How to choose the best dishwasher for your restaurant: features to look for
Choosing the best commercial dishwasher for a kitchen is not easy and different from choosing one for your house
For any establishment with a kitchen, be it a restaurant, bar, or hotel, keeping the dishes and glasses clean is essential to the life of the business. Where manual dishwashing is preferred at home, automated dishwashing machines do better at these establishments.
That’s because commercial dishwashers can ensure that your restaurant can serve clean, sanitized dinnerware and glassware when needed, along with helping to comply with the sanitation requirements in your area.
Choosing the best commercial dishwasher for your restaurant is different from choosing one for your home. Your equipment must be of the right type for your wares, offer the right temperature, and the right size for your kitchen. Not only that, they should also fit into your budget in terms of operating and maintenance cost.
At MEIKO, dishwashing isn’t just about washing dirty dishes but more about complete solutions to meet different dishwashing needs. From under-counter dishwashers to pass through or hood-type commercial dishwashers, we specialize in every aspect of creating clean solutions for restaurants. Here are four factors to look for when choosing a dishwasher for your restaurant.
#1 Type of wares to be washed
There’s no one-size-fits-all dishwasher. Glassware, for example, should be put into a glasswasher, which is specially designed for washing glasses of all shapes and sizes without breaking them. Similarly, dishware should go into dishwashers for better cleaning results.
There’s also the utensil washer, the all-rounder that offers outstanding wash results for large kitchenwares such as pots, pans, trays, containers, and similar items. The technology used is suitable for cleaning heavily soiled pots and pans with large clearances so that large pots can fit in.
If you have standard dishes to be washed or would like to wash some glasses, utensils, trays, etc., a large commercial dishwasher will suffice for your restaurant, as it can handle heavy-duty loads and clean more dishes within a short time.
#2 Temperature
There are two sanitizing options for a commercial dishwashing machine – high temperature and low temperature. Both use dishwashing detergent and rinsing agents for cleaning, the only difference would be how they sanitize your dishes.
High temperature dishwashing machines sanitize the dishes with heat by washing the dishware at 55°C to 72°C while the rinsing cycle can go up to 82°C. On top of that, this machine uses a condensation hood due to higher steam emissions. Dishes that come out of a high temperature dishwasher often dry faster and don’t require the use of a chemical sanitizer such as chlorine that is used in low temperature dishwasher. It also uses less chemicals due to the higher temperature.
Meanwhile, low temperature dishwashing machines wash and rinse the dishes at temperatures between 40°C and 65°C. These temperatures alone are not high enough to sanitize, so low-temperature dishwashers may use chemical sanitizing agents in the rinse cycle. Use of a low-temperature dishwasher may consume a higher amount of chemicals and may take a longer time to complete a wash cycle.
#3 Size and capacity
The size and capacity of your dishwashing machine will depend on the size of your business. If your restaurant is small with limited space, consider small-sized dishwashers such as MEIKO's under-counter dishwasher. It can fit under the bar, in the serving area or even in the kitchen. On top of that, it washes up to 40 racks per hour, making it suitable for small cafes, etc.
Meanwhile, bigger restaurants will require a larger commercial dishwasher such as MEIKO’s conveyor dishwashers to cope with higher capacity of the restaurant. Using a conveyor system to transport the racks of dishware into the dishwasher, this type of dishwashing solution can wash between 350 and 1,000 racks per day or even more, making it suitable for cafeterias and restaurants.
For large canteens in factories or universities, a conveyor belt system with a high temperature flight type machine could be used to wash high volumes of wares. A high temperature machine would be able to wash the wares in a more efficient and faster time.
When it comes to choosing the size and capacity of your restaurant dishwasher, you have to plan for the future that may include expansion or moving out to a bigger location. At the very least, you’ll be able to use the dishwasher for extended years. Also, consider the number of seats your restaurant can accommodate and the turnover rate during your dishwashing machine selection.
Undercounter Dishwasher (M-iClean U)
Hood Type Dishwasher (M-iClean H)
Conveyor Dishwasher (M-iQ)
#4 Machine capex and operating cost
As one of the most important aspects when choosing a restaurant dishwasher, you need to consider the machine's cost and operating cost. That’s because both the machine and operating costs increase as the size and capacity increase.
In the case of high-temperature dishwashers, they have a high upfront machine cost and operating cost due to more components and the amount of energy they consume. But the dishes dry faster. While low-temperature dishwashers will require the use of sanitizing chemicals, you may also need to replace the damaged dishes more frequently.
Hence, you mustn't overlook the cost of any dishwashing machine. An under-counter dishwasher may be less expensive but it can be disastrous if your kitchen can't meet the demands of your customers. Make sure to select the right type of commercial dishwasher for your kitchen so that you can maximize its efficiency and lifespan.
As one of the top warewashing technology manufacturers in the world, MEIKO offers some of the best commercial dishwashers in the world. With an emphasis on making the world a cleaner place by using innovative technology for warewashing, cleaning, and disinfection, MEIKO can guarantee you clean solutions wherever and whenever you need them.
