Without a dishwasher, keeping all the dishes washed, dried, and ready for use is a big challenge even for small restaurants. However, small establishments don’t always have the money to invest in a commercial dishwasher. Sometimes it seems cheaper to pay a worker to wash the dishes, or to buy extra dishes to avoid having to wash them multiple times throughout the day. The problem with this approach is that it’s inefficient.
Restaurants that use a commercial dishwasher are more efficient and have an easier time meeting all health department regulations where dishes are concerned. If you’re still doing the dishes manually, here’s why a commercial dishwasher will be a game changer for your business.
1. Dishwashers are easy to maintain
Every piece of equipment requires maintenance, but dishwashers aren’t particularly labor intensive. You’ll still need to schedule inspections and repairs once in a while, but when you start with a high-quality unit with a quality pump that manages water usage, you’ll get plenty of years out of your dishwasher.
When you do need to replace parts, they’re generally easy to get, and finding a commercial dishwasher repair company is easy. It’s not a specialty piece of equipment, so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting back up and running.
2. A dishwasher makes it easier to pass health inspections
Trying to pass a health inspection without a commercial dishwasher can be tough. Not only are manually washed dishes more likely to have food stuck to them, but a manual dishwashing setup will be heavily scrutinized. If anything is less than perfect, you’ll get dinged. That can include everything from using the wrong color soap to each of your compartments not being maintained at the right temperature.
Dishwashers aren’t technically for washing dishes – they’re designed to sterilize dishes that have already been rinsed off. And that’s why a human can never be as efficient as a commercial machine. Dishes can be properly sterilized manually, but it takes a large sink, a lot of sanitizer tablets, and requires workers to follow strict procedures.
No matter how great your staff is, most aren’t going to sanitize the dishes properly without a manager there to oversee the night. It takes too much time and effort, and you can expect corners to be cut at the end of the night when everyone just wants to go home. For example, if your state requires dishes to sit in the sanitizer compartment for 30 seconds, staff might just give each dish a quick dip before placing them on the drying rack. If you’re required to air dry all dishes, staff might not time the last batch right and start using paper towels or rags to dry the dishes so they can go home. When you have a commercial dishwasher, the dishes will go through a fast drying cycle with high heat, eliminating the need for staff to do anything but put them away.
3. A dishwasher will keep you running during peak hours
Because commercial dishwashers can complete a full cleaning cycle in just minutes, you’ll never have to worry about not having enough dishes to serve your guests. This speed is essential for maintaining your restaurant during peak hours when the demand for dishes is high. Having a dishwasher also helps staff maintain a seamless workflow without interruptions.
4. A dishwasher can eliminate dedicated positions
Depending on how busy you are, having a commercial dishwasher can eliminate the need for a dedicated dishwasher position. You can hire a floater to rotate through various positions and have them load the dishwasher when needed.
5. Dishwashers save water
Manually washing and sanitizing dishes will use far more water than a dishwasher since each sink compartment needs to be clean and the proper temperature at all times. Some commercial dishwashers are ENERGY STAR certified and are designed to consume the least amount of water possible.
6. Dishwashers save space
It takes a lot of space to install a 3-compartment sink for washing and sanitizing dishes, and if you don’t have much room to spare, a dishwasher that fits under a countertop can be a big advantage.
Dishwashers are a strategic investment
Adding a commercial dishwasher to your restaurant’s operations is a smart move that will pay off daily. It will streamline your workflow, boost staff efficiency, and make it easier to stay compliant with health department regulations. With a reliable dishwasher, you can focus on delivering exceptional service to your guests by serving your best dishes on the cleanest dishes in town.