If you flip through a Williams-Sonoma catalogue, you’ll
see there is gadget for every galley task and every recipe
worldwide. With the owner’s credit card at his or her disposal, a yacht chef could
fill cupboard after cupboard with one-use devices such as hamburger shapers,
peach pitters and bagel slicers – because we all know how hard it is to cut a
bagel.
However, yacht galleys tend to be anything but spacious.
Even with an unlimited budget, it makes more sense for a yacht chef to find a
few versatile gadgets that they cannot live without.
It goes without saying that every galley needs a good set
of chef’s knives. I personally bring my own trusted set of Global knives to
each boat to guarantee the right, sharp knife for each task, but past the
basics of sharp knives and quality pots and pans, what else does a galley
need?
Quick to list some favorite pieces of equipment were Kermit Crew and Derek Alleman with the
provisions department at National Marine, who sell
and ship their favorite items and more to yacht chefs worldwide. Alleman suggested color-coded cutting
boards, Crew said induction pans are a must and they both agreed on the
paco-jet as a galley necessity.
It was obvious that they could fill cupboards galore with
their dream lists, but this is the list they compiled when narrowing down their top five requests from chefs on
yachts.
1. KitchenAid Professional 600-Series Mixer
Equipped with a high-performance, professional-level
motor, the Professional 600 Series mixer can effectively mix up to 14 cups of
all-purpose flour per batch. It powerfully churns through yeast bread dough and
triple batches of cookie dough.
I use this powerful machine for morning bread baking,
quickly followed by whipping up a fruit mousse for lunch, cookie batters,
mixing hamburger ingredients, making pasta and paddling choux paste for hors
d’oeuvres.
2. Vita-Mix Vita-Prep Bar Blender
Variable speed control allows you to chop, grind or blend
different ingredients. With 48-ounce (1.5-liter) capacity and a high
impact clear container with wet blade, chefs can concoct everything from smoothies
and vinaigrettes to soups and sauces to afternoon cocktails. A good blender can
be a chef’s best friend.
3. Dynamic USA Bermixer
The Dynamic USA Bermixier boasts unsurpassed power,
performance and versatility for efficient blending with multiple speeds and a
powerful motor. This portable, lightweight hand mixer (immersion blender)
is so easy to use and clean, it will get you out of the galley faster than you
ever thought possible. Use it to puree soups, smooth sauces, make dressings and
mince meats.
4. Edlund Digital Scale
Precise weighing can turn a cake or baked treat from a flop into sweet dream. The Edlund Digital Scale ensures no one feels
slighted when the steak on his or her neighbor’s plate seems a bit larger. A
proper scale can make all of your buns uniform size and guarantee the
appropriate salt content of the brine for pork.
5. Polder Probe Thermometer, Timer and Clock
Without a brigade of line cooks as back up, chefs can get
a little busy at service time. It is easy to get caught up in plating an
intricate appetizer and forget about the rare veal tenderloin roasting
in the oven. A probe thermometer with a buzzer will alert you when the food has
reached the precise temperature required. The result: perfection every time.
No matter how big or small your galley, the number one
essential galley gadget to get you through the day, a charter – even a year
with guests on board – is a Nespresso Espresso Maker. This yacht chef’s motto
being: the more caffeine the better.
If you are missing any of these essentials from your
galley, contact the provisions department at National to order and make your
time in the galley more productive. Kcrew@nationalmarine.com;
Derek@nationalmarine.com;
954.764.0975