COOKING FUELS

COOKING FUELS

Use and relative advantages of coal, coke, gas, electricity, steam and oil

              In considering the types of kitchen equipment that are needed for the various processen of cooking food, namely, boiling, roasting, baking. bruising, grilling, stewing and frying, we must make an much use a possible of the equipment which in indigenous to India. In the last few years, kitchen equipment has been modernized to a great extent. 

The different cooling methods are: 

(i) Cooking by fire

(ii) Cooking by oil.

(iii) Cooking by gas. 

(iv) Cooking by electricity

(v) Fuel-less cooking

Cooking by fire There are other fuel that can be used in addition to coal, for instance anthracite is a very good cooking medium and is very slow-burning it gives off an intense and consistent heat.

                 Coke , which is simply coal from which the gas has been extracted gives out intense heat, but is not steady and requires a considerable amount of draught.

               Wood is widely used in India, but it is very wasteful and dirty; soft wood must be used for kindling and hard wood for burning.

             Charcoal can also be used and in proportion to its weight gives more heat than the above-mentioned fuels; this also must be well ventilated. In India a large amount of cooking is done on braziers (sigrees) and mud stoves (chulas) and on all forms of open fires.

            

              Modern ranges for burning these types of fuel are being manufactured now. They not only help to conserve fuel but are also easier to maintain and keep clean. They are also more attractive in design and appearance. Ovens are also being attached to this equipment thus providing for roasting and baking besides top cooking.

           

           In some parts of India bread ovens are used where the fuel is placed inside the oven and raked out again when the oven has attained the required temperature, which is maintained for considerable time by the insulation of the oven.

             

             Cooking by oil There are two types of oil which can be used for this purpose, kerosene and heavy diesel oil. In the older type of oil burners a wick was used, but the more modern method uses an oil burner with a forced draught. Oil cooking is a clean method with very little waste.

                      The calorific value, however, varies and is lower than some other methods.

                 Cooking by gas Cooking by gas is easily the most flexible and useful method for cooking; very little coal gas or town gas is available in India but large quantities of butane gas are becoming increasingly available in the main cities, this is a first-class cooking medium, as its calorific value is considerably more than normal town gas. A reasonable range of equipment is now being manufactured in India for using this medium for frying, baking and roasting of food. By means of automatic regulators the cooking process can be done at a nominal cost; in addition to this, the price compares favourably with that of other cooking fuels.

                      Cooking by electricity It is fortunate that electricity is readily available in India and the manufacture of electrical cooking equipment is increasing quite rapidly. A considerable range of equipment necessary for the modern kitchen can now be obtained Hotplaten, boilers, toasters, booking ranges, skillet, rice cookers, ovens, rotisseries, etc. are some of the types. The regulation of this medium is well advanced which enables the technique of modern cookery to be practised extensively.

                       

                       Although the price of the cooking medium is higher per unit than the other cooking mediuma, because of the construction of the cooking ovens (which require no outlet) a considerable part of the cooking can be done by conserved heat, for example, if a particular item needs 2 hours oven cooking with gan, only hours of electricity is needed, the other hour to complete the process can be done by conserved heat.

               Cooking by stored heat By using anthracite in a specially designed oven, the heat produced can be used to cook for a considerable period without the replenishment of füel and is therefore, very economical, provided the right kind of cooking stove is used

               Sundry cooking methods There are many new methods of cooking food High-frequency electrical cooking has been experimented with but despite the saving of time, it has been found to be too expensive. Infra-red cooking is used extensively for grilling purposes but, despite all modem methods and the harnessing of different fuels, some of the older methods are still considered to produce the best results. Thus a return to spit roasting is becoming more and more popular.

              The system of pressure cooking is now being practised extensively and n variety of these domestic appliances are manufactured in India. Its advantages are speedy preparation of food and the conservation of food juices

            Fuel-less cookers Hay-box cookery is an old fashioned method of cooking by treated heat when slow cooking can be lied. This form of container can also be used successfully for the storing of already cooked food.

 

           Steam and water cooking Steam and hot water under pressure can be Used if sufficient supply is available for cooking in quantity: eg, for industrial canteens, institutions, hospitals, etc.