Cold cures
Refrigeration is a major user of power in a commercial kitchen, with energy often accounting for 75% of the equipment's life-cycle costs. With the Government's Climate Change Levy (CCL), which is designed to encourage energy saving, taking effect on 1 April, there couldn't be a better time to think about changing or upgrading your refrigeration and freezer equipment.
How will the Climate Change Levy affect refrigeration?
The imposition of the full CLC will mean that caterers will pay 0.43p per kWh extra on their energy bills from 1 April 2001 - an increase of 11% for anybody already paying 4p per kWh.
But the good news is that the Government is offering tax breaks for buying energy-efficient equipment. A set of standards to determine what constitutes an energy-efficient refrigeration cabinet has been drawn up for the Government by catering equipment suppliers' body CESA, and manufacturers which qualify will be able to mark their equipment accordingly. Anyone who buys the equipment will be entitled to a 100% Enhanced Capital Allowance in the year of purchase.
"The Government has brought a competitive element into the scheme and initially only the equipment produced by the top 25% of manufacturers will qualify for the allowance," says CESA secretary Brian Whittaker. "The lower the energy usage, the higher up the table the equipment will go." CESA has completed the draft for the standard and it is hoped that the scheme will be in place by June or July.
Further details can be found on the Government Web sites www.energy-efficiency.gov.uk and www.eca.gov.uk. The sites will list manufacturers' names and products, give details of their performance criteria and show who is making eligible equipment and how performances compare. Also, Foster has published a blue paper on the Climate Change Levy, available free by calling 0500 691122.
What are pull-down times and how do they work?
Pull-down time describes the time taken to reach the desired operating temperature from ambient room temperature when the cabinet is switched on. It is also used to describe the unit's recovery time - the time taken to reach the correct temperature after the door has been closed and after defrost periods.
The interior temperature of the refrigerator rises every time the door is opened. When it is closed again, the cabinet will bring the temperature back down. The more efficient the refrigeration system, the faster the pull-down time.
Legislation recommends that food of a maximum 50mm in thickness must be chilled from 70ºC to 3ºC in 90 minutes. Some refrigerators are designed to operate in an ambient temperature of 32ºC, others in an ambient temperature of 43ºC.
Is the size of the motor important?
The more often the door of the refrigerator is opened, the harder the motor has to work, so bear this in mind when making your selection. Temperature will also vary according to the amount of food in the cabinet, so it needs to have the capacity to maintain the correct temperature if the refrigerator is likely to be full for most of the time.
If there will be periods when the cabinet is not too full and when the air will cool more rapidly, look for a model that will automatically switch off the compressor when it isn't needed.
Other useful features include door switches that turn off the motor when the door is opened, preventing the cold air being blown out of the cabinet and warm air being sucked in. Glass, sliding or half doors may also be helpful in identifying the product needed before the door is fully opened. Self-closing doors are also an option to consider.
Meeting health and safety requirements
Keeping refrigerators clean is not just good practice, it is a legal requirement that carries heavy penalties and serious health risks if neglected. Manufacturers are going to considerable lengths to design equipment that makes regular cleaning as straightforward and effort-free as possible.
Bear these considerations in mind:
Choose designs that have no dirt traps.
Make sure no external or internal screws or fixings are visible - these are bad dirt traps.
A fully coved interior ensures dirt cannot be trapped in hard-to-reach corners.
Completely removable internal fittings will enable the user to quickly and thoroughly clean the interior of the cabinet. Shelves should be easy to lift out and drawers should be removable from counter units.
Make sure the cabinet's internal base, exterior and shelving are made of a food-safe, durable and easy-to-clean material.
Castors allow easy cleaning of the cabinet's exterior and surrounding areas.
Stock rotation
Choose a design that eases the task of food rotation. In larger operations using walk-in coldrooms, pass-through or roll-through models might help. In the refrigeration cabinet, easily removed racks and shelves combined with multi-positioning racks make it easier to rotate stock.
What about the environment?
Make sure the equipment is 100% CFC-free and uses an approved refrigerant.
