Archive for the ‘Steamers’ Category
Energy Efficient Cooking Equipment-In The Eye Of The Beholder
No matter what type of new commercial refrigerator or perhaps a shiny new toaster oven you may purchase, it doesn’t automatically guarantee you the full benefits of energy cost savings and increased profits.
Today, there are hundreds of models and styles of qualified energy efficient commercial convection ovens, refrigerators, steamers, fryers etc. There are indeed savings associated by the sheer nature of these new pieces of equipment, but the real environmental contribution and energy cost reduction comes from a commitment by the owners and their personnel to handle and operate the equipment correctly with respect and care.
All too often in a commercial environment, cooks, servers and other foodservice employees have an indifferent attitude toward operating and handling equipment correctly. Think about it, how often are both electrical and gas equipment turned on, sometimes hours before it is needed or used; or refrigerator doors propped open for extended periods of time or are not shut closed completely?
If you answer “too often” then quick action is required. If you want to reap the true benefits of energy efficient commercial cooking equipment you yourself must be committed to handle and operate the equipment correctly with respect and care and explain and train your personnel to do the same. The energy savings are then indeed in the eye of the beholder.
Energy Efficient Cooking Equipment: It Pays To Look Beyond the Price Tag
Environmental responsibility and energy conservation are two of the hottest topics in foodservice today. It is estimated that commercial foodservice spends $10 billion dollars a year on energy and 80% of it is wasted as a result of inefficient commercial kitchen equipment.
Today, more and more foodservice operators realize and understand that reducing energy use and improving the environment is good business. Energy conservation is smart in more ways than one. It not only benefits the environment, but also has a positive bottom-line impact as well. A recent study by the US Environmental Protection Agency program, ENERGY STAR®, showed that operators could increase profits by as much as one-third if they saved 20 percent on energy costs
In the case of new equipment, it pays to look beyond the price tag. Most commercial kitchen equipment lasts for 10 to 15 years. Operators should make an energy-smart purchase and are encouraged to think in terms of life-cycle costs, which include purchase price, annual energy costs, and other long-term costs associated with the equipment. Thinking in the long term can really pay off.
Take a new boiler-free connectionless steamer, for example; the water and energy savings over a conventional boiler-based steamer could add up to several thousand dollars in just one year! Multiply those annual savings by the entire life of the appliance, and the financial benefits of energy efficiency become truly striking.
Many of today’s commercial steamers are built with efficiency in mind; some of which have an energy efficiency rating of over 70 %. When it’s time to replace a commercial steamer, the cost difference between an energy efficient model and a standard model may be slightly different but, over time, will be offset by the energy savings that are realized over the life cycle of that new piece of equipment. It pays to look beyond the price tag!