Choosing a Steam-Jacketed Kettle: A Guide
A Steam-Jacketed Kettle plays a significant part in healthcare operations' efforts to develop more palatable and nutritious food selections. Kettles work best with homemade soups, stews, broths, and sauces that are prepared to optimise freshness and nutrients. These menu items are often prepared in stock pots over a hot hob or open flame, but they run the risk of boiling or scorching if the temperature is not continuously monitored and stirred.
Food
temperatures are maintained using steam kettles within a few degrees of the
desired temperature. The contents of the kettle are heated by steam inside the
kettle's jacket; the temperature can be adjusted to the appropriate level by
varying the pressure of that steam. Kettles minimise hot spots at the bottom of
stock pots and enable much more uniform heat distribution by distributing heat
to all surfaces of the product.
Which Size Do I Need?
From
less than a gallon to 200 gallons or more, steam-jacketed kettles are available
in a variety of capacities. While floor models typically begin with a 20-gallon
capacity and increase from there, countertop models are available in a range of
capacities up to 20 gal.
Using
a steam-jacketed kettle, in this case, allows you to prepare all of your
chicken soup for the day at once. In addition to saving labour costs (because
no one has to fill, stir, and empty stockpots), this also lessens the
possibility of accidents while moving and transporting full stockpots, and it
may even free up range burners for other purposes. Additionally, it offers a
flavour consistency that is difficult to achieve when producing several batches
in lesser quantities.
Managing the Temperature
Since
steam kettles first appeared decades ago, temperature controls have mostly been
dials with either a numeric scale of 1 to 10 or the general categories of warm,
simmer or boil. They all control the steam pressure in the jacket, which
affects the cooking temperature. Several manufacturers have recently made
temperature-specific controls available.
Tilt Is Important
Some
Floor Kettles have a tangent
draw-off valve that lets you drain product from the bottom of the vessel, while
others tilt to pour cooked product into hotel pans or containers. When pouring
product, optional pan carriers keep pans level and stable. Consider both your
current menu and potential future additions. For example, stews and chunky
chillies may drain well through a 3-inch valve but clog a 2-inch one.
Wrapping Up
There are various ways to tilt a kettle to release its contents. Some use electricity, while others employ levers or cranks that you pull to lower the lip. Considering your employees' height and strength, think about what Steam-jacketed kettle suits them best.
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