Essential Vegan Kitchen Equipment: The Weighing Scale
Vegan and vegetarian diets have been one of the fastest growing food trends in recent years. According to some reports, it is estimated that 7.2 million adults currently follow a meat free diet in the UK, and that 34% of people are actively reducing their meat intake. As vegan and vegetarian diets gain popularity across the UK, so to do plant-based restaurants, cafes and takeaways.
This blog aims to look at one of the most overlooked pieces of vegan kitchen equipment: the weighing scale. We’re going to present our best suited weighing scales for vegan restaurants and showcase exactly what they can do for your business.
Considerations for weighing seeds and pulses
For weighing seeds, grains and pulses, you should have a bench scale with an IP rating whereby the first number is a 5 or above. IP rated scales are not just for protection against water, but they also protect from solid matter ingress as well. Any rating below these risks allowing small amounts of food (such as seeds) into the internals of the weighing scale which could clog your device and cause excess damage.
Considerations for weighing meat replacements
Meat replacements are a great way of getting the taste and feeling of meat without actually using any. Many restaurants buy in well-known replacements such as Beyond Burgers or Linda McCartney sausages, whilst many might opt to make their own veggie delights, such as beetroot burgers, chickpea burgers or mushroom sausages.
Incorporating a bench scale into the production process can ensure that all your hand-made burgers are uniform in size and weight. By using a scale with a checkweighing feature, you can easily make sure that you product is within your 2 pre-set weight limits. For more information on checkweighing, please see our blog post. Another feature that could speed up the production process is parts counting. This can be really useful for planning things like how many burgers to make for a busy Saturday night – simply weigh all of your burgers and the scale will display how many there are.
Using a weighing scale for waste reduction and portion control
Using a weighing scale to keep track of your waste can have both economical and environmental benefits – just one more reason why they are an essential piece of vegetarian and vegan kitchen equipment.
Food waste is one of the most preventable forms of waste there is, and it is estimated that it costs UK restaurants £682 million a year. This amounts to a whopping 199,100 tonnes of wasted food. It is also estimated that 20% of all food waste if from fruits and vegetables, whilst potato products such as chips or mash make up 28%.
A bench weighing scale can be used to better understand portion control. Weighing your meals before they leave the kitchen will mean you know the correct weight that your meals should be so that the majority of the food is eaten which will ultimately help curb excess food waste.
Secondly, a floor scale or platform scale could allow restaurant owners to keep track of how much food they are throwing away. This then allows you to make an informed decision on how much food is ordered to ensure as little as possible is thrown away. This information is essential for vegan and vegetarian restaurants as they will most likely use far more vegetables and other fresh produce in their food which naturally has a shorter shelf life.
Can Vegans eat food that has touched meat?
If you are not fully a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, you’re more than likely to have some kind of veggie option on your menu and considerations should be made about cross contamination. This is completely personal preference for an individual, although for a business you should always prevent any cross-contamination. Any kitchen equipment that comes into contact with meat should be properly cleaned down afterwards, including your weighing scales. Bench scales such as the Aqua Washdown Scale from Adam Equipment come with a stainless steel weighing pan that makes wiping down quick and simple after use.
For further protection, an IP rated scale can be very useful. These scales are built to withstand water and solid ingress, enabling them to be cleaned down fully after use for full protection.
Our selection of vegetarians and vegan kitchen weighing scales
Adam Equipment Aqua (ABW) Washdown Scale
The ABW from Adam Equipment is an IP67 rated bench weighing scale that is perfect for vegan and vegetarian restaurants. The high IP rating offers maximum protection from solid ingress and enables the device to be fully submerged in water for up to 30 minutes. Please note that this product is not trade approved.
Inscale IWS
The IWS is a simple weighing scale that works great if versatility and affordability are important for your purchase. The scale is IP-68 rated and constructed entirely from stainless steel making it incredibly easy to clean and wipe down after use. Also features checkweighing function and an easy to read red LED display.
For any more help with choosing a weighing scale for your restaurant, please contact us on 01908972660 or Get In Touch.
Related Blogs:
Starting a New Food Business: How Weighing Scales Can Help
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