Thursday, August 21, 2008

Reducing Energy in the Kitchen

Research has shown it: food preparation can be an energy hog. In fact according to a study by Pacific Gas and Electric’s Food Service Technology Center, as much as 80% of the energy consumed by the foodservice industry is wasted. This accounts for $8 Billion annually in wasted energy. To reduce the cost of food preparation follow the tips below:

Eat at home. Preparing and eating at home consumes less energy for the same dish as compared to a restaurant. In fact, restaurants consume more energy per square foot than most any other type of commercial building according to Energy Star.

Use smaller appliances. Microwaves, toaster ovens, counter top grilles and roasters consume little as 25-30% of conventional ovens.

Purchase energy efficient appliances at home.

Purchase modern, energy efficient appliances in the commercial kitchen and restaurant. With all of the food warmers, steamers, ovens and commercial dishwashers in a kitchen, qualified Energy Star products can save as much as 50% of the energy compared to non-qualified equipment.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You forgot to mention cooking with lids on the pots and pans. It keeps heat inside, reduces the time it takes to bring food to cooking temperature and also keeps the flavors in the dish being prepared.