Maintaining an Energy-Efficient Restaurant Kitchen

Over the last decade, a growing number of businesses have begun rethinking their approach to energy consumption. As the effects of global climate change become increasingly difficult to ignore, businesses of all sizes have started looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Fortunately, going green is much easier for restaurants than other types of establishments. As an added bonus, taking a few eco-conscious measures can save you a considerable sum in energy costs. To help your eatery do its part for the environment, consider the following tips.

Keep Track of Energy Consumption

The first step in whipping your kitchen into shape is keeping track of energy consumption. Use specialized meters to record how much water, gas, and electricity various pieces of equipment consume. After your findings have been recorded, make note of which tools need to be updated and which are consuming acceptable amounts of energy.

Invest in Energy-Efficient Parts

Replacing every piece of equipment that consumes too much energy isn’t exactly economical, nor does it help your financial bottom line. For example, stove apparatuses and walk-in refrigeration units are often easier to retrofit than outright replace. This entails keeping old equipment but outfitting it with new components, such as energy-efficient cooler door gaskets.   

Get Behind Eco-Friendly Dishwashers

Although updating your dishwashers may strike you as a large expense, it can save you a tremendous amount in both water and power costs down the line. Dishwashers equipped with heat-recovery condensers and smaller wash-tanks eat up less energy and clean dishes more expediently than their bulky old-school counterparts. 

A push for increased environmental awareness has swept the globe in recent years. Rather than remain mired in the past, it’s in your best interest to get with the times — and see that your restaurant does the same. If you’re determined to bring your kitchen up to snuff, keep an eye on energy consumption levels, engage in retrofitting as needed and invest in eco-friendly dishwashers.  

Energy-Efficiency Tips for Your Charbroiler

You might be surprised to discover there are several ways you can save both energy and money when operating a charbroiler. Here's how:

Make Sure Your Charbroiler Is in Good Repair – Over time, metal fatigue and corrosion can develop, causing your charbroiler to perform inefficiently. Make sure to inspect your charbroiler on a regular basis and perform maintenance as needed, including replacing commercial charbroiler parts as needed. This will go a long way toward extending your charbroiler's life as well as maintaining energy efficiency.

Clean Properly – Raising the heat to scorch off debris not only is a waste of energy but can also damage your gas valves. Instead, use proper tools and preventative measures to keep your charbroiler clean. Make sure to keep the burner box free of ash to ensure proper heat transfer. Additionally, radiants should be removed daily and scrubbed with wire brushes.

Use Only What You Need – Eliminate stand-by times and significantly reduce energy costs by only using part of your charbroiler. Turn the unit off entirely during slow times. A charbroiler consistently uses more energy than six fryers combined, so turning it off for three extra hours a day can reduce your energy costs by over $600 a year. When preheating, do not exceed manufacturer's recommended preheat times. With underfired charbroilers, you can even reduce preheat time by 15 to 20 minutes.

Use Your Griddle – Whenever possible, use your griddle. Because griddles have thermostats, you can lower the temperature, reducing the amount of energy consumed. If your griddle has grooves, you can still have grill marks on your food the same as a commercial charbroiler.

Properly Ventilate – Charbroilers radiate an average of 25 percent of the heat they use. Make sure the kitchen is properly ventilated to avoid higher cooling costs.

Keep these tips in mind for a more cost-effective, energy-efficient charbroiler.