CESA, the Catering Equipment Suppliers' Association, answers your kitchen equipment queries

We are planning to replace our ageing six-burner cooker and, since we already have a combi-oven and a small convection oven in the kitchen, we have been recommended to look at a boiling table, as they are cheaper than a range with an oven underneath.

What are the disadvantages of a boiling table over a traditional six-burner with an oven underneath?

As you say, a boiling table is the term used to describe a six-burner cooking range that has an empty space underneath instead of an oven. That is why they are cheaper than a cooking range with an oven underneath.

Although the equipment industry calls them boiling tables, they can simmer, as the burner top is exactly the same specification as if you were buying a cooking range with an oven underneath.

There are no disadvantages in choosing a boiling table over a conventional cooking range with an oven, as long as you are confident that the kitchen has enough oven capacity for everything the chefs need to cook.

Boiling tables are available in both gas and electric forms, as individual burners or radiants, or as a solid-top surface. Apart from the advantage of being cheaper, a boiling table also has useful storage space underneath for large pots and pans.

I'm aware that I can't buy new kitchen equipment that hasn't got a CE mark, but is the old equipment in the kitchen that hasn't got a CE mark now illegal?

The CE mark is an assurance that Europe-wide safety standards have been conformed to in the building of electrical and mechanical kitchen equipment.

While it is true that it is illegal to sell within the EU kitchen equipment that is not stamped with a CE mark, the EU recognised that there were thousands of items of equipment in use at the time the CE rules came into force, so did not make it retrospective.

An engineer can still service pre-CE mark equipment, but might advise that it is not CE-compliant.

It is also worth remembering that CE standards were brought in to improve the safety of equipment in use. As well as CE-marked equipment being safer to use, in many cases it will also be more energy-efficient.

To get that authentic "Yorkshire" flavour for the fish and chips we serve in the pub, we plan to switch to using traditional solid lard rather than liquid oil. Do we need a special fryer?

Not so much a special fryer as one that has a melt-cycle feature built in. This is a slow heat-up feature that melts the solid fat before the main heating kicks in.

Attempting to heat up cold, solid fat in an electric or gas fryer can be dangerous, and it risks serious damage to the fryer and will also damage the cooking oil.

Your existing fryer might already have this melt cycle but, if not, you will need to buy a new fryer that has one.

For more advice

Visit www.cesa.org.uk and click on the link "CESA Buying Guides". If you have a question on equipment you would like an answer to, send an e-mail to enquiries@cesa.org.uk