by admin on February 12, 2010
Flatware is the most utilized tool in the kitchen. Everything begins and ends with the clink of a fork or spoon in your restaurant. It is wise to know the characteristics of flatware before making your purchase. The majority of flatware is solid stainless steel, though there are alternatives that have handles made of plastic or a compound material, while the working end of the flatware is still stainless steel. Pure silver flatware is becoming more and more rare, while flatware with gold accents are typically reserved for more opulent settings rather than everyday use.
Flatware typically comes in a set of five pieces, the fork, the salad or dessert fork, the spoon, the teaspoon and the rounded knife. There are settings that eliminate the salad fork and the teaspoon, for the more casual atmosphere. Hostess sets including butter knives, serving forks, cake servers, serving spoons, and salad servers are generally sold separately and are not always available in every pattern. Steak knives are not usually included in basic flatware sets and must be purchased separately. Some manufactures offer single piece replacements for popular styles. When choosing your flatware sets it is key to balance the beauty of the style along with its functionality and utility. Consider the following when making your final purchase, design, amount, storage, other accessories, maintenance, and durability.
Select a design that matches not only the character of your restaurant, but one that coordinates with your china and other dishes to give the table a coordinated look. There are a plethora of styles to choose from, traditional, trendy, elaborate, and unadorned all of which will have china to match. Some manufacturers offer lifetime patterns that will never be discontinued, that is a useful offer when pieces are damaged or lost. Pieces will get damaged and lost in a busy restaurant, so it is crucial to think of how you will replace those pieces when making your initial purchase.
Acquire enough settings to go with your china while also having extras handy for the loss and damage you will experience. If you buy settings that are rare and may be discontinued, it is important to always have spares available. Manufactures discontinue sets to keep up with the style changes and to keep costs down.
Have a
proper storage place for your flatware will considerably cut down on damage and loss. A fitted storage chest or drawer liner will keep your pieces organized and lessen dings and scratches. Both of which can raise the eyebrow of your costumer. You want them to know the are eating in a well managed and clean establishment, appearances can be everything.
Remember to add
steak knives,
serving utensils, and other accessories to complete the flatware set. You will need these additions will need to be purchase to have a well managed kitchen. If the precise pattern to match your tabletop forks, knives and spoons are unavailable, choose accessories that are simply designed. You want to coordinate with different patterns should you purchase new flatware in the future. Serving pieces can tend to last longer as they aren’t utilized as much as the common settings.
Know all maintenance requirements when choosing a set and train your staff well in the steps to efficient care and cleaning. The silver flatware sets require regular polishing, that is a important process to keep the finish of your expensive pieces and cannot be over looked, the silver will darken. Stainless steel sets are the most popular because they are dishwasher safe and only need occasional polishing, if you so desire. Gold-plated or those with gold accents may not be dishwasher safe.
Solid steel pieces are very durable, they are made from pouring the steel into a mold and hold their shape very well. Flatware with plastic riveted handles can chip or break more easily, especially with inexpensive handles. Wooden handles can warp or break with constant usage and they will be constantly used. Designs using other material as accents or inlay can become loose, fall off and get lost. You should have to worry that your forks are going to fall apart in the hands of your costumers.
Prices range from less than $20 for an entire service with plastic handles, to over $50 per place setting for more elaborate designer flatware. If you are interested in saving money, opt for less elaborate designs.
Compare brands and styles and know exactly what you want to express to your costumer before buying your flatware sets. Imagine what your costumer would want to eat with when matching up styles. Flatware shouldn’t be an afterthought when making purchases for your restaurant. It is the most important tool to the costumer, it is how they will experience your restaurant to the fullest and something you hope your costumer never wants to put down.
by admin on February 6, 2010
A chafer or “chafing dish” consists of a container (in today’s market usually metal and sometimes ceramic) held on a stand over a heat source (candle, electric, or solid fuel like Sterno). More often than not, a larger dish is filled with water like a bain-marie or double boiler, into which a smaller container or containers with food are fit to prevent the food from burning while keeping the food warm.
While modern chafing dishes can still be used to delicately cook food, almost all items labeled as a “chafer” are primarily used to keep food warm. There are many different sizes of chafers and it is best to match the size to the amount of food one is trying to keep warm. In the restaurant business the standard size chafer will fit a 200 pan or hotel pan (12” x 20” x 2”). This is helpful because these pan can be switched out for ½ steam pans or 1/3 steam pans giving you 2-3 items in one chafer. Another helpful item is a roll top lid or brackets the lid can sit in when the chafer is open for service. There is nothing worse than opening the lid to the chafer and having nowhere to put it down. Be aware of the heat source and have it match the situations in which the chafer is to be used. Most commonly solid fuel (like Sterno) is used, if this is to be used make sure the chafer comes with fuel holders that have adjustable tops that can be closed off to regulate the amount of flame and to put the flame out when the event is over. If a smaller chafer is used sometimes candles or tea lights are used while this works it leaves soot on your dish and one has to deal with the wax dripping under the chafer. Electric heat sources are nice especially in a home situation where children are present, but a draw back is electric heat sources seem to keep cooking the food items as much as keeping them warm, much like a coffee pot on an electric warming plate. Electric heat sources are just not practical in a restaurant, guest trip over cords, venues change and power sources are too far away, etc… Chafers that can be broken down (taken apart with ease) are key to keeping things clean, they may look pretty but if they are hard to clean they are less likely to be used.
Chafing dishes and chafers come in a huge range of prices and styles. One can spend as much as $650 to as little as $35 (stainless 8qt economy chafer) for a quality chafer. Look at its functionality, dose it facilitate what you need it to do, as well as look pretty? Does it have the heat source you want? Is it the right size for the amount of food I normally serve? Are there handles on the sides I can use to carry the container over to empty out the water? Is there a handle on the lid? Do I like the look of it? Answering these questions will help you choose a chafer that will not only fit the use you need it for but also match your personality. do you want a removable lid or roll-top chafer?
Chafing dishes are by no means a new idea, they have been found in the ruins of Pompeii and in the inventories of 16th century England and 17th century America. In 1520 Hernan Cortez reported to Charles V the way Montezuma was served meals in Tenochtitlan, “the table was loaded with every kind of flesh, fish, fruits, and vegetables that the country produced. As the climate is cold, they put a chafing-dish with live coals under every plate and dish, to keep them warm…” (Frank Schloesser, The Cult of the Chafing Dish 1905). Traditionally chafing dishes where used to cook delicate dishes such as fish and eggs and where the worlds first “crock pots”. In the 1800’s there were cookbooks dedicated to such cooking endeavors and contained such recipes as “Eggs à la Finnoise, Buttered Lobster and Cheese Fondue”.
