Cooking Materials

Aluminum is mostly used in the kitchen and most popular because it is lightweight, attractive and less expensive.
Stainless Steel is the most popular material used for tools and equipment, but it is more expensive. It is easier to clean and shine and
will not wear out easily.
Glass is used for salad making and dessert but not practical for top or surface cooking. Great care is needed to ensure for long shelf
life.
Cast Iron is durable but must be kept oiled to avoid rusting. Salad oil with no salt or shortening can be rubbed inside and out and
dried. Wash with soap (not detergent) before using.
Teflon is a special coating applied inside aluminum or steel pots and pans. It prevents food from sticking to the pan. It is easier to
wash and clean, but take care not to scratch the Teflon coating with sharp instrument such as knife or fork. Use wooden or plastic
spatula to turn or mix food inside.
Kitchen Tools
Colanders also called a vegetable strainer are essential for various tasks from cleaning vegetables to straining pasta or contents.
Cutting boards are wooden or plastic board where meat, fruits and vegetables can be cut.
Funnels – are used to fill jars, made of various sizes of stainless steel, aluminum, or of plastic.
Garlic Press is a kitchen tool which is specifically designed for the purpose of pulping garlic.
Graters are used to grate, shred, slice and separate foods such as carrots, cabbage and cheese.
Kitchen shears. They are practical for opening food packages, cutting tape or string or simply removing labels or tags from items.
Other cutting tools such as box cutters are also handy for opening packages.
Potato masher is used for mashing cooked potatoes, turnips, carrots or other soft cooked vegetables.
Rotary egg beater – used for beating small amount of eggs or batter. The beaters should be made of stainless steel.
Scraper- a rubber or silicone tool to blend or scrape the food from the bowl, metal, silicone or plastic egg turners or flippers.
Serving spoons- utensils consisting of a small, shallow bowl on a handle used in preparing, serving, or eating food.
Serving tongs enable you to grab easily and transfer larger food items, poultry or meat portions to a serving platter, hot deep fryer,
and plate.
Spatula – is used to level off ingredients when measuring and to spread frostings and sandwich fillings.
Spoons – solid, slotted, or perforated which are made of stainless steel or plastic. The solid ones are used to spoon liquids over foods
and to lift foods, including the liquid out of the pot.
Temperature scales – are used to measure heat intensity. Different thermometers are used for different purposes in food preparation –
for meat, candy or deep-fat frying and other small thermometers are hanged or stand in ovens or refrigerators to check the accuracy of
the equipment’s thermostat.
Whisks- It is used for blending, mixing, whipping eggs or batter, and for blending gravies, sauces, and soups.
Wooden spoons are used for creaming, stirring, and mixing. They should be made of hard wood.
Measuring Tools
Measuring cup for liquid ingredients – are commonly made up of heat-proof glass and transparent so that liquid can be seen.
Household Scales – are used to weigh large quantity of ingredients in kilos, commonly in rice, flour, sugar, legumes or vegetables and
meat up to 25 pounds.
Scoops or dippers – are used to measure serving of soft foods, such as fillings, ice cream, and mashed potato. Spoons come in variety
of sizes, shapes, materials and colors.
Kinds of knives according to use
French knife –is used to chop, dice, or mince food. Heavy knives have a saber or flat grind.
Fruit and salad knife – is used to prepare vegetables, and fruits.
Kitchen knives often referred to as cook's or chef's tools, used for all types of kitchen tasks such as peeling an onion, slicing carrots,
carving a roast or turkey, etc.
Citrus knife –has a two-sided blade and serrated edge. It is used to section citrus fruits.
Paring knife – is used to core, peel, and section fruits and vegetables. Blades are short, concave with hollow ground.
Vegetable peeler is used to scrape vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, and to peel fruits. The best ones are made of stainless steel
with sharp double blade that swivels.
Equipment
Refrigerators/freezers are necessary in preventing bacterial infections from foods.
Oven- a chamber or compartment used for cooking, baking, heating, or drying
Microwave ovens used for cooking or heating food.
Blenders are used to chop, blend, mix, whip, puree, grate, and liquefy all kinds of food. A blender is a
very useful appliance.
Cleaning is the process of removing food and other types of soil from a surface, such as a dish, glass, or cutting board.
Cleaning Compound
Detergents. These are cleaning agents, solvents or any substance used to wash tablewares, surfaces, and equipment.
Solvent Cleaners commonly referred to as degreasers used on surfaces where grease has burned on.
Acid Cleaners. Used periodically in removing mineral deposits and other soils that detergents cannot eliminate such as scale in
washing machines and steam tables, lime buildup on dishwashing machines and rust on shelving.
Abrasives – are generally used to remove heavy accumulations of soil that are difficult to remove with detergents, solvents and acids.
These products must be carefully used to avoid damage to the surface being cleaned.
Steps in Washing Dishes
1.) Prepare. Wear rubber gloves if you have dry hands or other skin problem. If you are wearing long sleeves, roll them up or put them
under the gloves. Wear aprons too.
2.) Scrape all the large pieces of food on the dishes and place it in a compost bin or garbage can.
3.) Stack the dishes in the proper order namely: glassware, silverware, chinaware, and utensils.
4.) Fill the sink with water and add a considerable amount of detergent.
5.) Wash the lightest soiled items first.
6.) Wash plates, bowls, and serving dishes.
7.) Wash pots and pans last.
8.) Lay your dishes out on a rack to air-dry or wipe them clean with a towel.
9.) There should be no visible matter and no "greasy" feel.
10.) Rinse out brush, sponge and allow to dry
11.) Wipe down the sink and your tools.