Gas or electric for your commercial kitchen

The decision to use gas or electric equipment for your commercial kitchen equipment can impact on everything, from initial financial outlay and operating expenses to cooking times and customer satisfaction.

Don’t make the mistake of buying what seems to be the most cost effective option without researching the long term implications. Understanding the key differences between gas and electric equipment is key.

The Energy Savings Trust has some useful information here. We’ve also rounded up the key things to consider.

Upfront costs

Gas commercial equipment will need to be professionally installed and fitted, making it more costly in the short term. For example, of you choose a model such as a Lincat LMR9 6 burner gas range oven, as seen here Lincat LMR9 6 Burner Gas Range Oven, you would need both a gas supply and for it to be installed correctly.

Electric equipment generally just needs to be plugged in, but you may need to pay for higher voltage wiring. On the whole, electric items are cheaper to install, though.

Purchasing

Similarly, gas equipment is more expensive to buy than electric ones. However, gas ovens such as the Lincat LMR9 6 burner gas range oven provide greater heat and shorter cooking times, so cost less to run overall. So you need to consider that aspect when purchasing your equipment. Whilst keeping to budget is important, don’t just go for the cheapest model.

Think about where the unit will sit in your kitchen and if you might need to move it around too, as electric ovens are much easier to move should you need to.

Ongoing costs

Whilst electricity might be slightly more efficient, gas is a lot less expensive than electricity on a day to day basis. This can have an absolutely massive impact on your operating costs. Gas equipment also tends to offer shorter cooking times, which again mean you will be able to turn dishes around faster. This should mean you can operate more efficiently, and as a commercial organisation, this will have an impact on your bottom line.

As shown above, it is really important to carefully balance out the cost of initial purchase and installation, with running and operating costs. Only by doing this can you get a proper picture.