Fast Food : CESA Energy Efficient Catering Equipment Showcase

Energy Focus

Sept 08 - Fryers

In theory, frying is the one of the simplest items of line cooking equipment in the kitchen, with little to go wrong. Most models are sturdy and capable of producing fried food in short order and high volume. So choosing a fryer ought to be a simple process, but it's still fraught with complexity. Full article ...

WEEE

Advice to Final Users

WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The legislation took effect from 1st July 2007 and states that, under certain circumstances, the final user of a piece of electrical or electronic equipment (EEE) can get it collected and recycled at no charge at the end of its life. Full article ...

Energy Bar

People buy with their eyes, so most fast food outlets are going to want food display units, certainly for cold food and sometimes for hot, too.

Lots of work has been done by manufacturers to improve energy efficiency in food display units. One of the key problem areas is with self-service. For example, how do you make a reach-in sandwich display both food-safe and energy efficient? One solution is the 'curtain of air'. This is where a curtain of air is blown across the opening, acting as a barrier between the food inside and the warm air outside, keeping the cabinet at the right temperature.

To save energy, glass doors can be added to the display. At peak periods, the doors are left open and the air curtain keeps the food safe. At quieter times, the doors are shut to keep the cold air in and reduce energy consumption. Occasional customers can still open the doors to access the food.

Fast Food

Courgettes on a griddle Fast food has become a bit of a misnomer: associated with burgers and chips, it equally applies to a host of other quick, easy to serve meals. Indeed, quick service is a more accurate description - food that can be prepared quickly, it covers a wider range from fries to salads, burgers to baguettes. Whatever you call it, it is no surprise that, given our busy lifestyles, fast food continues to be popular with the public and profitable for the caterer.

Matching the growing varieties of fast food is an enormous range of equipment and accessories. Deep fat fryers, griddles, microwaves ovens and combi steamers can all produce bulk supplies of food quickly. Smaller items of specialist equipment provide the opportunity to prepare individual meals and snacks on demand as well as added value 'specials' to attract customers.

One of the most dynamic growth areas over recent years has been the coffee shop. Check out any successful outlet and you'll find a variety of fast-to-prepare foods on offer, usually charged at premium prices.

Take the panini. A relatively recent import, it has grown in popularity and commands a premium price compared to the standard toasted sandwich. The perfect panini needs a panini grill. This variation of the basic contact grill is an inexpensive piece of equipment that's easy to use and, with a huge range of simple recipes freely available from the web, getting a panini menu up and running is a synch. It delivers fast, hot food that lets caterers be as versatile as they like, with either pre-prepared paninis that can be heated on the spot, or fresh-made versions that can be charged at a premium.

In fact, contact grills are an efficient way to cook all sorts of food fast, like toasties, grilled meats and burgers, as they heat from both the top and the bottom.

There is a host of equipment available to cook that most famous of Italian fast food imports, pizza. If you've got the space and the expertise then the traditional pizza oven is the way. But these days there are also countertop units that are compact enough to fit just about anywhere, and perfectly capable of producing the stone-base oven taste.