Batch Cooking and Small Batches

Cooking in smaller batches is the practical answer to the cooling rule: the less food in the pan, the faster it cools.

Key points:

• Divide large batches into shallow pans no more than 2 inches deep.

• Use ice-water baths, blast chillers, or ice paddles to speed cooling.

• Never stack hot pans tightly. Leave space for air to move.

• If the plan allows reheating, do it only once and only to 165 F for 15 seconds.

Managers get these items wrong when they answer from habit instead of from the rule. Read the number, then connect it to the task.

Free practice bank: FoodSafe Prep.

Related: ServSafe Manager practice test.