Restaurant Tips

Lighting

• Set documented lighting shut-off procedures for closing and make an on-duty staff person responsible. Switch energy-intensive lights off as soon as the restaurant closes. Add a Last Person Out switch.

General Kitchen

• Establish and periodically review start-up and shut-down schedules for all major kitchen equipment, especially air-deck ovens.

• Follow manufacturers' suggestions for operating all kitchen equipment. You can reduce energy use by scheduling pre-heating times for ovens, grills, broilers, fryers and other equipment.

• Break the habit of turning everything on first thing in the morning. Leave equipment off until it is needed and turn it off when it is no longer needed.

• Cover pots and pans to retain heat and decrease cooking times.

• Turn off all but one of each type of equipment immediately following rush periods.

• Do not allow fans to blow directly onto any cooking surfaces and equipment.

• Use sinks full of water rather than running water for washing pots and cleaning vegetables.

• Rotary toasters consume relatively large amounts of energy. Turn off these units when not in use, and clean them regularly.

Dishwashers

• Add extra insulation to reduce standing heat loss in water heaters and storage tanks.

• Do not over-dry dishes. Adjust power dryers to deliver heated air just long enough to dry dishes.

• Schedule regular rinse-water checks to ensure that boosters generate the minimum required temperature.

• Regularly remove hard-water lime deposits from spray nozzles, tanks and heater coils.

Food Refrigeration

• Refrigerators and freezers operate most efficiently when the refrigerator is set at 3.2°C (37°F) and the freezer is set between  18° and  15°C (0° and 5°F).

• Allow hot food to cool before storing it in refrigerators and freezers.

• Do not overfill refrigerator shelves. Proper cooling occurs when air can circulate throughout.

• Schedule regular checks for fans, condensers and compressors. Clean these items regularly since dirt buildup reduces efficiency.

• Ensure doors fit and close properly. Maintain door gaskets and seals in good condition. Insert a piece of paper between a door and its frame   if the paper can be withdrawn easily, then the gasket is not sealing properly.

• Ensure refrigerator compressor belts maintain proper tension. Replace damaged and worn belts promptly. Regularly inspect compressor lines since the presence of frost may indicate a breakdown in insulation.

• Defrost freezers frequently since frost buildups reduce efficiency. Install a thermometer in each freezer to enable frequent temperature checks. Defrost and re-cool during off-peak hours.

• Ensure freezer curtains remain in a vertical position to retain cool air and keep out warm air.

• Oil stains near compressors may indicate leaks that should be serviced promptly.

Fryers

• Turn fryers off   or cover and reduce them to idling temperatures   during slow periods.

• Turn thermostats only as high as necessary to reach frying temperatures. Temperatures ranging from 325°F (163°C) to 350°F (177°C) are ideal in modern high-speed fryers. If temperatures are too high, oil will break down. Regularly check the temperature of cooking oil with a reliable commercial thermometer to ensure heating elements and thermostat controls work properly.

• Regularly clean grease and food particles from exhaust hoods.

Griddles

• During slow periods, turn off as many griddle burners as possible, and turn down other sections.

• Have your service contractor periodically check gas-griddle fuel mixtures and adjust pilot lights to their lowest possible flames.

Broilers and Ovens

• The broiler is one of the most energy-intensive and inefficient appliances in the kitchen. Preheat no longer than manufacturers' instructions recommend, and heat only as many sections as required by the cooking load.

• Turn char-broilers to medium as soon as briquettes are hot.

• Turn broiler flames to low between broiling operations. Shut them off during slow periods.

• Inspect and clean burner orifices on gas broilers.

• Have a service contractor check gas burners at least once every six months.

• Rearrange ceramic material in under-fired broilers once a month to ensure even heat.

• Check ceramic and metal surfaces for deterioration. Replace when blackened or cracked.

• Most foods can be placed in ovens during pre-heating. Only bakery goods must wait until ovens reach the correct temperature.

• Plan baking and roasting so that food requiring the same oven temperature can be cooked simultaneously, to make optimum use of oven capacity.

• Load ovens to capacity whenever possible, but remember to maintain two-inch clearances around pans in standard ovens to ensure proper air circulation. Forced-air convection ovens require less clearance.

• Maintain a baking and roasting schedule so that oven capacity is always fully utilized and operating hours reduced.

• Load and unload ovens quickly, and do not open doors unnecessarily. Food cooks faster and loses less moisture when oven doors are kept closed, and temperatures drop approximately 5°C (10°F) for every second that doors are open.

• Clean interior oven walls and elements to improve heat transfer.

• Adjust door hinges, gaskets and mouldings to maintain proper fits.

Ranges

• Make sure pot sizes match element sizes.

• When gas elements are set on high, flame tips should just touch the bottom of pots, pans and kettles.

• Check gas burners periodically. If flames are yellow or uneven, clean the burner with a wire brush and make sure holes are unobstructed.

• Regularly inspect safety controls and automatic lighters.

• Check thermostats for accuracy and recalibrate, if necessary.

Steam Cooking

• Flush boilers at least once each week, following manufacturers' instructions. Use commercial-strength cleaning chemicals occasionally, especially if water is hard.

• Remove all deposits   such as rust, lime, film and scale   from water jackets and the outsides of containers.

• Repair all steam leaks, no matter how small.