Kitchen Equipment Training

[ectofix]

You have a great advantage by having the hands-on already.  Otherwise, the CFESA books (electric, steam, gas, refrigeration) can fill in the voids.

 

When I was part of a service company that was CFESA certified, we were loaned the books (by our employer…who owned them) and were told to study them.  We were told to and were told that we will become CFESA certified.  SO…study one book, then go take the test at a local company that proctored it.  So…say…with electric out of the way, then we studied the next book.  Go take that test, then…steam was done.  And so forth.

 

That’s how guys with a service company do it and earn the silly patch on their shirt.  The manufacturers who we did warranty for liked it too.

 

I did all that before changing jobs to be in-house job.  When I did that, none of my new co-workers had that opportunity.  I could tell when I got here.  Therefore I was always trying to help them with those fundamentals in how things worked…which I knew and they had never learned.  After nearly four years here of my harping on the topic and saying that we need those books, our manager finally ordered the books from CFESA.  They were about $750 for the set.

 

THEN…our guys were on their own to sit down and read them.  Some did.  Some didn’t.  Since there’s no incentive in-house to take the test and become certified, then their doing so was just upon their own initiative to sit down and read them.  OH…and right…they weren’t told to go take a test…since I don’t think we can

 

Anywat, I’ve noticed some significant improvement in their abilities in the past year or so.  PLUS – I saw some improvement in their attitudes at doing their jobs after learning that our employer would make an investment towards their job training

 

They’re great books to have around too, just as reference material.  Like I said before, they can fill voids in your knowledge of detailed things and is all oriented/laid out to target WORKING ON COMMERCIAL KITCHEN EQUIPMENT.

 

The only step beyond CFESA training would be factory training on specific equipment.

[ectofix]

I was pretty petered-out the other night when I postulated the points I’d presented in my previous post up there.

 

I…uh… P-P-P-put more thought to your question and remembered this old thread here that may be worth reading:

Food service repair training

 

Availability of GENERAL training for working on commercial cooking equipment ISN’T a thing to be found much of. PAH-pursuing it from a personal level can be expensive…like if you were taking college class or going through a trade school.  But, for commercial cooking equipment, there’s just not much out there that IS available.

 

Hot-side (cooking equipment) work is a rather unique one.  Companies specializing in cooking equipment tends to look at hiring folks with HVAC experience.  Yet, a guy/gal with HVAC training or experience will soon find he/she doesn’t want to get into the grungy stuff that we DO.

 

Nowadays, it’s not a trade where someone walks off the street to get into.  Companies hiring techs want experience.

 

YET…many techs in the trade have no HVAC training or experience.  I know former car mechanics, factory equipment techs, plumbers, computer geeks, electricians…or simply  had the knack to fix it when they were a cook at Joe-Blow’s Bar & Grill.

 

I fell…somewhat…into that category MYSELF.  I had BASIC knowledge of a refrigeration cycle from military schools, but little experience.  I had ample electrical knowledge, though.  So I was hire and later on, told I would be doing refrigeration as well.  I had MUCH to learn.  On the job…and on my own time.

 

The thing IS…that you nearly gotta refine your knowledge base for working on commercial cooking equipment like I did when the Marine Corps told me I was to be an instructor in 1985.  I thought they were crazy!  ME…an INSTRUCTOR?  Yet, I did it for four years the first go-around…and then another two for my twilight tour in the USMC.

 

I had to hit the books to prepare.  I had to read it…over and over again.  I had to do the exercises like in a geometry, algebra or electronics textbook tells you to do.  Then I had to find and read it again by another author.  Then another.  I had to get intimate with what I had to TEACH.  After all, my job was to explain it to and answer questions from thirty, fresh-out-of-high school, talking-heads – every cycle (about every three weeks).

 

What I’m getting at should be pretty obvious.  Order those books from CFESA.  They’re not the answer to it ALL, but they’re very well structured (outlined) for the knowledge that can dramatically help you to confront some challenges that can be described as “ventures into the unknown” which working on commercial food equipment presents to us.

[olivero]

Thanks for the answers Ectofix, appreciate it.

 

I guess it will have to do then. Most of the stuff I learned was by hands on experience and getting confused and then reading up on it which seems to work but I think I could get a little ahead by doing some training.

 

I will get these books and some other ones and dig into them. Thanks.

[guest]

have 30 quart older model d something need to put back all gears plantum exc can you give me some help instruction???

[olivero]

Lol, got any specifics, pictures, anything?

[fixbear]

Hey quest, Start a new post for this.  and it would be nice if you registered so that you see the post.

 

And read the column on the right side of tech home page.

[guest]

R

[Unknown Member]

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