The easiest way to save money in your foodservice operation is to create habits that reduce energy consumption for equipment. Small activities, when accumulated all day, every day, can add up to significant savings that you will continue to benefit. It is also a good practice because if your equipment is running efficiently, it will have a longer useful life. This is true for food prep equipment as well as commercial cooking equipment. The tips below will help you save energy when operating your commercial oven.
1. Shut Doors – A commercial kitchen can get crazy during the peak serving hours. When the oven is empty, make sure the doors are closed completely, reducing the amount of heat that escapes so that your oven won’t have to use energy to replace the heat lost.
2. Reduce Temperature – When peak service is over and the kitchen operation has slowed down, it is a good practice to reduce the temperature in the oven. Turning the oven down will reduce energy consumption.
3. Load it Up – When it is possible, operate your oven at capacity. A fully loaded oven will increase the oven’s efficiency.
4. For Combis – Follow the manufacturers recommendations for usage. Read the manual so you can learn the different programmable features of your combi oven. This will help you maximize production and increase energy efficiency of your equipment.
5. Maintain – Replace seals when needed. Check to make sure that doors are aligned so that the seal tightly to keep heat inside. Keep all your equipment clean and free from dust and debris which reduces operational efficiency of components. Make sure to routinely perform regular maintenance to catch small problems before they become big issues.
Teach your kitchen staff to follow these energy savings operation habits and you’ll benefit from more efficient energy use in your commercial oven reducing the expense to operate and extending the life of your equipment.
