With soaring utility costs and pressure from above to demonstrate better sustainability practices, how do you see through the jargon and really cut energy use with catering equipment?

While there is no question that school caterers should be doing their bit for the environment by purchasing and using kitchen equipment that is lower in energy use, there are other benefits to having energy-efficient kit. By their very nature, using a more efficient machine means utility bills are lower too.

But there is a lot of data to sift through with manufacturers providing lots of different energy-saving solutions. Plus, it's not just plugging in a low-energy unit and getting to work, staff need to operate it properly to get the most energy savings out of it.

When it comes to warewashing, there are lots of energy-saving features to look out for Bob Wood, director DC Warewashing & Icemaking Systems explains: "For sites that have a high through-put but only a small footprint the new double-hood passthrough dishwasher offers an excellent alternative to a rack conveyor unit. This intuitive machine senses when only one of two baskets has been loaded and only activates one of its independent wash zones - leaving the other in an energy-saving stand-by mode.

"A steam heat recovery system fitted to any passthrough or hood-type dishwasher can offer energy cost savings of up to 25%. It also improves the working environment by removing and utilising nearly all of the steam created during the wash cycle. It also removes the need to have an extraction canopy."

"In order to specify the right type of machine it's important that operators familiarise themselves with each machine' in-built features and also some of the optional add-ons," advises Wood. "An over-specified machine will have rarely used capacity and features which you do not require for your operation and from which you may never benefit. Many of these features will have come at a price and will probably have increased running costs too over a correctly specified machine."

Read full article in EDUcatering Magazine May 2017 issue ...