Energy Efficient Equipment

Posted by Rachel Schwartz on 3/4/2020 to Product Spotlight

Kitchens need equipment. And consumers need kitchens. Luckily, as consumers are becoming more eco-conscious, so are restaurant equipment manufacturers. They know that providing energy efficient options for customers not only helps them and their customers but also the planet. This push into offering more efficient product options across all industries was helped by the government's creation of the ENERGY STAR symbol you might be familiar with. Seeing a product with this symbol lets consumers know that the product in question has met the government's requirements for energy efficiency. These items are produced by businesses who have partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to design products that improve air quality, climate, and reduce the amount of power needed to operate. All products with the ENERGY STAR label are independently certified for quality, performance, and savings.

Within the realm of kitchen and restaurant equipment, True, Hoshizaki, Cambro, Vulcan, Turbo Air, Master-Bilt, Fryermaster, and Continental Refrigeration are just a handful of the companies who have ENERGY STAR-certified items available. And, like the manufacturers, the product range is vast. Cambro has an insulated food cabinet with a double wall poly shell, molded-in handles, and is front loading. True makes a 1 keg capacity draft beer cooler that comes with a column style beer faucet and stainless steel countertop. Hoshizaki makes a crescent cube ice machine that is air-cooled and self-contained. Vulcan's Powerfry 3 is a gas fryer with an electronic ignition and twin baskets. Each of these pieces of equipment carry that ENERGY STAR sticker.

While having the ENERGY STAR label is an easy way to tell which equipment is eco-friendly, some items will instead include descriptions like "high energy efficient," "75% energy efficient," or "meets energy efficient standards in X country." What this typically means, is that while the item may be more energy efficient than similar models, it most likely does not meet all the requirements needed for that ENERGY STAR label. That's not to say you should skip over them. These items are still more energy efficient than the average model or, the product might meet the energy efficient standards in the country in which the manufacturer is based and just not the USA.

The next time you are in the market for a piece of kitchen equipment and looking to do some good while you save some money in the long run--since energy efficient models require less power to function--keep an eye out for the ENERGY STAR symbol or one of it's cousins, the energy efficient labels discussed above.

Energy Efficient Equipment

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