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Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders - 51-3093.00

O*NET-SOC Description

Operate or tend cooking equipment, such as steam cooking vats, deep fry cookers, pressure cookers, kettles, and boilers, to prepare food products.

Sample of Reported Job Titles

Cooker Operator
Food Production Worker
Fryer Operator
Kettle Fry Cook Operator
Machine Operator

Mogul Operator
Oven Operator
Peeler Operator
Retort Operator
Thermo Processor

SOC Occupation Groups

51-0000	Production Occupations
51-3000	Food Processing Workers
51-3090	Miscellaneous Food Processing Workers
51-3093.00	Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders

Related Occupations

35-2014.00	Cooks, Restaurant Bright Outlook
51-3011.00	Bakers
51-3091.00	Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
51-3092.00	Food Batchmakers
51-9012.00	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
51-9023.00	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
51-9051.00	Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
51-9111.00	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
51-9192.00	Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
51-9193.00	Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders

Tasks

Activate agitators and paddles to mix or stir ingredients, stopping machines when ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Admit required amounts of water, steam, cooking oils, or compressed air into equipment, such as by opening water valves to cool mixtures to the desired consistency.
Clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses.
Collect and examine product samples during production to test them for quality, color, content, consistency, viscosity, acidity, or specific gravity.
Listen for malfunction alarms, and shut down equipment and notify supervisors when necessary.
Measure or weigh ingredients, using scales or measuring containers.
Notify or signal other workers to operate equipment or when processing is complete.
Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
Operate auxiliary machines and equipment, such as grinders, canners, and molding presses, to prepare or further process products.
Place products on conveyors or carts, and monitor product flow.
Pour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist.
Read work orders, recipes, or formulas to determine cooking times and temperatures, and ingredient specifications.
Record production and test data, such as processing steps, temperature and steam readings, cooking time, batches processed, and test results.
Remove cooked material or products from equipment.
Set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps.
Tend or operate and control equipment, such as kettles, cookers, vats and tanks, and boilers, to cook ingredients or prepare products for further processing.
Turn valves or start pumps to add ingredients or drain products from equipment and to transfer products for storage, cooling, or further processing.

Detailed Work Activities

Adjust equipment controls to regulate coolant flow.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
Clean work areas.
Collect samples of materials or products for testing.
Inspect food products.
Lift materials or workpieces using cranes or other lifting equipment.
Load materials into production equipment.
Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
Monitor instruments to ensure proper production conditions.
Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
Operate cooking, baking, or other food preparation equipment.
Operate grinding equipment.
Operate mixing equipment.
Operate pumping systems or equipment.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Record operational or production data.
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
Signal others to coordinate work activities.
Sterilize food cooking or processing equipment.
Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.