In a busy commercial kitchen there are two things that are absolutely essential: the ability to cook food and clean dishes. When your dishwasher breaks down you don't have long before it becomes an emergency.
At MegaTec our teams are professioanlly trained in commercial dish machine repairs, including all electrical work and the installation of new electrical connections.
The food service industry, like most specialized industries, has their own names for the tools and equipment that they use. Commercial dishwashers have a bit of an identity crisis. They are reffered to as "warewashers", "dishwashers", "dish machines", "warewashing machine". Those are all referring to the same thing, the industrial machine that washes the dishes. "Warewasher" just puts more emphasis on the dinnerware, flatware, glassware, and other 'wares that are commonly cleaned in the machine. Names for the dish machine operator are often more colorful.
There a several different types of commercial dish machines. Each serves a different situation but they all wash dishes.
High and Low Temp Dishwashers
High temp machines wash dishware at 150 to 160 degrees and rinse it at 180 degrees Fahrenheit, sanitizing through sheer water heat. Because of the intense heat, high temperature commercial dishwashers also require a condensate hood for operation. However, dishes coming out of a high temp ware washer often dry faster and don't use sanitizers, some of which harm certain dishware materials. High temp machines are better at cleaning visibly soiled dishes and effectively remove fat and grease.
Low temp machines wash and rinse at temperatures between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Because these temperatures alone are not high enough to sanitize, low temperature commercial dishwashers must use chemical sanitizing agents with the water. Low temperature machines are not designed to thoroughly clean heavily soiled dishes, requiring the operator to rinse or scrub them before machine cycles. The cost of sanitizers is ongoing with low temp machine warewashing, but the units are easier to place since they may not require a hood as they do not produce steam (check with your local authority). Plus, low temp machines come with a lower initial investment and a low energy requirement as many can run on a 115V connection.
Conveyor Dishwashers Conveyor dish washers are large, cumbersome, and powerful, able to process between 350 to 1000 racks every day. These commercial ware-washing machines are made of stainless steel and designed for heavy use in cafeterias, hospitals, and other high-volume operations. Many come with microprocessors and easy controls to set washing conditions, and there are also Energy Star models to help cut down on electricity consumption, and they are made in both high temp and low temp models. But because they're so powerful, a conveyor commercial dishwasher requires a trained electrician to hard-wire them.
Door Type / Rack Dishwashers Door type or rack dishwashers are smaller versions of conveyor washers that are designed to connect to clean dishtables or dirty dishtables. The idea is to fill up a compatible rack full of dishes, push it inside the dishwasher, close the door, and run the cleaning cycle. Within moments, you can push the door back up and your dishware is cleaned.
A commercial ware washer can typically process between 30 to 350 racks every day, making them great for localized operations like mom-and-pop restaurants. And like the conveyor models, you can also find these with high and low temp designs. Because they're not as large as conveyor dishwashers, rack washers are designed to sit out of the way of your kitchen's traffic, usually in a corner or against a wall. However, many still pull too much electricity to run off a simple plug and should be installed by an electrician as well.
Undercounter Commercial Dishwashers Undercounter dishwashers are an excellent equipment choice for compact kitchens or bars where you can clean as you go, but not at a rapid pace. They can clean 20 to 30 racks of glasses and dishes at a time, giving your business a steady supply of clean dinnerware throughout your business hours.
Most commercial warewashing equipment of this type use a single door on the front and resemble residential washing units, but they can incorporate a variety of controls and displays to let you work more efficiently. You can find them in high and low temp styles, and since they fit right under your countertop, these dishwashers are the most convenient when used in the front of the house, minimizing the distance and time required to get clean dinnerware back to your customers.
