Microwaves Explained

What do you do with yours...... reheating food, making movie popcorn, defrosting dishes or just melting chocolate?

Many microwaves are not used to their optimum ability. Microwave Ovens are actually versatile cooking machines offering rapid cooking and ease of use within a small compact unit. Ideal for commercial catering outlets many commercial ovens, due to their robust build, are also suitable for the discerning householder.

In the past many chefs would have frowned upon using a microwave in the kitchen - seeing it as an anathema within a quality catering kitchen. However, the speed, versatility and accessibility of microwave ovens are progressively seen as a tool for the busy kitchen making light of many time consuming tasks. Often with a microwave oven these more menial tasks can also be carried out by less qualified staff so freeing up the chef’s time and skills.

For the catering trade we would recommend a power rating of at least 1000 watts and this would be mainly for light catering tasks, with most caterers looking at between 1200 and 1900 watts as standard. Programmable microwaves give control and allow different staff to easily utilize the ovens for many varied dishes. Programme modes allow dishes to be regenerated at the touch of a button with exacting results every time.

Manual microwaves allow a greater degree of intervention, where dishes require much closer handling. These cooking machines also allow more fine tuning due to variable power levels.

In addition more modern microwaves also have ‘menu creation’ options, where they can be programmed to respond to pre-defined cooking patterns. Dishes can be cooked to perfection even when chef isn’t there.

Combination microwaves are a real boon to all chefs and cooks in the catering industry. These combi ovens combine rapid cooking with perfect results. You can cook anything from roasted meats to delicate pastries. These commercial ovens are ideal for any dishes where a mix of cooking methods are required but with fast turnaround being essential, too. They can easily carry out the normal tasks expected by any microwave oven from defrosting and reheating to more specialist tasks such as baking and grilling. Combining a microwave oven with a fan assisted oven and grill increases the repertoire of dishes that can be created for modern caterers.

With many of us leading very busy lives it’s not surprising that fast food outlets are increasing in popularity. From local burger bars to garage forecourts we can’t escape the forum of fast food on the go! With this boom the traditional microwave oven has found a new niche of operation. Snacks can be regenerated from a small off the shelf package to a warming appetising meal within minutes. Many modern microwaves used for the food service industry allow scanning of labels attached to the snack. This ensures that the meal is cooked to perfection each and every time with cooking instructions encoded in the barcode itself.

So don’t take your microwave for granted – be inspired, be inventive and take a look at our range of modern microwave ovens available online 24/7 on our catering equipment website

Combination Ovens Explained

Combi Ovens enjoyed and explained…..

Having recently been to a demonstration on the many benefits of commercial combi ovens I can truly say that seeing (and eating) is believing!

I had the good fortune to sign up to a Rational Combination Ovens demo a few months ago in order to be able to extol the benefits of these ovens to my clients. I’ve got to say that having worked in the catering industry myself I was a bit sceptical. When my boss told me were going to see and taste such delights as full English breakfast, perfectly cooked steak and chicken in breadcrumbs all cooked from scratch within a couple of hours my cynicism amplified.

However, I have against all odds, become a complete convert to the benefits and I can fully understand how these professional ovens offer so many time and budgetry benefits. These benefits apply to all catering businesses from small chef owner establishments to large catering companies that require perfect results each and every dish.

As we all know the smaller hospitality business faces many challenges from the perspective of creating quality menus on time and on budget to balancing wastage and employee costs. It seems an almost impossible remit and yet it can be done. Initial outlay for this type of commercial oven may seem quite high but once you see the results that can be achieved it seems a small price to pay. Wastage is reduced because you can cook more efficiently, for instance cooking joints of meat for a carvery lunch can be completed whilst the chef is away from the kitchen. Pre- program the cooking and return to the kitchen to meats ready to serve when you need them. Because of the humidity inside the oven the meat will be succulent with no shrinkage and cooked to your exacting standards.

Any business owner can save time and money by regenerating pre-prepared plated meals as and when ordered by dining guests. Don’t be put off by the words regenerated food, as I initially was. This is no plastic tasting congealed meal on a greasy plate it was a gourmet dish. Indeed most events or wedding caterers would benefit from such a cooking machine. Food prep can be done quickly and easily at a time to suit the business and then time sensitive meals consistently served to table by a limited number of front of house and kitchen staff onsite.

