Energy saving is a key factor in the economy of a professional kitchen. But is it possible to combine high performance with low consumption, finding the right balance between quality of results and lower bills? Yes, it is, if we purchase professional cooking tops and other essential equipment for a modern cooking area set up, based on the real needs, on the specific characteristics of our restaurant space and on the type of cuisine offered. Find out how to make the right choice with our advices!
Small or large professional cooking tops? Savings are not measured in cm!
Let's admit it. The higher or lower saving in energy consumption is never related to the size of the catering equipment. A small machine does not necessarily mean low consumption. For example. To save money we buy a small cooking top, of 60 cm depth, and we expect it to work many hours a day or, at full speed in a kitchen space where a 90 cm cooking top was necessary. What happens? Bad results with large consumption.
A typical example of this situation is the one of some food trucks which, instead of having professional cooking tops, choose small thin plate from domestic barbecues in order to save money because they have a limited budget. But preparing a barbecue for few people at home, it’s not the same of continuous cooking for customers arriving in groups in different moments throughout the day.
It's a matter of physics. When we place a cold steak on a hot plate, a thermal shock occurs and the temperature of the plate tends to drop. However, the thicker the plate of professional cooking tops is, the less is this drop of temperature and consequently, the time the plate needs to get back to the right temperature. If the plate is thin, as in the above-mentioned case, it is always under stress, in constant thermal shock and therefore the cooking top is unable to resist, the burner or resistance runs continuously and this brings to higher energy consumption. And the savings you got by purchasing a less expensive equipment go up in smoke.
Hi-tech professional cooking tops: innovation reduces consumption
.png)
Nowadays, catering equipment have sensors, thermostats and probes that allow to always keep consumption under control. For example, when professional cooking tops reach the required temperature, the thermostat switches off the heat source. If, however, we have an undersized machine, it will never reach the required temperature point and the burner will continuously run and will consequently consume a lot of energy. Purchasing equipment of the correct size for your use, is essential both in terms of performance and consumption, both optimized thanks to advanced technological devices. The combination of correct sizing and technological innovation thus translates into energy savings.
We often hear that having a powerful equipment means consuming a lot. Actually, it is exactly thanks to that power that the equipment reaches the right temperature much faster. And the time it takes to bring it to temperature is consumption. This is why for a lower consumption, focus should not be on less performing equipment but on high-performance equipment with high technological innovation, such as the Lotus line of professional cooking tops for catering, which offer optimized performance in terms of energy savings.
In case, for example, of kitchens with professional gas cooking tops, there are innovations that significantly optimize consumption, like the new adaptive gas burners as FIREFLEX by Lotus, which keep the flame constantly within the edges of the pot, no matter which size it is. All the energy is thus concentrated where needed allowing to speed up the pan heating, thus optimizing energy consumption.
Read also
https://www.lotuscookers.it/flame-spreader-for-professional-kitchens-buying-guide
Professional gas cooking top or professional electric cooking top? The best is a mix of different energy sources!
Does the type of power supply of professional cooking tops affect energy savings? It depends on a series of factors, primarily the area where your kitchen is located and second the available energy supply sources. If you operate in a country where electricity is expensive, in an area where it is difficult to receive it, such as in the Mediterranean area, then a professional gas cooking top is the best option to limit consumption. In mountain areas, where hydroelectric power prevails, the professional electric cooking top is better. As they used to say: it is better to opt for gas at the seaside and electricity in the mountains simply because the farer from the power plant they are, the more expensive they are.
However, nowadays, this paradigm is somehow changing thanks to the spread of solar energy sources everywhere. With photovoltaics there is no longer this clear division into areas, although it is good to keep in mind that solar energy sources on large power systems, such as in restaurants, are absolutely not sufficient. The best thing, according to companies like Lotus, is to adopt a mix of different energy sources. Thus, if you can reach 50% autonomy with photovoltaics, with the mix of solar and electricity, or gas, you can have 150% of necessity by combining high performance and low consumption.
The mix of electricity and gas in many professional kitchen environments is starting to be a real alternative, also because it prevents from incurring in fire regulations in case gas kilocalories are exceeded. In this case, in fact, it is mandatory to provide walls of a certain type, Rei 120 doors and a whole series of expensive adaptations in terms of masonry works. The mix instead allows you to overcome the problem by keeping the kitchen within low electrical and gas limits. This is why nowadays in catering there are no longer kitchens that exclusively use a professional gas cooking top or, vice versa, only the professional electric cooking top: thanks to the on-site photovoltaics in the kitchen, the mix can not only make sense, but can be successful.
The induction cooking top in restaurants optimizes energy and consumption
When placing a pan on a restaurant induction cooking top, heating is immediate. And when we turn it off, it immediately disconnects and therefore there’s no waste of energy or heat dispersion and this is how consumption is optimized and costs are reduced.
Here are 4 advantages that make an induction cooking top a good decision:
- The cooking areas of an induction cooking top reach the temperature set on the display much faster than, for example, a professional gas cooking top.
-There is no dispersion of the flame because the only heated part is the one in contact with the pan.
- The high efficiency and the absence of heat dispersion have a strong impact on the bills.
-The possible integration with photovoltaic systems reduces the impact on the environment.
The best professional induction cooking top? The high-power one! This is the result of research and development by the most authoritative companies on the market. Like the glass ceramic induction cooking top for professional use by Lotus, which heat the contents only when the pan, with a magnetic steel bottom, is placed in contact with it. A guarantee of delicate and rapid cooking with lower energy consumption.
Do you want to know more about low energy consumption Lotus professional cooking tops? Write to us lotus@lotuscookers.it or complete the contact form