German manufacturer Rieber, on Stand M47 at the School Food Show, is launching Thermoplates eco, a range of general-purpose cooking pans from 65 mm and 100 mm tall that it says will cut energy usage.
In cooking tests with mashed potato, Rieber found that almost 10% energy was saved compared to using a conventional stainless steel GN pan. The new pans also cut cooking time by 21%.
They are made using a triple layer sandwich construction with a highly heat conductive aluminium core between two stainless steel layers, which means they conduct heat more efficiently and so save energy because they heat up and cool down more quickly than conventional pans.
Gareth Newton, managing director of BGL Rieber, says: “At a time when energy bills are soaring, Thermoplates eco pans will give substantial cost savings. As caterers are trying to achieve a smaller carbon footprint these pans will pay for themselves hundreds of times over.
“A 10% saving on energy adds up to thousands of pounds over the lifetime of an oven or blast chiller. The time saving is a bonus because, whether you are heating or cooling, your equipment just gets more productive and that means improved sustainability.”