Kitchen management – Managing Efficiently

Managing a kitchen efficiently is no less than managing one’s business. There is so much out there to think about that could save time and energy. Here are a few tips. 

1. Stock replenishment

  – One must give lead time to replenish whatever is needed in the kitchen. Waiting for the last grain to get over can ‘topple the apple cart’.

  –   Before planning a menu for example it is good to check if all the ingredients are available in the pantry or in the fridge. There are times when half way through the recipe one finds that an important ingredient is missing  in that recipe ‘A: gets converted to recipe ‘B’ not something that was planned. 

2. Fuel conservation:  

     -The flame should never be kept full but just cover the bottom of the vessel. That which extends beyond the bottom of the vessel is a waste. 

   – Always close the vessel while cooking as far as possible unless there is the problem of it overflowing as it happens with certain items such as milk. 

  – Using the pressure cooker wherever possible is a good way to save fuel. 

  –  Steaming left overs – even bread – gives them  a fresh feel rather than bring them to the boil. Boiling left overs once again will reduce their taste. 

3. Water conservation:

     – Those who do not have a dishwasher it is good to wash them once a day rather than several times in the day. This saves water and the tap gets less load. The best is to scrub all the vessels and keep them on the platform (not in the sink)  and while one is getting rinsed and put in the drainer the other one is kept under the tap. This way the tap is never closed until all the items are rinsed. Keeping  the tap half open will add pressure to the water which aids in getting rid of the detergent and oiliness,  if any. 

4 Kitchen space

–  Last but not the least the movement in the kitchen needs to be kept in mind and designed in such a way that everything that is needed is at hand. The more compact the kitchen the better it will be.