A commercial kitchen steam kettle or brasier (also known as a tilt skillet) can turn a mediocre restaurant kitchen design into a powerhouse of productivity. Chefs can prepare large amounts of food more efficiently in a brasier or commercial kitchen steam kettle since heat is applied to a much larger surface area than is possible with a single burner on a range. These can be expensive pieces of equipment, but the long term labor savings may prove a wise investment by reducing cooking times and increasing production capacity.
The commercial kitchen steam kettle and brasier operates by circulating steam through the walls of the unit providing more even heat distribution. Units can be be powered with electric, gas or steam; and all offer a wide range of sizes and options to fit every commercial kitchen design or hotel kitchen design concept.
Commercial Kitchen Steam Kettle & Brasiers
Some of the more popular accessories for a commercial kitchen steam kettle and brasier are:
- Perforated basket assemblies for submerging products
- Long handle whips, paddles, ladles and brushes
- Single or double pantry water faucets
- Two or three inch draw off valves
- Interior gallon kettle markings
- Draw off valve strainers
- Lids or covers
- Wash-down hoses
- Cleaning kits
Stationary Steam Kettle
This stationary commercial kitchen steam kettle is primarily used for making stocks and soups that are either strainer or pureed. Being stationary, they do not easily accommodate the removal of food that can not be poured from the bottom. These kettles are particularly useful for stocks since the they drain from the bottom. The draining can be stopped before you reach the upper fat level, making fat removal from the stock easier. Manufacturer Pictured: Cleveland Range
Tilting Steam Kettle
These kettles are very useful for preparing large quantities of chunky soups and stews and are designed to tilt for easy emptying. It is important in any kitchen design to ensure that a floor trough is place directly in front of the kettle for ease of washing and cleaning spills. Equally, if not more important, is the accurate placement of the trough so as to account for the pouring trajectory of the liquid being emptied. Manufacturer Pictured: Groen
Industrial Steam Kettle
This commercial kitchen steam kettle is more often used in very large production environments such as hospitals, institutions and correctional facilities. However, if your production volume dictates the need, they can also be useful in a restaurant or commercial kitchen environment as well. Offering the ability for constant stirring, blending and interior bowl scraping, these kettles can almost replace an employee by automating most of the culinary maintenance processes needed during cooking. Manufacturer Pictured: Cleveland Range
Counter-Top Steam Kettle
These smaller units are very convenient where space is limited and only smaller batches of product are being made. Having the ability to place them on a work-table or equipment stand allows them to be easily incorporated onto a cooking line with minimal space impact. Manufacturer Pictured: Blodgett
Commercial Kitchen Steam Kettle Tables
This dual kettle table can be a great convenience for a restaurant kitchen that prepares numerous soups and sauces in mass quantity on a regular basis. These tables also offer the convenience of the integrated table that is designed to hold standard sized kitchen pans for ease of product removal. Manufacturer Pictured: Vulcan
Brasier
This sibling of the commercial kitchen steam kettle functions in the same manner as a kettle, but offers a flat bottom. Having a flat bottom allows the chef to sweat vegetables, sear proteins and even poach eggs with accurately maintained even heating. These units are also offered with many of the same accessories as kettles. Manufacturer Pictured: Cleveland Range
Combination Kettle & Brasier Table
This combination kettle table provides the best of both a commercial kitchen steam kettle and brasier in one compact unit. Smaller restaurant or commercial kitchen concepts can easily increase their production output by taking advantage of the smaller footprint. Most restaurants and production kitchens are tasked at fitting a large amount of equipment in a small amount of space, so these combination units can be a great choice to maximize the production capacity in a small amount of square footage. Manufacturer Pictured: Vulcan