Commercial Kitchen Induction Equipment

Induction cooking technology is the new best friend for your kitchen. This versatile technology has you to reduce the energy footprint in a kitchen and gives you a better work environment. The number one reason to use induction is that it helps you to save money.We can help in incorporating this technology in your kitchen design.

What is induction?

In induction cooking the food, vessel is heated up by magnetic induction. In an induction cooktop, there is a coil of copper wire placed under the cooking pot and an alternating electric current is passed through it. This result in a magnetic field creates a magnetic flux. This creates eddy currents in the cooking vessel. The cooking vessel contains ferrous molecule. This ferrous molecule creates resistance to eddy currents which creates tremendous heat. By controlling the strength of the electromagnetic field picking control the amount of keeping generated the cooking vessel. This change can be done instantaneously.

In a typical gas range, the heat is generated by the gas which in turn heats up the vessel which in turn heats up the food. As such gas-based equipment heats the environment and loses energy to the environment before heating the equipment.

[bctt tweet=”Induction does not involve generating heat . The cooking vessel is the original generator of  heat.” username=”mangokurry”]

Induction is different; it does not involve generating heat which is then transferred to the cooking vessel. It makes the cooking vessel itself the original generator of the cooking heat.

It has been observed that gas-based equipment is 40% energy efficient whereas induction based kitchen equipment is 90% efficient. It is argued that to produce the same amount of energy in gas only half is needed from induction.

Induction kitchen equipment applications

Induction kitchen equipment can be used in place of gas ranges. These are called induction hob. Induction has also been used to create Chinese wok, griddle plates. In the Indian scenario, induction has been adapted to develop kadhai, dosa tava, and pav bhaji tava and idli steamers to name a few. Industrial catering which uses heavy-duty kitchen equipment with the capacity of 100000 Btu, induction provides the requisite power. They’ve also been induction fryer, Bain Marie and warmers. The technology has also been translated to make Bratt pans.

Why choose induction kitchen equipment?

Save money with lower power kitchen hoods and ducting

The purpose of kitchen hood and ducting is to remove heat and food odour. Because induction is so efficient and makes only the vessel heat up there is the limited transfer of heat in the environment. As such planning kitchens, the kitchen hoods cfm value can be reduced by 20%. This translates into savings. A 10 feet long kitchen hood will reduce your energy bill by 60 to 80,000 per year. This translates into 3 to 4 lakhs in five years. This is a fair comparison as you investment horizon will be a minimum five years. Furthermore, because the CFM value is reduced you will acquire a fan of lower horsepower and smaller ducts. As such the capital investment in kitchen hoods and ducting will be reduced.

Reduce gas bills

Induction works with 90% heat efficiency gasworks with 40% per cent efficiency. Commercial kitchens use three sizes of burners 40,000 Btu, 70,000 Btu and 100000 Btu. Canteen kitchen this can go up to 150,000 Btu. Hence for 40,000 Btu burners the actual efficiently is only 16,000 Btu.

To equate gas with commercial kitchen induction equipment  you need to understand this. 1 kW is equal to 3412 Btu. As induction is 90% efficient therefore 90% of 3412 is approximately 3000 Btu.

So as we know that for our 40,000 Btu gas burner we need only 16,000 Btu of induction. By dividing 16,000 by 3000 equal 5.3 kWh induction units.

So how does this reduce your bills?

We have clearly established that we cook food by heating the vessel. The vessel is heated from an energy source. What gas burners do from a 40000 Btu gas burner can be done by an induction of just 16000 Btu? Reason –efficiency of heat transfer.

[bctt tweet=”What a 40000 Btu gas burner does, can be done by an induction of just 16000 Btu” username=”mangokurry”]

So how does this translate in money?

A 40000 Btu consumes 800 grams of LPG which costs approx Rs 64 per hour at Rs 80 per kg. The 5.3 KW will consume 6 units per hour. So Rs 488 per hr at Rs per unit. Hence the saving is approx 30%.

If you have equipment which is used for long period of times then this gap widens. I have seen restaurant save as much as 6,00,000 lakh annually from the difference in reduction of gas.

Better Frying

Induction fryers are equipped with better sensors and can prevent oil from reaching the smoke point. Smoke point of food oils is 205 degree and Indian food is fried well below it. You save money by preventing oils from going black. Here the quality of sensor  is the key differentiation.

You save money and time by faster heat recovery by machines.

Recovery time is the technical term for how long the cooking oil takes to regain optimum cooking temperature after frozen or cold food is immersed in it. Kitchens often underestimate the cost and quality implications of oil recovery time. The annual cost of oil for a kitchen is huge, and rapid recovery time is crucial in delivering crispy food with minimal oil absorption and minimal oil loss. All this building towards better product and systems quality.

Better work environment

A cool kitchen is the better kitchen. A commercial kitchen induction equipment allows a much cooler which leads to better work environment for the staff. This results in increased productivity.

Most restaurant kitchens feature several pieces of high-intensity cooking and dishwashing equipment packed into a relatively small area. This can quickly raise kitchen temperatures to unbearable levels, especially in hot weather or during very busy periods. High kitchen temperatures are not just an inconvenience for employees—they can significantly affect your restaurant’s profitability.

Outside of optimal temperatures, workers exhibit a higher rate of mistakes. In a kitchen, this can lead to anything from botched orders to personal injury. Induction saves money by creating a worker-friendly environment.

An overly hot kitchen also wreaks havoc on your utility bills. Induction saves money by cooler climate for your equipment else your compressors on refrigerators and freezers must work overtime when they are located in a hot environment.

Induction kitchen equipment is really fast

As the heat transfer is efficient the cook attains the desired the cooking temperature much faster. In a blink of an eye, the food reaches the desired temperature and gets cooked. Saves time and money.

Induction is Safe

There are no burns in Induction kitchen. The induction just heats up the vessel and not the environment or the equipment itself. This reduces the probability of burns or actually even eliminates. Ceran glass expands and contracts as the temperature vary. And the best part is that only part where the vessel touches the glass top is heated. Remaining part of glass remains at room temperature.

Induction is safest known open cooking technology to date.

It can be used in banquet halls for action stations and even in the restaurant. No fire hazard and no heat discomfort for guests and employees. Also perfect for food trucks.

Better Temperature controls

If you want your chefs to cook at a low temperature. You can specify it exactly. The measured dial allows you to control cooking of food at precise temperature. Leads to more consistency and predictability. Induction saves money by enabling consistency and predictability in your operations.

Commercial Kitchen Induction is Built To Last

Induction uses Ceran glass. These ceran glasses are specially designed glasses which can absorb the impact of 2 kg round iron ball dropped from 2 feet.
However, please do buy from a reputed vendor. Ceran glass is one of the things which add durability and reliability of the machine and not only thing.

Applications of Induction technology in Kitchen equipment

1. 2 0r 4 hobs
2. Banquet plate warmers.
3. Bain Maries-save ton of money on this.
4. Induction steamer- less energy needed to create steam so save money. And guarantee hot food because of temperature maintenance.
5. Induction fryer- suitable for short order cooking or bulk production.
6. Induction wok- Woks are hot fast and induction woks can be twice as fast as needed.
7. Induction Dosa Tava- has a reduced start up time with induction dosa tava and faster results.

Summary

Restaurant startups must consider adopting induction technology at the design stage. The induction will help save money and make way for a better kitchen design.