[Sancho]

I work in a pastry kitchen that makes granola for wholesale. The product demand is increasing and the process of constantly stirring the granola is very labor intensive. For each batch, we get 8 sheet pans that need to be stirred about 5 times each throughout the toasting/ cooling process. We end up making a batch per day on average and there is more if we were to step up the production. Can anyone think of a more efficient way of doing this? Any ideas are very welcome, no matter how Macgyver-like they seem. Has anyone else dealt with this issue? Is there a tool out there that would cook and stir this at the same time?

I'm not sure that there is a better way to do this than to suck it up and stir, but I figured somebody might have some insight.

Thanks a lot.

[foodpump]

There are attachments that fit over steam kettles that stir, but this is more for liquids than solids.

Then again if you have enough money to throw at a problem, it'll go a away. Don't know how much a coffee roaster would cost but that would seem like a likely place to start...

[Sancho]

Thanks for the ideas. The only thing I can think of besides a coffee roaster (great idea by the way!) is to do throw it in a clothing dryer once it is out of the oven to eliminate the post-cook stirring.

I will explore these possibilities and keep stirring for the moment.

[morffin]

Originally Posted by Sancho

I work in a pastry kitchen that makes granola for wholesale. The product demand is increasing and the process of constantly stirring the granola is very labor intensive. For each batch, we get 8 sheet pans that need to be stirred about 5 times each throughout the toasting/ cooling process. We end up making a batch per day on average and there is more if we were to step up the production. Can anyone think of a more efficient way of doing this? Any ideas are very welcome, no matter how Macgyver-like they seem. Has anyone else dealt with this issue? Is there a tool out there that would cook and stir this at the same time?

I'm not sure that there is a better way to do this than to suck it up and stir, but I figured somebody might have some insight.

Thanks a lot.

the first question would be: are you getting enough raw product on per sheet pan as you can? you can really push the limit before it needs attention, and yes, there is the granola babysitting issue but 8 sheetpans is not really so bad. Granola only happens when it has the LOVE.

[cookieguy]

When we go to the opposite end of the scale (commercial granola) we see continuous processes (as opposed to batch process). The equipment costs millions. I just don't know anything between your process and that.

[jessiquina]

speaking of granola, does anyone have a really good recipe? it sounds soo good right about now..!