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When designing or upgrading a commercial kitchen, propane cooking equipment should be a top consideration. Chefs in hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, and institutional kitchens overwhelmingly prefer gas stoves over electric due to the ability to provide precise temperature control. Gas burners respond instantly to temperature adjustments, allowing equipment to adapt to changes in heat levels quickly. This rapid response is crucial for creating the perfect sear on a steak or the ideal simmer for delicate sauces. Gas stoves also evenly distribute heat for more precise cooking, providing thorough heat distribution that minimizes hot spots. The visual nature of gas stoves also helps chefs gauge the heat intensity and modify the heat if needed.
Electric stoves take longer to adjust to temperature changes and can be more expensive to operate. The larger size of commercial cooking equipment is larger than home-kitchen counterparts, which also puts propane ahead of electric units. High-capacity units offer significant benefits for efficiency levels, heat recovery time, and production rates. When kitchens need to replace older equipment, transitioning from electric to gas will prove beneficial. Not only is there an upgrade in features, quality, and style, but commercial operations will likely see a reduction in utility costs because propane cooking equipment is more efficient than electric. Propane equipment has a typical lifecycle of 8 years or more in commercial kitchens, while electrical equipment often requires earlier replacement.
ENERGY STAR criteria establish minimum levels for how much energy is delivered to the cooking process, as well as the energy consumption rate during idle mode. New propane-powered ENERGY STAR certified equipment is 10-60 percent more efficient than standard equipment, depending on product type, so should be considered when replacing aging and inefficient equipment or for kitchen space fit-outs for new owners or tenants.
Propane cooking equipment can cut CO2 emissions by roughly 40-50 percent compared with electric, based on typical cooking usage levels and the average emissions created by electricity generation. This is because a large portion of electricity production comes from coal or natural gas power plants that release CO2 emissions. High-efficiency equipment further reduces energy consumption and thus the carbon footprint of a facility. Propane is the ideal solution for a commercial kitchen, especially for facilities located where natural gas is not available or is cost-prohibitive to extend, or where electricity is unreliable or very expensive.
One Energy, Numerous Applications
Propane cooking equipment is an invaluable addition to any commercial kitchen, including restaurants, hotels, schools, and hospitals. Propane is versatile and can power not just stoves but broilers, deep fryers, grills, warmers and even pizza ovens.,. In addition, commercial kitchens can use propane tankless water heaters to provide domestic hot water for cleaning, food prep, and sanitation. Propane is also an efficient source for heating the kitchen and dining areas, and restaurants that want to extend their outdoor dining season may wish to supply propane patio heaters or fireplaces to keep guests warm.
Standby power is another must-have for commercial kitchens for continued service, food preservation, and comfort. During power outages, restaurants are faced with many challenges, from storing and preparing food at proper temperatures to maintaining customer comfort with heat and hot water. These challenges could cost restaurants thousands of dollars and impact their reputation. It is imperative that refrigerators and compressors remain on and functional. A commercial standby generator will keep restaurants operational during power outages, maintaining refrigerators and cooking equipment, sanitation requirements and customer comfort.
It is important to note a few safety tips that restaurant owners and builders should be aware of when considering their commercial kitchen plans, no matter the energy source. All appliances should be regularly inspected for general wear, leaks, and malfunctions to keep them running safely and efficiently. Kitchens should always have proper ventilation to safely disperse emissions and maintain exceptional air quality. If your commercial kitchen uses propane, work with your chosen propane provider to provide automatic propane delivery, provide on-demand support, and remotely monitor your propane tank levels to ensure the commercial kitchen never runs low on fuel.
Propane – An Efficient, Cost-Effective Option for Commercial Kitchens
As you’ve learned, numerous kitchen appliances can be powered by propane. When building out a commercial kitchen consider the following:
• Propane stoves, griddles, and grills offer superior temperature control with steady, consistent heat so cooks can prepare food with precision.
• Propane ovens are used in commercial kitchens to bake, broil, warm, and reheat. They heat up quickly and cook evenly at steady temperatures. An ENERGY STAR certified gas convection oven saves businesses about 220 MMBTU in energy and about $1400 on utility bills over the product’s lifetime when compared to a standard model.
• Efficient large vat propane commercial fryers have shorter cook times, higher production rates, and a quick recovery time so kitchens can keep the fried food flowing. When ENERGY STAR certified, commercial standard vat gas fryers are 30 percent more energy efficient than standard models and save businesses about 50 MMBTU and $410 annually.
• Propane tankless water heaters provide hot water on demand for general cleaning, sanitation, and dishwashing.
• Patio heaters can raise the outdoor air temperature to comfortable levels, generally 60.5°F at a minimum, to help keep guests warm and increase dwell time.
• A propane-powered commercial standby generator will keep kitchen operations running without interruption.
