Electric vs gas equipment in schools

[fan-of-fans]

I've noticed older schools back in the 1950s/60s would often have Hotpoint/GE commercial equipment in the cafeterias, all electric.

Around here I've also noticed some schools are set up for all electric equipment, while others have gas as well. In the northern states seems to often be all gas.

What I wonder is why that is. Possibly due to no natural gas supply at some locations but it seems the ones without it would be near gas lines.

In schools that do have gas I've seen they'll do things like have gas ovens yet the ranges and fryers were electric. Is there some reason for having both gas and electric equipment? Seems to me electric ovens would be more efficient anyway.

 

[circlew]

The elementary school (1953) I attended was built before natural gas service was available in the area, so had electric cooking equipment. The middle school (1906) was old, so also was electric. The Jr. - Senior HS (1966) had electric kitchen equipment, though the building had gas service for heat.

 

[fan-of-fans]

My elementary school built in 1991 may have had gas but I'm not sure. It was in more of a rural area so I doubt there were gas lines that far out though. Other sister schools to that one I think had gas.

My middle school and its sister school built in 1980 were entirely electric even though they were both in the middle of towns.

High school was built in 1970 but the original cafeteria was made into classrooms and a new cafeteria built in 1989. That one I think had gas lines installed but at least some equipment was electric. Not sure on the ovens or tilt skillets though, or the steamers.

Most of the older elementary schools in our county were built in the early 1960s but all had new cafeteria built around 2000 - those seem to have gas Zephaire convection ovens, not sure on the rest of the equipment.

A few schools opened in 2007 - would presume those have gas service also.

 

[wayupnorth]

My elementary school had electric cooking in the cafeteria, but had city gas that was used to heat the oil that was used for heating the school. They called that oil, Bunker C.

 

[tomturbomatic]

That bunker C was heavy, dirty stuff.  It must have produced terrible smoke in the area.  You poor inhabitants of the town with that air quality. I understand what you mean about having to heat it to be able to use it. 

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #339966;">Hi kids. I'm  surprised you would notice such things. In grammar school we were  afraid of the cafeteria. We stood in line with our trays while the hefty prison matrons in their white uniforms and black hair nets slopped food at you. One just didn't have time to look at the kitchen equipment. You had to make sure there was a clear path to the door in case there was a riot. Remember they knew we were armed with flatware however cheap. This was a relatively new school with forced air gas heating and radiant heat in the  floor.</span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #339966;">In high school another fairly new school I have no idea what they used. The cafeteria had no separate kitchen. They had this long snack bar sort of like a giant Burger King without a drive through. I ate there once. I ordered a cinnamon roll went to take a bite and a bee flew out. After that I walked to McDonald's for lunch.  We baby boomers had it rough. .</span>

 

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #339966;">Writing this from Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. My cancer surgery on Monday took almost six hours. They gave me a fancy schmancy private room. The hospital seems deserted since you can have no visitors. Reading the posts on here makes me feel at home. Stay safe XOXO</span>

 

 

[supersuds]

Wishing you a speedy recovery, Joe.

I'm like you. I had an aversion to anything to do with the school cafeteria and was surprised to find out, years later, that a near neighbor worked there and was renowned locally for her good cooking. Had no idea. My elementary school was heated with coal but I'm sure the kitchen must have been electric. Nobody had gas service in the area as far as I know.

 

[askolover]

I just remember the elementary school cafeteria having this big gas range right behind the steam table where the ladies would be serving.  It was big and black and had a flat cooktop surface...but there were circular areas on it that were also flat, but blue flames would come up through those circles.  The ovens were gas too as far as I can remember, some dual stacked up set I think, but I can't remember any of the names on the equipment.  I do remember the dishwasher being hobart, as well as the big stand mixers and the potato peeler (I didn't know what that thing was until recently when I began researching online to find something like that contraption I could see in the cafe back then).

 

Our high school had just remodeled the kitchen area and had both gas ranges and electric solid element cooktops, never saw the names on them.  Hobart dishwasher.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Greg, I know what you're talking about. Those are called French Plate ranges, I put a link below. I think the idea was the top retains heat for long periods of cooking. They made electric ranges with these french top plates as well.

I don't recall the equipment much from elementary school. I never ate school lunch in elementary or middle school but just once. It was my birthday and you'd get an ice cream cup if it was your birthday so my mom had me eat lunch there. I remember they were serving rectangular cheese pizza and peas. I didn't like it at ll so never are from there again. I wouldn't even use so much as a spoon from the cafeteria.

In high school the cafeteria had about 6 lines and you could either eat what they were serving that day, or you could get a burger, chicken or pizza with fries. Or a salad or sub sandwich. At one time they even served pizza from Pizza Hut.

They had the best crinkle cut fries too.

I remember in the lunch line if you looked back in the kitchen there was a row of three Keating fryers, all electric and each had the two automatic basket raise/lowering arms. Those fryers went 5 days a week all the time and I was fascinated by them for some reason. I'd stand in line and watch them go up and down. I don't know how they were allowed to sell so many fries back then but they sure went through them like crazy.

Also there was a Blodgett Zephaire convection oven but I dunno if it was gas or not, hard to tell. There was a steam kettle too, the rest of the cooking equipment was behind a short wall that backed up to the other stuff so I don't know much about what was back there, there were a couple times I had to go in the kitchen but didn't really get a good look.

Once I got a glimpse through the back door when we were playing football behind the cafeteria and I think I saw a 6 or 8 burner range with solid elements and oven.

I do know the middle school had a teeny 12" wide electric range with solid elements, Southbend I think. Tiniest range you'd ever seen.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Also I remember the high school culinary class had a GE or Hobart electric convection oven in the room. Ranges were all slide in Whirlpools with coil burners. Didn't take the class, just went in a few times for other classes to use the room.

Here's the link I meant to post on French Plates:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/vulcan-v2ft36-nat-v-series-natural-gas-36-modular-heavy-duty-range-with-2-french-plates-50-000-btu/901V2FT36N.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CjwKCAjw1cX0BRBmEiwAy9tKHlIEn02VZVCOWLtn

 

[askolover]

Yep Cole, that's what the top looked like.  Come to think of it, I think they had big ovens in the bottom too.  I know it wasn't just a cooktop because down at the bottom near the floor was a red button below each oven.  I always assumed it was used to light the pilot or something.  This was back in the mid 70's and I know that kitchen was built at least in the 60's.  The rest of the school building was built in the 20's or 30's...my grandmother remembered it when she was little.

 

[neptunebob]

I remember a jr high I went to in 7th grade had a big Magic Chef oven I think from the 1930s. I think it was gas.

 

[norgeway]

My elementary school

Built in 1951 had all Hotpoint equipment ,2 flat top ranges and I THINK a stack oven, also a floor model Hotpoint deep fryer, They heated with coal until I was in the 3rd or 4th grade the, stoker broke and they converted to oil, I remember we had several COLD days until the burner was installed.

 

[polkanut]

The parochial school I attended was built in 1925, and had all gas appliances from the late 1950's.  When a new school was built in 1983-84, the kitchen equipment was salvaged and installed in the new school.  It is all still being used.  The Hobart dishwasher is of the same vintage, and is also still going strong.