Archive for September, 2009
Changes in the Restaurant Industry
I really envy the people who are entering today’s restaurant industry. They have so many advantages that were unavailable to me when I was starting out decades ago. For starters, they have entire television channels devoted to culinary competitions. What did I have besides a dusty old cookbook and a dream? Not only that, but now it’s possible to track down recipes for obscure, exotic foods online in a matter of seconds.
From a labor standpoint, restaurant newbies basically have it made these days. Sure, they’re still put through the demanding and humiliating trial of bussing tables, but washing dishes is now far from a terrible task. Commercial dishwashers take most of the elbow grease out of the process. Human dishwashers don’t need to do much more than loosen the food and let the machine do the rest.
Commercial Refrigerators Can Never Be Too Cool
I guess it’s like any technology; just when you think a product has been fine tuned with the latest and greatest, redesigns with even more improvements appear! Such is the case with today’s greener energy efficient reach-in refrigeration systems.
Some manufacturers today are environmentally responsible and are committed to lead the way to a greener more energy efficient foodservice environment. These manufacturers are now building commercial refrigerators using environmentally friendly refrigerants and foams, using recycled materials where suitable and building with energy efficient construction in an effort to help conserve natural resources.
Kudos to those manufacturers of energy efficient commercial refrigerators for their ongoing efforts in bringing us systems that are cooler than cool!
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!
The Value of an Efficient Commercial Refrigerator is Double-Edged
More than ever, in today’s economic environment, costs are all too important and effectively managing them is a challenging full time job in itself. As a professional foodservice operator, quality is also a tireless quest. An inefficient commercial refrigerator affects costs on several fronts. An out-dated, inefficient refrigerator wastes not only costly energy and utility dollars but also affects food quality which results in food waste and poor customer satisfaction. It’s a double edged sword that diminishes a green environment and profit margins!
Many commercial refrigerators today are more energy efficient because they are designed with components such as ECM evaporator and condenser fan motors, hot gas anti-sweat heaters, or high-efficiency compressors. A new efficient commercial refrigerator can significantly reduce energy consumption and utility bills as well as enhance product shelf life and food quality assurance.
Serving Fresh-Frozen Food
As much as a restaurant might focus on serving fresh food to its patrons, there will almost always be a slight abundance of food. It’s not easy to prepare just the right amount of food for a given dinner service, and obviously it’s best to have too many ingredients as opposed to too few. The problem can be assuaged if the restaurant happens to have a commercial freezer at its disposal.
It’s a common misconception that fresh food loses its distinctive flavor during the freezing process. In fact, this typically happens if an item is frozen, thawed out and frozen again. Most seafood is shipped from the coastlines to restaurants around the country in a frozen state, and they are thawed only just before preparation. The fresh-frozen trend just makes economic sense, and the food maintains its flavor all the while.
New Commercial Restaurant Equipment Saves Dollars and More
In commercial food service, as much as 80 percent of the $10 billion annual energy bill for the sector does no useful work! These lost energy dollars are often wasted in the form of excess heat and noise generated by inefficient cooking equipment, HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning systems), lighting and refrigeration.
You can improve the energy management of your existing commercial restaurant equipment in your facility by prioritizing and methodically replacing individual pieces, like an old worn out work-horse convection oven, or an inefficient out dated refrigerator with new state of the art pieces and perhaps plan an entire suite of standard equipment for a new project.
In any case, restaurants that invest strategically can cut utility costs 10 to 30 percent without sacrificing service, quality, style or comfort -while making significant contributions to a cleaner environment and cooking in a greener direction!
Accelerated Cooking from a Commercial Toaster?
An impinger conveyor toaster is often not considered or not even thought of by operators but they can be an invaluable piece of equipment even for the smallest sandwich shop. These commercial toasters are designed to produce great food with faster cook times and full oven technology in a small footprint.
The impinger type commercial toaster, some equipped with top and bottom heating elements, mild convection and a “sleep” mode during non-peak times for energy savings is well suited for a variety of products from sandwiches, chicken nuggets, par-baked pizza, pretzels and much more. Several of today’s commercial toasters are indeed multi-functional; designed for mobility, fast efficient cooking, easy cleaning and energy efficiency.
When a Fryer Isn’t Just a Fryer-Part 2
When choosing the best commercial deep fryer to accommodate your menu, there are several factors to consider. There are commercial fryers designed for small-volume demand requiring only 20-25 lbs. of shortening and utilizing 50,000 BTU’s of energy to extremely high-production demand using up to 100 lbs. of shortening and 165,000 BTU’s of energy; with a host of available options in between that plays to your every need.
Irregardless of the demand requirements, manufacturer’s today include a myriad of options to help reduce operating costs while providing an operator with consistently better tasting, crisper fried food.
The types of commercial deep fryers and the options available include everything from tube-type or open-pot fryers, solid state temperature control systems, built-in filtration, computer controls, basket lifts to stainless steel construction; all designed for reliability, durability, efficiency and quality. There are also gas fryer models to consider with highly efficient burners that ensure good air/gas mixture to operate consistently and generate energy savings; even exceeding ENERGY STAR® standards and electric fryer models that adjust the amount of required energy to the electric elements for precise temperature control and super energy efficiency.
No matter what your menu requires and the quality you demand, there is a fryer designed for your specific need. A comercial fryer isn’t just a fryer; it’s a commitment to energy efficient cost reduction, improved quality and maximized profits!
When a Fryer Isn’t Just a Fryer
After years working in kitchens I’ve come to realize and appreciate the value of a good commercial fryer. It used to be that as long as it was 350 degrees, frying was a breeze and you were good to go.
One fryer does not fit all. The fact is, different types of fryers are better suited for different types of operations. Choosing the best fryer to accomodate your menu will assure the consistently superior fried food and efficiency you demand.