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Which Commercial Dishwasher is the Best Fit for Your Kitchen?
Monday, December 2, 2024
warewashing
Which Commercial Dishwasher is the Best Fit for Your Kitchen?
Commercial dishwashers come in a variety of options for a variety of preferences. When you have a specific need, this is great, but it’s also a little overwhelming. Maybe you’ve had less-than-ideal dishwashers in the past. Maybe you’re purchasing one for the first time. In any case, it’s understandable that you might not be sure what makes sense for your needs.
At State Cleaning Solutions, we lease and service commercial dish machines and provide chemical solutions to be used in them. As a first-time buyer or as someone with negative past experiences, you may find it challenging to determine what commercial dishwasher you actually need for your kitchen, and it’s even harder when you can’t get straightforward answers.
To help you find the right commercial dishwasher for you, we will explain what a dish machine is, its different customization options, and when each option should be used. After reading, you’ll know what kind of dishwasher will perform best in your facility.
What is a Commercial Dishwasher?
When we say “commercial dishwasher,” we’re talking about the heavy-duty dishwasher in your kitchen (usually at a restaurant, assisted living facility, or another location that sees a large quantity of dishes). These machines have many different features, including high-temperature washing, low-temperature washing, fitting under a counter, washing a specific item like glassware, efficiently cleaning a large group of dishes at once, or running without a vent hood.
Some of these options can be combined into one machine, while others don’t go together (e.g., you can’t have an under-counter machine that washes multiple racks of dishes). Your choice just depends on what qualities you value most in your dishwasher.
Should I Use a High-Temperature or Low-Temperature Commercial Dishwasher?
One of your biggest decisions is between a high-temperature or low-temperature dishwasher—and different facilities will have different preferences for good reason.
The most significant difference between the two is that high-temperature dish machines clean dishes through heat sanitization while low-temperature dish machines use chemical sanitization. With a high-temperature dishwasher the water gets hot enough to sanitize the dishes without using chemicals. With a low-temperature dishwasher chemicals like chlorine are used to sanitize.
In locations like healthcare facilities, you’ll probably want a high-temperature machine. While chemical sanitization is safe, chemicals like chlorine are harsh, making them less desirable in such settings. Meanwhile, high-temperature dishwashers use less chemical per rack than low-temperature dishwashers. This is because hotter water works to wash the soil loads and grease loads from the dishes. In low-temperature machines, this is only possible with extra detergent.
However, you’ll need an additional power source and breaker space for high-temperature dishwasher, and they tend to have a higher price tag than low-temperature dishwasher. As for low-temperature dish machines, they tend to be preferred for their generally lower cost, especially since they keep up just fine in low-to-medium volume setups.
If you have a large volume of dishes, high-temperature dishwashers will be more effective and will save you time, but in smaller volume situations, low-temperature dishwasher will perform well at a lower cost. Consider these factors and your kitchen’s capacity before making a selection.
Which is Better: Under-Counter or Upright Commercial Dishwashers?
Your next consideration is where you want your dishwasher and how much space you want it to take up.
If you’re working in a tight space, you’ll probably want an under-counter dishwasher. This is convenient for small kitchens where you need to make the most of your space, and it’s also handy in spaces like bars where you need both a small-space solution and close access. Just think about a busy Friday night at a bar. It’s probably preferable to have your staff out focusing on customers while the dishes are washing as compared to being stuck in the back scrubbing glasses.
Meanwhile, if your kitchen deals with a high volume of dishes and has the space for it, an upright dishwasher is a better option for you. It can more quickly clean a larger amount of dishware so you don’t have to deal with a backed-up kitchen.
As with high-temperature versus low-temperature, this decision comes down to personal preference and how much space you have for the machine itself.
What If I Don’t Have a Vent Hood?
Some facilities are interested in high-temperature machines only to find out that they can’t use one without a vent hood to collect the steam. Fortunately, ventless options are available for some high-temperature dishwasher, meaning that you can still use high heat without investing in any larger equipment.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking at a low-temperature dishwasher you won’t need a vent hood at all, so this won’t affect you.
What Kind of Commercial Dishwasher Can My Kitchen Support?
While much of the buying decision comes down to personal preference, just as much comes down to what your kitchen can logistically manage. Consider the following factors:
The Size of Your Kitchen
Commercial dishwashers can be fairly large. This is great for handling a large quantity of dishes, but it’s not always so great for cramped spaces.
If you don’t have the space for a big dishwasher, it’s best to go with an under-counter option. Be aware of the dimensions of your kitchen and how much room you have to spare before committing to a commercial dishwasher.
Your Power Source and Breaker Setup
It’s also important to know your power source and breaker setup situation if you intend to use a high-temperature machine. These dishwashers require an additional power source and a breaker to function.
If your kitchen has these capabilities to support a high-temperature dishwasher, that’s an option for you. Otherwise, you’ll need to look into low-temperature options.
Whether You Have a Vent Hood
As mentioned previously, whether or not you have a vent hood can affect whether you can use a high-temperature dishwasher. There are high-temperature dish machines that are ventless, but you’ll have to specifically look for this option. General high-temperature dishwashers need a vent hood in order to function properly. Verify the situation with your intended machine before committing.
Learn About State Cleaning Solutions’ Warewashing Program
Whether you’ve never owned a commercial dishwasher before or are unhappy with your current provider, finding the right dishwasher can be confusing and overwhelming. Now, you know the different features of commercial dishwashers and what options are right for your kitchen. Click here to learn more about State Cleaning Solutions' warewashing program.
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