As utility costs continue to rise, the case for purchasing energy-efficient equipment grows stronger. That is the message the market is telling Mitch Cohen, vice president of cooking system sales for Infinity Fryers, Stellar Steam and Eloma combi ovens.

    "Gas prices are $1.50 a therm in many areas and going up. Electricity prices are rising and so are water and water-treatment costs. I think everyone from the 10,000-unit chain to the mom-and-pop restaurant have to and are looking at energy and utility costs more closely," Cohen explained.

    As a manufacturer of ENERGY STAR®-certified fryers, Infinity produces equipment that greatly reduce gas consumption and related costs compared to standard gas fryers. The company earned its ENERGY STAR designation due to two major aspects of its fryer design. First, each unit comes equipped with a pre-mix burner system that combines air and gas in precise amounts to yield the maximum amount of heat per therm. Second, Infinity fryers make use of every last bit of hot air through an unique flue design. As exhaust air leaves an Infinity fryer, it is wrapped around the cooking chamber twice, ensuring that as much heat as possible is transferred to the cooking oil.

    These two design elements, noted Cohen, can combine to reduce an operator's gas usage by anywhere between $1,200 and $1,700 per fryer per year.

    Infinity contributed more than just energy-efficient equipment to help AGA Foodservice Equipment earn a 2007 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award. Those companies worthy of recognition must also demonstrate a commitment to educating their customers about energy-efficient products and the goals and benefits of the ENERGY STAR program. Like all AFE companies, Infinity works hard to improve the effectiveness of its educational efforts. In addition to touting the environmental and economic benefits of energy efficiency in nearly all of its marketing materials, the company spreads this message through its independent sales representatives.

    "We educate all our reps about ENERGY STAR," Cohen stressed. "They've been taught what earning recognition means and how to calculate savings on our equipment, and they pass that information on to our customers."

    That commitment to spreading an environmentally responsible message, in conjunction with the significant reductions in gas and oil usage created by its equipment, makes Infinity Fryers a worthy member of an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year company such as AFE.

For more information, visit Infinity Fryer's web site at www.infinityfryers.com