by Natalia Ospina Vélez
The efficient use of energy and water saving are the fundamental characteristics that the food service industry has developed to be at the forefront of "green" trends in terms of kitchen equipment.
"When evaluating environmentally friendly equipment, we consider all energy consumption factors, including electricity for fans and air conditioning. If the piece of equipment seems efficient in saving energy but increases its consumption through ventilation and air conditioning, this is not saving your money in the long term, "so referred to the use and choice of this type of equipment Joe Konop, marketing manager of Alto Shaam, a company dedicated to the elaboration of kitchen equipment.
Inversely proportional
As if it were a physical or perhaps mathematical formula, the most modern kitchen equipment considers its energy-saving characteristics as a fundamental factor and these determine its final quality. This is how Konop described it: the lower the energy, the higher the quality. "Throughout our experience we have found that teams that produce better food generally use less energy. However, rather than focusing strictly on energy saving, Alto-Shaam emphasizes the development of equipment that produces quality food," he said.
Based on this theory and according to its experience, this North American company has designed machines that offer the market great possibilities of savings without the need to jeopardize the quality of meals. That's how The Cook and Hold and Combitherm ovens of Alto-Shaam were born. The first of them uses mild heat and little electricity to cook meats slowly, giving them greater softness and flavor. Meanwhile, the second uses less electricity and gas than conventional ovens allowing food to cook up to 50% faster.
Economy wherever you look
The use of steam also becomes a good option when it comes to saving energy and Capkold equipment is an example of this. These, represented by the American distribution company Dorian Drake and manufactured by the Unified Brands group, claim to be more efficient because the calorific value of the steam is much higher and there is better use of energy.
"When comparing the energy consumption and transfer that steam makes against a gas or electric machine, it is much more efficient. All this is an integral system where, for example, if you want to cook chicken there are different ways to do it. It can be in an oven or in a bain-marie, the latter being more efficient because it is in contact all the time with water, the heating is faster and more uniform than if an oven is used, "explained Juan Acosta, regional manager for Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean by Dorian Drake.
Like the efficient use of energy, saving water becomes a neuralgic point for restaurant operators. With this in mind, Electrolux, a company dedicated to producing kitchen and cleaning equipment, recently introduced the 44" Rack Conveyor Dishwasher to the market. According to Scott Applebee, Electrolux's chief marketing officer, this equipment represents a major salvation for high-productivity food operators, using 79 gallons of water per hour. We speak then of a fairly low volume if one takes into account that equipment like this spends approximately 130 gallons in the same period of time.
Henny Penny, is another of the companies dedicated to providing worldwide solutions for the gastronomic sector that concerned about the environmental impact has combined in a single team the saving of energy and water. Properties that have been achieved through the patented AST Advanced Steam Technology and endorsed by Energy Star. "Henny Penny's Smart Combi has a water flow modulator and by creating steam without the need for a boiler with a heat exchanger, it saves as much water as energy," explained Guillermo Alarcón, Henny Penny's sales director for Latin America.
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Technology to be healthier
Although the combination for some could become a paradoxical issue, the sum of technology to achieve healthier products seems to be the constant today. Electrolux and Dorian Drake, for example, agree on the use of technologies to provide food with the right temperature and cooking time, thus preventing food from losing its nutritional properties. "We have in our equipment a software that allows the operator to ensure the time and temperature necessary to achieve safe food when consuming it, "We have in our equipment a software that allows the operator to ensure the time and temperature necessary to achieve safe food when consuming it, "We have in our equipment a software that allows the operator to ensure the time and temperature necessary to achieve safe food when consuming it", Applebee commented.
For his part, Dorian Drake said he had the same temperature and time meters, which he described as fundamental, because temperature can burn food or damage protein." these equipment are included internally in the cooking equipment. Some machines have log charts where you can have a history of the cooking temperatures of the previous days," Acosta added.
For their part, in that sense Henny Penny's teams do not seem to differ much from this appreciation. According to Alarcón, the key to success in achieving healthier foods is summarized in the consistency of his creations. "This is how all our equipment has time and temperature programming, in addition to having a record of heat curves. All this with the aim of not depending on users but on technology," he explained.
There is no doubt, then, that the food industry has advanced in technology, and increasingly seeks to save more in the use of materials, time and energy. Today, companies producing kitchen equipment invest more in research and technology to face the new challenges imposed by the market. Likewise, the reduction of costs for the operator without sacrificing the quality of the consumer's meals are determining factors that cannot be ignored when working and choosing the most efficient equipment.
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