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Is Your Kitchen Layout Costing You?

Is Your Kitchen Layout Costing You?

May 15th 2018

Commercial kitchens are designed for production & food safety. Commercial kitchens are designed so you can complete your work as efficiently as possible. Meaning, convenience of moving from one station to the next or storage. This layout does not necessarily keep in mind energy efficiency.

Does your commercial kitchen have refrigerated drawers under or next to your grill? How about your coolers and freezers are they right next to your warmers or ovens? While your refrigerated equipment is ferociously working hard to stay cool, your heating units are doing the same thing to stay warm or hot! Both are using extra energy to perform their basic function increasing your utility bill.

In a typical foodservice facility, food preparation, refrigeration, & water heating combined represent nearly 60% of total energy usage! While it may not be economical to rearrange your commercial kitchen there are things that you can do to help offset energy usage.

  • Power down when possible – When the afternoon lull hits, turn your kitchen equipment off rather than leaving it sit on idle.
  • Keep Capacity in Mind – Purchase cooking equipment that meets your kitchen’s capacity needs. Equipment that is too large for your foodservice operations will waste unneeded energy.
  • Empower Your Employees – Make sure all staff members know how to operate the equipment correctly in order to maximize efficiency.
  • Energy Efficient Equipment – Consider Energy Star Equipment for extra savings.
  • Lighting – Energy Efficient light can save an additional 60% -70%!
  • Modify Cooking Methods – Try to cook on the same equipment instead of multiple different energy hogging methods.
  • Seal Leaks – Gaskets, Gaskets, Gaskets….save more energy than you realize! Don’t let them stay damaged or missing!!!
  • Periodic Maintenance – Scheduling regular maintenance service for your commercial kitchen equipment will save you the headache of unexpected breakdowns as well as costly repair expenses.