Warewashing equipment is arguably one of the most important elements to be planned in a commercial kitchen. Not only does it need to be reliable and functional, but it has to have the capacity to cope with peak times within the kitchen. Adam Horvath, sales director at HCE, offers his top tips when planning a wash-up area.
“There are a variety of aspects that need to be considered by caterers when buying new warewashing equipment. First and foremost, operators need to establish what it is that they will be washing. For example, crockery and large utensils, will require different equipment to pots and gastronorm trays. Next, operators need to consider the space that is available in the back of house area, as well as the services which are available nearby. For instance, caterers need to think about power, drainage and ventilation. Lastly, operators need to consider about their wash up window e.g. is there a particular time and a specific number of dishes, glassware, trays and cutlery that need to be washed and dried.
When thinking about the most suitable type of warewasher for a small, medium-sized or large kitchen is, clients need to think about what is necessary and what will fit into the space they have. For example, if the client has a small kitchen, an undercounter front-loading glass/dishwasher may be beneficial. This can be upgraded if the client has a medium size kitchen, where they would be able to have a single or twin pass-through dishwasher. Finally, for larger operations a rack or belt-conveyor warewasher may be the most suitable.
Whilst it is not new technology, not many operators are aware of granule machines which can be a game changer for some businesses. Likewise, reverse osmosis water treatment technology is still not as widely used as it should be, especially for crockery and glassware. Some manufacturers now offer bottle washers as well as double rack (stacked) pass-through dishwasher concepts. Heat recovery units on larger rack and belt conveyor machines are so efficient that heat pumps are no longer needed really.
If your kitchen is in need of a new warewashing system then please do get in touch with us and one of our kitchen experts will happily discuss exciting options with you.