A commercial kitchen faces many challenges when it comes to food preparation: it needs to deliver high-quality, consistent products in the most efficient manner possible. Today this is possible thanks to the cook-and-chill method, which allows chefs to prepare a dish ahead of time, refrigerate it and reheat it when it is time to serve.
Electrolux Professional boasts the SkyLine Cook-and-Chill solution, which includes a combi oven and a blast chiller linked with a seamless, self-intuitive connection.
In this article we explore the main advantages of the cook-and-chill process for any commercial kitchen.
1. Improve the efficiency in your kitchen
Being able to prepare menus in advance, during off-peak hours, allows chefs and staff to work under less pressure, efficiently increasing productivity and saving time. With the cook-and-chill process, you unlock the ability to make more efficient and effective use of your staff and appliances by preparing large batches in advance, cooking them and cooling them down for storage.
2. Reduce chefs’ negative stress
Commercial kitchens can often be stressful environments: they are extremely fast paced as dishes need to be prepared in a short amount of time and be consistent in both flavour and quality. Stress is not a necessary ingredient in great-tasting food. Studies show that, while small amounts of stress can sharpen performance, high levels over a prolonged period of time can contribute to health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
Cook-and-chill reduces the time for food preparation and allows chefs to reduce their stress levels by being able to prepare dishes when most convenient for them and then they only need to reheat them before serving.
3. Extended food products shelf life
The SkyLine Cook-and-Chill solution offers maximum return on your investment by extending shelf life and ensuring minimum weight-loss during cooking and chilling. Thanks to this process, now food can be cooked in advance, then, thanks to the technology of the blast chiller, cooled rapidly for storage. This rapid cooling process ensures a longer shelf life (up to several days), which allows you to streamline processes and prepare food when most suitable for both the chef and kitchen staff.
4. Cut food waste
Electrolux Professional would never compromise on food quality. After the cook-and-chill process has taken place, all dishes keep their essential characteristics: flavour, texture, appearance and nutritional value are rated just the same as freshly cooked food. This means that the food prepared and cooked can still be served after a few days of storage and does not go to waste.
In addition to this, thanks to the cook-and-chill method, product safety is increased, since the rapid passage from cooking to chilling temperature prevents the growth of bacteria and pathogens which would make food unsafe for consumption.
5. Increase productivity
Being able to prepare and cook food at your own preferred time and pace means that you can reduce workload during peak times, instead extend productivity throughout the hours and days of the week, reducing the amount of stress. Having more time to prepare food allows more focus on attention to detail and to give your commercial kitchen the extra care it deserves.
All in all, the Cook-chill process has been able to completely revolutionise the way a commercial kitchen operates, providing many advantages and benefits for owners, staff and customers alike.