Chefs, bakers and mixologists are always eyeing new equipment to up their game. As we kick off 2023, five experts from the city reveal which appliances they hope to add to their cart this year
Grillworks is on Fernandes’ wishlist
Fire it up
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Chef Gresham Fernandes, co-owner of Salt Water Cafe
I WANT to go old school with Grillworks (Rs 20 to 25 lakhs approximately), which allows you to do wood-fired and coal-fired cooking. You can adjust the temperature, choose the wood you want to use, and get to understand the nuances of the craft. Right now, with so much of technology that’s at use in our kitchens, there’s barely any touch-feel component. For instance, you can pop in your meat in the oven and then select whether you want a crisp crust. All of that can be done using an AI algorithm. Although it’s energy-efficient, the feeling of touching a piece of meat to understand its doneness — that’s lost. I want to go back to the real essence of cooking — to understand fire.
Grillworks is a one-stop solution for different kinds of fire-based cooking techniques. I saw it at work at Asador Etxebarri, a restaurant in Spain, where this cooking style was pioneered. But the only consideration is acquiring ethically-cut wood and coal.
Bake in 3D
Alpa Pereira, head chef and owner, Toujours patisserie
I haven’t tried a 3D printer (Rs 7 to 10 lakh approximately) for moulds yet, but I have seen it in action at multiple bakery equipment exhibitions in Singapore and in India, too. I would like to get my hands on one to create moulds for chocolate and fondant figures. The 3D printing technology helps us to not be restricted to the conventional moulds available in the market. It will help us create designs and shapes that cater to out-of-the-box ideas and customisations. I want to try creating moulds for chocolate or fondant characters that closely resemble faces; so, if a customer wants their own face as fondant toppers on birthday/wedding/anniversary cakes, then we can create that, instead of using generic characters.
Zmorph i500 3D printer
In the mix
AliAkbar Baldiwala, executive chef, Slink & Bardot
A Thermomix (approximately Rs 2.5 lakh including importing cost) is in use in a lot of modern kitchens nowadays. It’s almost like a food processor, but extremely advanced with a video-controlled display. You can just tap on the controls, and make a recipe on that mixer from scratch. For instance, you can cook a risotto on the mixer itself. It can be used to make hot/cold emulsions, steam-cook, mix, grind or process; it also regulates temperatures accurately. So, in modern kitchens, where consistency is key, Thermomix can come in really handy. I’ve used the older version while I was working at Taj President, but I would love to try the more advanced model.
Thermomix is on Baldiwala’s list
Flour power
Varun Totlani, head chef, Masque
Chefs always have an evolving wishlist — you can never have enough! But something I would like to acquire is a small mill (approximately Rs 35,000) that can convert any grain into flour. That would be nice to have in the kitchen, where we can take different indigenous grains and make fresh rotis or breads with their flours everyday. Whenever I travel, I check out the kitchen equipment shops. I saw flour mills at shops in Bangkok. Apart from this, I have seen the Muslim community [in Hyderabad] making pathhar ka gosht, wherein the meat is cooked on top of a stone slab. The stone is supposed to be a tenderiser.
I don’t know where I can get it, but it would be cool to get my hands on it.
A flour mill that Totlani is eyeing
Swizzle time
Denzil Franklin, head mixologist, Native Bombay
My wishlist for 2023 would be introducing guests to the swizzle stick — a bar accessory which is not used much nowadays. Designed to resemble the shape of a tree branch, the stick has a long stem and blades at the foot to add a bit of swizzle to your concoction. The blades are used to churn the ingredients of a cocktail made in a single glass; the spinning motion causes aeration and dilution of the drink. I hope to create edible swizzle sticks of complementing flavours, too, that can be enjoyed with your cocktail.
Swizzle stick. Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons
Kitchen kings
Cool facts about the appliances that we can’t do without today:
. A molten candy bar led to the discovery of the microwave. In 1945, Dr Percy Spencer was working on radar systems. He realised by accident that microwaves could be used for cooking when a candy bar in his pocket melted.
. We owe modern refrigerators to the science of evaporation. In the 1720s, Scottish doctor William Cullen observed that evaporation had a cooling effect.
. William Hadaway filed a patent for an electric stove in 1896.
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