Restaurant owners are discovering a smart money-saving hack that makes kitchens healthier: ditching traditional gas stoves and overhead hoods.
Switching to electric appliances like induction burners saves hundreds of thousands of dollars while creating better working conditions for their staff.
The scoop
More San Francisco restaurants are skipping the expensive overhead hood system that removes smoke and fumes from kitchens. Instead, they're using electric equipment and creative cooking techniques.
"This is years and years of problem-solving coming to fruition," chef Bradley Kilgore of Café Sebastian told the San Francisco Standard. "This is about timing, efficiency, and budget."
How it's helping
The switch brings financial benefits. Kilgore saved about $400,000 by not installing a hood system at Café Sebastian. Other restaurant owners report similar savings, making it possible to open in smaller spaces that weren't originally designed as restaurants.
The health benefits are clear, too. "To me, it's a healthier kitchen," says chef Joseph Offner of Bar Sprezzatura. "That's one of the things I first noticed: I felt a lot better after I got off work."
This restaurant trend mirrors what's happening in home kitchens across America. Induction burners from brands like Copper make it easy and affordable to avoid gas stoves' indoor air issues. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, you can get up to 30% off an induction range. Plus, induction stoves cook faster and cost less to run than traditional stoves.
If you're considering taking advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act, doing so sooner rather than later may save you thousands. President-elect Donald Trump has stated intentions to eliminate the rebates, though this would require an act of Congress. Either way, the future of this act is uncertain.
What everyone's saying
Chefs are excited about the creative possibilities. James Beard Award-winner Stuart Brioza of The Anchovy Bar sees it as "a new creative insight, like a code to crack."
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Do you think gas stoves should be banned nationwide? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
No way 👎 The results speak for themselves. At Café Sebastian, Kilgore uses a high-tech electric oven to cook a half chicken in just eight minutes: much faster than traditional methods. His customers don't miss the gas stoves at all. They're too busy enjoying their food.
"I like the limitation," says Brioza. "Everything tastes the same even without having the same equipment."
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