Basically these combination ovens offer a versatile cooking machine, which can produce food that is traditionally fried, baked, grilled, steamed, roasted or microwaved. The speed and delicacy with which they produce dishes for diners has to be seen to be believed. I had melt in the mouth pan fried salmon, al dente carrots and green beans full of vibrancy, colour and taste all created quickly and effortlessly with one cooking machine. These space saving combi ovens can replace many items of traditional catering kitchen equipment but still produce dishes with more elegance and flavour than a lot of caterers at present.

So do these machines take over the need for a chef? Not necessarily, the chef still plays an important part in the cooking process from inventive menu creation to final presentation. What these combi ovens do is take over the time consuming laborious tasks and free up the chef to ensure quality and freshness are maintained, whilst lowering wastage and lost staffing hours.

It’s true to say combination ovens offer a multi cooking piece of equipment for any catering business but their usefulness also extends to benefits within other areas of business, too.  Why not contact Cater For to see the benefits for yourself with a live cooking demonstration?

A La Plancha Spanish Cooking Explained

A La Plancha With A Modern Twist - Electric Multi Pan

Food cooked a la Plancha (pron. ah-la-plahn-chah) is a mainly Spanish or Latin American style of cooking. Food is traditionally cooked on a metal flat grill plate or griddle pan, hence the Spanish word for plate - plancha. A large number of ex pats or holiday makers have been returning to the UK searching for a way to replicate the gorgeous Spanish recipes that they have learned to love, whilst in Spain.  

Most of these lovers of all things Spanish have also built up a fondness for their planchas or grill plates. With the best of both worlds the electric multipans have become a modern version of the plancha. These electric pans are easy to use and great for recreating Spanish omelettes, paella and risotto.

The electric pans are very versatile, too. Not just ideal for Hispanic style recipes but also for many other dishes. They are also capable of frying, grilling, stewing, refining and baking.  So that covers a whole array of menus that can be re-created with the modern electric plancha. Why not try baking a chorizo and pineapple pizza, fry lamb chump steaks with mushrooms or create a delicious venison casserole? – And you only need one pan. 

Back with the Spanish Plancha theme paella differs from risotto in that the rice should be nutty and the dish shouldn’t really be stirred during cooking. Indeed authentic paella has a ‘crocant’ or crisp layer on the bottom. This takes a bit of practice so that as the last of the stock evaporates in the electric multi pan the rice is just ready. In Spain this delicious crusty layer is considered as the best bit.

So as our autumn draws deeper why not relive your Spanish summer hols – reminisce about the balmy sunny evenings with traditional style paella and perhaps a glass or two of sangria?

I raise a toast - Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo - health, love and money and much time in which to spend them all….

Try this Valencia paella based on a recipe from The Hairy Bikers Cook off 
(source BBC recipes)

125ml/4fl oz olive oil, 200g/7oz rabbit meat cubed, 250g/9oz chicken breast fillets cubed, salt, 1 lrg. onion chopped, 2 garlic cloves chopped, 165g/5¾oz runner beans sliced, 2 tomatoes chopped, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1.9 litres/3¼ pints hot chicken stock,salt & pepper, 700ml/1.25 pints calasparra rice, 130g/4oz drained can large white lima beans.

Heat the oil in multi pan over a medium heat. Season the rabbit and chicken meat lightly with salt. Add to pan and fry each side until browned. Remove and leave to one side. Add onion and garlic to pan fry for 3-4 mins, until soft. Add green beans, browned meats, tomatoes and paprika. Stir then immediately add the hot stock.

Bring the mixture to the boil over a high heat and cook for 18-20 mins.

Season, to taste. Then add the rice and stir well to make sure it is covered with the liquid. Return the mixture to the boil and cook the rice over a fairly high heat for a further 20 minutes without stirring, until the rice is tender (not mushy or clumped together) and all of the broth has been absorbed.

Add the white beans and fold them into the paella. Turn the multipan off. Let it stand for about 10 minutes. If the rice has been cooked correctly, the grains should still be loose and retain a slight bite.

Modern multipan planchas available as  Electric Multipan in two depths - 40 or 90mm.

