Clean machines

Caterers spend huge amounts on machines to clean dishes and glasses hygienically and efficiently, yet the warewashing area can be the most unhygienic and inefficient part of the kitchen.

This conundrum can occur for various reasons, notably failure to plan the installation as part of a system. The result is that while machines are designed to handle large throughputs, staff lack the means to deal with dirty and/or freshly cleaned ware quickly enough.

Another factor is space. Once the main investment in warewashing has been made, profit-making considerations loom large. To provide more space for revenue-earning functions such as bottle storage, food display or increased seating capacity, warewashing machinery often ends up being squeezed into awkward corners.

Difficult-to-reach undercounter spaces often mean that extra manual handling is needed, and that cuts throughput.

Also there may be a reluctance to spend any more money than the basic price of a machine, with the result that essential details of plumbing, water softening or ancillary handling are neglected. For example, the lack of a convenient adjacent sink, so that staff don't bother to scrape and pre-rinse plates before putting them in the machine, puts a much greater load on the machine. Inflexible connections to water and waste services can make it difficult to clean behind machines (and may contravene water board regulations).

To put hygiene and operational issues into clearer perspective for caterers planning to update key equipment, this first in a series of photo-reports highlights practical ways of getting the most satisfactory installation.