■It consists of a new type of. automatio aerated-water . machine, by meana of which water can be automatically and ?"»« Itaneously filtered and aerated, so that all that remains to be done is to bottle it. Aerated waters of all flavours can be produced without any engine and practically without any expenditure of labour. The "pressure from the water and carbonic-acid gas keeps the machine in continuous action without tho necessity of any other power. All kinds of bottles can be used witli this machine, and also syphons, whilst by means of a pipe connection soda fountains can b» supplied. Tho machine is made in three types to meet the respective requirements ! of different districts—those in which j there are public "water mains, those ! where no such facilities exist, and those where the available water pressure is mtermitten or unreliable. In the first case a water main'pressure of _ 251b per square inch is sufficient, whilst m the second type a special hand pump is supplied to enable the water to be drawn from a well or other ■•convenient source of supply. In the third type the_ machine is desi/ned for use either with water from mains or -water from a hand pump as required. It is -claimed that upwards of 400 dozen bottles of'aerated and absolutely' pure water can be produced per day by the operation of this machine, the manipulation of which requires no technical knowledge on the part of the user.'.