All You Need To Know About Commercial Dishwashing Machines

Dishwashing is an essential part of any foodservice organization’s work, and there are many reasons to have a commercial dishwashing machine for your restaurant. It not only eases and speeds up the work but also provides hygiene, which impacts customers’ thoughts about your restaurant by providing clean dishes quickly when needed, which reduces the waiting time for them. The cleaning standards must be met for each plate which can reach hundreds only in an hour to provide customer safety.

Some home-type dishwashers may not offer to sanitize but only clean. On the contrary, commercial dishwashing machines must sanitize all the dishes, ensuring no bacteria are left using either hot water or sanitizing chemicals. Having a commercial dishwashing machine that meets the needs of your restaurant will help you considerably to run your work successfully. We can count plenty of reasons to have a commercial dishwashing machine, which you can find below.

The Reasons To Have A Commercial Dishwashing Machine

Efficiency

Commercial dishwashing machines are able to wash dishes at any given time using an amount of water, which makes it perfectly efficient. Reducing the staff’s work, commercial dishwashing machines allow them to use their time for other labor.

Speed-save time

Compared to manual pot washing, commercial dishwashing machines can wash a huge amount of dishes in a bit of time. A commercial dishwashing machine saves quite a lot of time, which is one of its main benefits.

Food safety

As a food service business operator, you need to comply with food safety regulations. A commercial dishwashing machine is what you need to ensure that you get sanitized and clean dishes that fit these regulations.

Essential Points For Purchasing a Commercial Dishwashing Machine

Before choosing a commercial dishwasher, it is essential to consider several different factors, so we listed the points for choosing the best commercial dishwashing machine for your restaurant.

1. Type of dishwasher

There are various types of commercial best commercial dishwashing machines that are designed specifically for different uses, with different functions, and in different sizes.

Commercial Undercounter Dishwashers

If you have a small business that requires only a little operation, a commercial undercounter dishwasher will serve the purpose. If you do not have a large space, it will perfectly fit your kitchen with its compact design. A commercial under-counter dishwasher can usually wash 25 to 30 racks per hour, making it a perfectly efficient commercial dishwasher that small restaurants are looking for.

Commercial Glasswashers

A commercial glasswasher is a perfect option for places that need clean and shiny glassware all the time, such as a busy bar. They are made specially to wash glassware and can vary in size and features. If you use tall glassware, choosing a glasswasher with larger clearance will fit your needs, and looking at the temperature type of washers is essential as there are either low or high-temperature washers.

Commercial Utensil Washers

A commercial utensil dishwasher is a perfect fit where small kitchen supplies such as cutlery and plates are not commonly used. Commercial utensil washers are explicitly made for pots and pans with powerful washing pumps and large clearances and provide cleaning entirely and sanitizing utensils.

Tunnel Machines

A tunnel machine is perfect for a big establishment that needs a dishwasher that can wash a huge amount of dishes in a short period of time, as it can wash up to 9 thousand dishes in an hour. They come with a conveyor system where you put the plates in trays, and moving through the tunnel, dishes get washed with detergent, then hot water, and then dried in order. In the end, you get spotless and ready-to-use plates.

Commercial Conveyor Dishwashers

Perfect in both volume and speed, a commercial conveyor dishwasher is ideal for large establishments which serve hundreds of customers a day. They usually use high-temperature washing. The most significant advantage of a conveyor dishwasher is the moveable racks. Workers can pile up the racks and put them to wash consecutively, which lets you continually use it without filling for once and waiting to wash.

Door-Type Dishwashers

Generally, they are smaller than a conveyor washer, which is similar in speed, so it is suitable for restaurants that do not have enough space for a conveyor dishwasher. Door-type dishwashers come either with one or two racks, and the process runs like you fill the racks, run the washing cycle, and then get your clean dishes. Because they use too much power, they should be installed by an electrician.

2. Commercial Dishwashing Machine Size and capacity

The size of your company determines the size of your commercial dishwashing machine. If there isn’t a lot of cleaning to be done, a commercial under-counter dishwasher may suffice; a small commercial dishwasher that has a door in the front and, as the name implies, can fit under your counter. It will be sufficient for small establishments, but you will want a bigger one in a large restaurant with more capacity, such as conveyor dishwashers. While deciding on the size and capacity, keep in mind that your choice will affect your business’s future.

3. Temperature

There are two options for commercial dishwashing machines; high or low-temperature dishwashers. They both use detergent and sanitizing chemicals, but the difference is the sanitizing method they use. While a high-temperature commercial dishwashing machine uses heat (150-160 ◦F) to sanitize the dishes, a low-temp commercial dishwasher uses chemical sanitizers with 120-140◦F. Because of the high temperatures, high-temp dishwashers have condensate hoods.

Each kind has advantages and disadvantages. The condensate hood will add to the cost if you want a high-temp washer, and it may be doubting to locate in a small kitchen. Sanitizing chemicals in a low-temperature machine, on the other hand, may stain and damage your dishware. And the continual need for these chemicals will increase the expense while you won’t need a condensate hood anymore. So you may choose the one considering the costs and your available space.

4. Energy efficiency

There’s nothing wrong with conserving money while ensuring the machine can keep up with the cleaning needs. Energy and water are the two primary resources for all dishwashers.  The energy-efficient models offer low-energy modes that you may utilize as necessary, and they consume less energy when they are idle. Also, there are some models that use less water but still get the job done.

The Energy Star label is a government-run organization that evaluates commercial dishwashers. According to their certification, the machine consumes 40% less water and is 40% more energy-efficient, so you can look for it when choosing a commercial dishwashing machine.

5. Cost

Another essential point is that you also need to figure up the initial and continuing expenditures of the commercial dishwashing machines. As you grow in size and capacity, your upfront and continuing costs rise. Pass-through and conveyor dishwashers, on the other hand, can save you and your staff time. Because they require a huge quantity of energy, high-temperature machines have a greater initial and continuing cost. However, the dishes dry quickly. And you’ll have to buy chemicals more frequently with low-temperature washers.

It is critical that you do not cut corners on costs. Although an under-counter dishwasher is less costly, it may fail if the demand exceeds its capacity. This might cost you customers, which could be more expensive than the initial expenditures of a larger machine.

Cleaning Commercial Dishwashing Machines in 4 Steps

Although it’s one of the pieces of equipment in the last station of your business in the storage-preparation-cooking-serving-cleaning pentagon, it has the same importance as others. After you purchase a commercial dishwashing machine, it’s essential to keep it in good condition. You must have clean dishes and other serving tools to run your business smoothly and increase your kitchen efficiency.

1. Wash inside of the commercial dishwashing machine using detergent or other sanitizing chemicals and rinse with hot water. Do not forget to let your commercial dishwashing machine cool and drain after washing by leaving it open.
2. To prevent hard water from clogging the hoses, using white vinegar while cleaning is perfect and practical.
3. Cleaning the filter is essential, for it may cause clogging results in uncleaned and stained dishes. You may clean it with the help of a brush and detergent after removing the dirt away.
4. Leaving the dishwasher door open until it becomes completely dry is a good idea to prevent bacteria from growing.

Conclusion For Commercial Dishwashing Machines

There are many sensible reasons to have a commercial dishwashing machine regarding time, money, and efficiency. A commercial dishwashing machine will grease the wheels to succeed in any business that requires dishes or utensils to be cleaned. Choosing a commercial dishwasher is difficult, but accurately doing it may save you time, money, and worry. We hope that the information provided above helps you make the correct selection.