Final answer:
The equipment used for sterilizing utensils using steam, heat, and pressure is the autoclave. Autoclaves utilize moist-heat sterilization to effectively destroy all forms of microorganisms, operating at high temperatures and pressures to ensure complete sterilization. It is superior to other methods for clinical and laboratory use, whereas for food preservation, pasteurization is preferred.
Step-by-step explanation:
The only piece of equipment that can truly sterilize utensils using steam, heat, and pressure is 1) Autoclave. Autoclaves work by applying moist-heat sterilization, which is effective in destroying all types of microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, and the more resistant forms such as bacterial endospores, which do not succumb to boiling temperatures. The autoclave was developed by Charles Chamberland in 1879. It operates usually at a standard temperature of 121 °C or 132 °C under a pressure of 15 to 20 pounds per square inch (psi), which allows steam to reach temperatures higher than the boiling point of water, and items being sterilized are exposed to this for a minimum of 20 minutes. The autoclave is also utilized in industrial settings under the name retorts for large-scale moist-heat sterilization.
Moreover, despite the various methods of heat sterilization such as dry-heat and moist-heat protocols, moist-heat sterilization is considered more efficient due to its superior penetration abilities. It's essential in a clinical and laboratory setting to ensure that instruments and materials are free from all living microorganisms. However, for applications such as food preservation, other methods like pasteurization are used as they reduce microbial load while maintaining the quality of the food.