A tour of the galley on P&O's flagship cruise liner Aurora reveals that a staggering 800kg of potatoes are scrubbed, peeled and chopped every day. So imagine what it would have been like to have to peel and turn all those spuds by hand.
Of course, there are now machines to do it - in fact, there is a whole battalion of machines rumbling away below deck to help with the 8,000 meals served up every day on Aurora. But while an operation catering for up to 1,800 guests can easily justify the outlay of purchasing such kit in terms of labour-saving, it might be a more difficult decision for those catering for smaller numbers.
Some say that if you're preparing more than 3kg of vegetables a day, then it's worth investing in machinery. Paul Easterbrook, national sales manager of Robot Coupe, looks at it in terms of the number of covers you're serving. He says if you're putting out more than 60 covers per service then a large veg prep unit will prove useful. "But a combination machine incorporating a food processor with a bowl cutter that can take additional veg prep attachments could have a place in a smaller kitchen where vegetable preparation is taking more than an hour," he adds. The advantage here is that they do the work of more than one machine, so saving space and cost.
As well as kneading, grinding, making emulsions and chopping, the R301 series from Robot Coupe can also slice and grate. Typically, these machines can process about 30 to 50kg of food an hour. And with the R302 Plus or VV models, there is also the option of a large hopper to feed the vegetables through and attachments for dicing and making juliennes.
On a larger scale, Robot Coupe's CL60 can take up to 37 blade attachments, including dicing attachments ranging from 5mm-squared up to 25mm. Easterbrook says this unit is particularly suited to hospitals and the armed forces because of the high volumes possible - about 900kg an hour.
For versatility, IMC's M Range of peelers comes in five, 10 and 15kg capacity units and with a selection of plates for different functions. In addition to the standard peeling plate there is a knife plate for giving a smoother finish to potatoes and carrots. There's also an onion-peeling plate and a washing plate plus a plate for cleaning mussels and a salad-spinning basket.
A variable speed is an important feature to look out for, too. "You can't dice at high speed and grating is a problem if the machine is turning too slow," Easterbrook says. "For delicate produce such as tomatoes it's very important to use a slow speed, even as low as 100-300 rpm if you don't want to ruin the result."
Terry Ashmore, product development manager for food prep and beverage equipment company Hobart, agrees that many combination machines suffer from operating both functions at a single speed, which is why Hobart's multifunction CC34 Combi Cutter has several speeds and can automatically detect what process is required without the operator having to adjust it. "The CC34 will prepare about 3kg of tomatoes, for example, every minute," he says.
Consistency and safety are two more benefits cited by Ashmore, and he reckons the advantage of speed also reduces waste because vegetables can be prepared to order.
Careful consideration of expected output is vital since one of the biggest problems veg prep machines face is overloading. "People constantly want to buy a smaller machine but expect it to be a workhorse," says Paul Goodfellow, managing director of Continental Chef Supplies. "The problem with this is that you will eventually spend more on repairs than if you bought a bigger machine in the first place."
If it's a more dedicated piece of machinery for larger volumes you need, then at the larger end of the scale Hobart's VPU250-11 will churn through 12kg of vegetables in a minute. And IMC's PC2 potato chipper can chip 25kg of potatoes every minute.
Even more specialist and geared towards the fine-dining market is a new Swiss-built machine called the Fondant Maestro, available through Continental Chef Supplies, which will turn vegetables such as celeriac, swedes, carrots and potatoes into a classic fondant shape. Three different diameters are possible: 50mm, 60mm and 70mm.
Sodexho's executive chef Willie Pike is a fan. "I just don't know why someone didn't think of it earlier," he says. "The old-fashioned way with cutters meant potatoes got stuck, the cutters broke and chefs hurt their fingers. With this you lean on the handle and out comes the shape. It's basically a labour-saving device."
SAFETY FIRST
Many commercial processors are now fitted with a cut-out mechanism that prevents the machine being operated unless the lid is on securely. Look out for blade brakes too, which stop the blades turning immediately when the power is switched off, rather than slowing down gradually. It's important to make sure that staff are properly trained on each machine by the supplier and well informed of the dangers.
Make sure that you clean the machine regularly and especially between different jobs to avoid contamination. Units that are designed with rounded corners generally make cleaning easier as food and bacteria cannot build up undetected.
The key to sound vegetable preparation is ensuring that hygiene and safety standards are maintained at all times, says Neil Rush of hygiene and safety training company Support, Training and Services, and Foodservice Consultants Society International member. He recommends that vegetable preparation undergoes the same level of control as the manufacture of ready meals.
He points out that if customers find part of a blade in their food it could result in a lengthy and costly legal case, with possible action from the environmental health authorities. To prevent this, he recommends at least an hourly blade check, with records maintained. It should be possible to identify which batch of veg has gone through a machine every hour so that if the blade is damaged or a part is missing the prepared veg can then be checked either manually or with a metal detector. For very high volumes of production, metal detection should be standard.
Processors that deal with everything
Blenders and processors are a vital part of many kitchens for performing such functions as chopping, emulsifying, kneading and grinding.
The Pro-Prep Chopper Grinder from American company Waring was originally developed for the South American market to make salsas and grind chillies, but Steve Munkley, executive chef at the Royal Garden hotel, finds it a lot more versatile because "it deals with anything you stick in it".
The Chopper Grinder also comes with a grinding bowl with dull blades, which Martin Bates, managing director of New Classics (Waring's sole importer for the UK), says prevents seeds and beans being stripped of natural oils when crushed. "So it's ideal for the ethnic market, for tasks such as grinding spices and pur‚eing ginger," he adds.
A fairly new arrival in the UK, the Thermomix TM21 processor has been hot property across the Continent for a few years. In addition to whipping, chopping and mixing, it also comes complete with built-in scales and the ability to heat, cook and steam food.
Nick Vadis, executive head chef for Eurest British Airways, finds it a useful bit of kit for his competition work because it does the job of three machines in one. "In the final of last year's Chef of the Year competition I used it to make forcemeats and pasta, then I steamed the pasta in it too," he explains.
"At British Airways it's used in the pastry section to make granit‚s and another use is for making and holding hollandaise. Basically, it's very versatile."
CONTACTS
- Continental Chef Supplies 0191-526 4107
- Hobart 07002 101101
- IMC 01923 718000
- New Classics 01707 265465
- Robot Coupe 020 8232 1800
- UK Thermomix 01344 622344