Looking to distinguish their operations from the competition, many healthcare facilities continue to create foodservice environments that can serve as a difference maker in the eyes of the public. As such, many healthcare operators continue to incorporate sophisticated serveries, patient-focused room-service programs and, in some cases, high-end restaurants that can compete with local eateries.

Ice machines are a paradoxical bunch. They can be the forgotten workhorse in a kitchen and often come in last on equipment purchasing priorities. But at the same time, they open up incredible opportunities for total-kitchen energy savings because of their improved efficiencies.

Though ventilation may not seem that interesting a topic on the surface, this is precisely the area of the kitchen that has seen the most technological advancements in terms of energy efficiency and design.

Replacing a piece of foodservice equipment may be a common activity among operators, but the factors surrounding these purchasing decisions are anything but typical. With that in mind, this article explores the steps operators and their supply chain partners can take to make informed decisions.

When it comes to energy-efficient griddles, the energy-efficient part really varies by operation and need. "Griddles are heavily cost-driven and it's difficult to justify the strategies that make them more efficient," says David Zabrowski, director of engineering at the Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) in San Ramon, Calif.

In the grand scheme of commercial kitchen energy use, convection ovens don't pose a huge drain on costs compared to refrigeration or even fryers. But that doesn't mean their impact on total kitchen energy use is negligible. In fact, the Food Service Technology Center is diligently working to revise standards for ovens, including rack, conveyor and combination units.

Value engineering is a term that both design and MAS consultants either fear or shun. But for designers who specify foodservice equipment, value engineering represents an unfortunate reality, and one they may have faced to a greater extent in the last couple of years because of a damaged economy that has resulted in tighter than normal budgets.

Eric Norman of MVP Services in Dubuque, Ia., however, has a solution for this issue that has worked well for him in assisting foodservice operators from all industry segments. Known as single-source and pick-three specification, it's an approach that Eric's father Ed taught him, and it is something other consultants might