FEA Guide 2024: Hot and cold holding displays – essential selection advice

The FEA’s advice

As hot holding systems need to be operating constantly to work effectively, they can be significant users of energy. Choosing hot holding equipment that is as efficient as possible helps to improve the sustainability of your business. When selecting this type of equipment, ensure the product is held at the required temperature for the expected display period without drying out. Specify the size of cabinet which suits your expected demand and don’t oversize it. Once food falls below 63°C, it will need to be used within the two-hour period or risk being wasted.

Look for equipment with features like individually-controlled temperature zones. Not only will this allow you to keep a wider variety of menu items on hand, but you can turn off unused sections during quieter times. Simple design touches like metal lids for individual food containers can increase thermal conductivity, helping to reduce energy consumption.

Like most categories of foodservice equipment there are many different solutions for hot holding. And just like every equipment purchase, operators have to choose between cheaper, bare bones models and more expensive alternatives with more advanced technology. It’s important to balance initial vs lifetime equipment cost when considering what is right for your business, as the more expensive alternatives often have lower energy consumption, helping to keep running costs down as well as improving the overall sustainability of your operation.

Features like digital temperature controls, smart airflow systems, individually-heated shelves and zonal air circulation not only help to keep food hot for longer, without deterioration, but can also enhance the efficiency of the unit.

When it comes to merchandisers, choosing hot holding systems with doors can have possibly the most significant effect on energy consumption and sustainability. Thermal shedding is inevitable in open fronted units. This not only increases energy use, but can also add to the workload on other energy hungry systems, like ventilation, in order to maintain comfortable temperatures for staff and customers.

Read more from the FEA Guide

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Microwaves and rapid cooking – are microwaves a secret weapon in the kitchen? >>

Warewashing – here’s how to make the decision on the perfect warewasher >>

Photo: Howard Walfish via Flickr