Types of Food Processing Equipment

7. Fryers, cookers, steamers and ovens

Deep frying is a method of cooking by submerging food into oil at high heat (177 to 191 °C). In the food industry this can be done manually, like for french fries/potato chips, but also with continuous conveyer systems, as used for many fried snacks, many extruded products, or breaded pre-cooked foods. A newer invention are air fryers, which produce healthier, fat-reduced fried foods.

conveyer fryer                                                                                                     conventional deep fryer

Image source: mastermatic-prepared-foods-fryer                                                      Image source: gastro-hero.de/Bartscher-Fritteuse

Variety of deep-fried foods & snacks

Cookers are most often used in the production of semi-liquid bulk poducts like syrup or jam.

These kinds of cookers allow for several processing steps, like cooking, concentrating/thickening and pasteurization of the product. Vacuum cookers reduce cooking time and allow for lower cooking temperatures.

In canteens these kinds of cookers are also used to prepare large batches of rice or boiled potatoes e.g.

Meat etc. can be fried in different kind of cookers, like non-stick contact belt cookers, where the meat is passed on heated conveyer belts, which allow for oil-free, gentle frying.

Steamers are a typical piece of equipment in foodservice operation for cooking vegetables, seafood, potatoes and rice because this equipment usually provides fast production and helps the food retain moisture, nutrients and color. Some units utilize pressure, others only work with hot steam.

Variety of commercial food steamers

Image source: https://www.equippers.com/media/wysiwyg/L2_steamers.jpg

Ovens are the most important piece of equipment in the baking industry. Original wood-fired oven models with a stone floor and dome roof are still in use today, e.g in artisan bread baking and as pizza ovens. Modern versions are metal chambers, which are heated by gas or oil burners or electricty, where the convected heat bakes the product. These can contain several racks/shelves for larger batches, consist of a hot rotating disk (used in pizza pre-baking e.g.) or even be constructed as a tunnel, where the goods are baked on a conveyer belt. 

Ovens are also used to cure meat products like salami and beef jerky.

Typical oven in a bakery

Image source: https://bakerpedia.com/processes/oven/

Microwave technology is used in the food industry where frozen food needs to be thawed, loose, granular products such as grains, peanuts, cereals, pulses, or seeds need to be dried, or where the the cooked product (usually pulps/purees, meat or seafood) needs to be pasteurized or sterilized.