Hog Roast - Easy Peasy - Great For Events And Parties

Hog Roasts are becoming more and more popular for catering to large groups, whether professionally or with family and friends. These Hog roasting machines are great for parties, functions,weddings and outdoor catering in general. They are rapidly becoming as fashionable as BBQ's for outdoor entertaining. The theatre and drama of preparing a whole cooked pig in front of guests is very appealing, and so too is the ease of doing so for the hosts.

Always look out for hog roasts that are CE marked to ensure it has been tested and is up to standard for catering. Another thing to take into account is how easily you can turn the spit itself. The hog roast machines we provide are CE marked and can be turned by one person. Another great feature is the ability to use the spit roast as a BBQ,too. This offers great versatility to your catering requirements, and as it's LPG gas fed the spit roast can be used anywhere. 

The cooked meat is visible from all sides so enhancing the experience for guests who are dining with you. Why not try an event with a difference? Not many people can resist the smell of the cooked meat, the look of crispy crackling or the distinctive flame roasted taste. Impress your guests, whether for a family get together, corporate hospitality event or a commercial catering outlet.

Cook large joints of Lamb,beef, pork or several chickens at the same time in the oven area of the machine and then raise the spit to enable guests to appreciate the glory of the cooked meats.Give a professional finish to any outdoor occasion add WOW to your event. Really impress your guests with something different at your catering event. 


And whilst you're thinking of having a party or big celebration with family and friends invest in some patio furniture to make everything complete.

Sous Vide - Widely Used Cooking Method - Almost Addictive

Sous Vide - Under Vacuum - from the French translation is actually a method of cooking, which is becoming commonly popular in many top notch restaurants. Indeed it is a favourite of the gourmet chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and Paul Bocouse. Dishes are cooked within vacuum sealed bags in  waterbaths - a piece of cooking machinery filled with water and kept at the desired temperature. This may take up to 72 hours for certain cuts of meat but may take only minutes for more delicate and simple dishes such as fish or chicken portions.

Indeed this method has even been used for feeding 400 evacuees of the Katrina hurricane. In a little over sixty minutes chefs had served up a five star menu of nine extravagant courses and maintained this for several days! - thanks to the use of a water bath system of cooking.

By using lower temperatures in the water bath chefs can maintain the veracity of the dishes, often enhancing the tastes and textures of the ingredients, themselves. Sous Vide machines are also used in food production areas and can be used for creating mains and desserts in the same bath. many chefs report that once they know how to use these cooking machines they use them everyday and the usage becomes quite addictive.


These simple but effective water baths do take some practice and experimenting with. There are training courses available for wannabe chefs and professionals to learn how to make the most of this method of cooking. They offer many advantages such as reduction of wastage, speeding up of operations in the kitchen and fast production from store during quieter periods not to mention creating highly polished finished dishes.


Water baths must be used within a professional kitchen environment so that correct health & safety and HACCP procedures are adhered to in order to remove the risk of food poisoning.

I wanna be a celebrity chef

Fanny Craddock started it all with her cookery shows piloted on TV in 1955. When 3,000 people turned up to see her cookery demonstration in Edinburgh police were called in for crowd control. Such was the pull of the 'celebrity chef'.

Our love affair with celebrity chefs has grown to mammoth proportions from Delia in the 70's to modern characters such as Gordon Ramsey and Nigella. So what is the attraction to these cooks who parade their culinary skills and finished dishes on our TV screens? I think it has to be that no matter how much a novice you are you always feel that you could create a gastronomic delight just by watching how they do it. So just maybe a little bit of magic will rub off on you and your family will be singing your praises each meal.

I think we're also comforted by the fact that every single time the dishes turn out ok. I mean there can't be that much to cooking after all - can there?

Indeed we are so affected by the celebrity chefs on our screens that stores notice a distinct rise in sales of certain products highlighted in the recipes or cookery shows. 

The celebrity chefs all do one thing they take the oooh out of cooking; - am I doing it right? Should it look like that? What can I serve it with? 

So to expand on the celebrity chefs exemplar lets take the oooh out of cooking with cooking machines and catering equipment explained. All the catering equipment you need for cooking at home or within your catering business can be found on this website.

Happy Cooking – Jane J