Title: Select and use food-preparation utensils and equipment.
Course: Nutrition and Wellness (19253-18) > Section: Planning Menus and Preparing Food

Selection and use should involve

- listing common food-preparation utensils and equipment
- stating criteria for the selection of common utensils and equipment
- describing the function and use of the utensils and equipment
- comparing the utensils and equipment with respect to cost, time utilization, ease of operation, safety, storage, maintenance needs, and energy efficiency and other environmental concerns
- selecting the utensils or equipment appropriate for specific food-preparation tasks cleaning and maintaining the utensils and equipment.

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- Which comparison factors (cost, time utilization, ease of operation, safety, storage, maintenance needs, and energy efficiency and other environmental concerns) for utensils and equipment are most important to you? To your family? Why?
- What additional factors might you consider, for example, style, color, size, manufacturer’s reputation, advertised features, ease of operation? Why?
- What may be the consequences of purchasing kitchen utensils and equipment without research and comparison?
- What is the difference between “cleaned” and “sanitized”? How do these terms apply to food-preparation utensils and equipment?
- Why should we be knowledgeable about the wide range of utensils and equipment available?
- What should be considered when selecting the "right tool for the job" in food preparation?

Communication

- What cost factors must be considered when purchasing equipment and utensils? How can communication and research skills help you to pay less for a piece of equipment?
- What communication skills can we use to compare small appliances?
- How can we teach others to use, clean, and maintain food-preparation utensils and equipment?
- How might the small appliances we own influence our food choices?

Leadership

- Why do you think a certain brand of dishwasher, for example, has a reputation for durability? How could you find out if the reputation is justified?
- How much consideration would you give to replacing an older appliance if technology had significantly improved the efficiency of newer models?
- What leadership skills can help us determine the benefits of owning and using a specific small appliance for food preparation?
- What environmental concerns might prompt us to use a small appliance rather than a large piece of kitchen equipment that performs the same function?

Management

- What information do we need to compare food-preparation equipment? What sources of information are reliable? What steps should we take to compare food-preparation equipment?
- How can small appliances help us manage meal preparation more efficiently?
- What management skills can help us select and use food-preparation utensils and equipment?