Take four warewashers…
Attention to detail in any establishment must include perfectly clean cutlery and glistening glasses, and warewashers enable operators to ensure an efficient and effective cleaning regime. A growing range of pass-through warewashers is available, offering flexibility, energy-efficiency and sustainability. Here Lisa Jenkins takes a look at four of the best on the market
MEIKO
DV80.2Gio pass-through dishwasher
Dimensions 635mm wide, 750mm deep, 1,470mm high, 1,965mm with open hood, 440mm entry height
Maximum plates per hour 60 racks/1,080 dinner plates
Cycle time 60, 90 and 210 seconds
Built-in softener Not required
WRAS approved Yes
Basket size 500 x 500mm
Water supply Cold water inlet
Electrical supply
Tank capacity 22 litres
Price £5,800
We say The DV80.2GiO is designed to wash crockery, cutlery and glassware and can also be supplied with a sorting station. An optional feature, AirConcept, captures exhaust heat and feeds it back into the machine to pre-heat incoming cold water. AirConcept reduces steam emissions by up to 80% and radiated heat by 1.3kW.
WINTERHALTER
GS 500 twinset (two units)
Dimensions 1,610mm wide, 749mm deep, 2,050mm high with open hood
Maximum plates per hour 140 racks/2,800 dinner plates
Cycle time 52 seconds
Built-in softener Optional
WRAS approved Yes
Basket size Up to 500 x 600mm
Water supply Uses 2.4 litres per cycle per machine. Inlet and outlet required.
Electrical supply Single- or three-phase
Tank capacity 42 litres per machine
Price From £10,344
We say It was designed for extreme capacity fluctuations. Two identical standard machines are connected at the hood. Beer glasses can be washed hot, then rinsed in cold.
HOBART UK
AUP
Dimensions 635mm wide, 635mm deep, 1,510mm high, 1,995mm with hood open
Maximum plates per hour 1,350
Cycle time Quickest cycle is 47 seconds
Built-in softener Yes
WRAS approved Yes
Basket size 500 x 500mm
Water supply Cold connection - one water supply
Electrical supply Three-phase
Tank content 1.6 litres per cycle
Price From £11,890
We say SmartTronic hood-mounted controls are colour-coded and count down the cycle status. The machine has a complete hygiene programme, a self-flushing drain cycle on machine shutdown and a low rinse usage of just 2.3 litres per cycle.
ELECTROLUX
Air-o-steam modular rack type
Dimensions 1,773mm wide, 884mm deep, 1,771mm high, 2,119mm with open hood
Maximum plates per hour 140 racks/2,700 dishes or 80 baskets/1,440 dishes
Cycle time Continuous while baskets are loaded
Built-in softener No
WRAS approved Yes
Basket size 500 x 500mm
Water supply Hot and cold
Electrical supply 400v/50Hz/three-phase
Tank capacity 100 litres
Price List £24,488
We say The modular rack type pass-through has capacity for up to 300 baskets per hour with a total length of 3,600mm. Part of the Electrolux Green Spirit Range, the machine is made from materials that are more than 95% recyclable. Ideal for heavy usage.
Buyers' checklist
Water treatment 
Any warewasher will need a water treatment system to protect it and give best results. Some machines will have these built in, others may require an external unit.
Operating controls 
Staff misuse is a significant cause of service call-outs and breakdowns. If you use a lot of temporary staff, go for the simplest possible control panels. Some manufacturers offer multi-lingual control panels, which will be useful if English is not the machine operator's first language.
Water saving
 Using less water does not just cut the cost of the water itself, it also reduces the amount of energy the machine uses (because it needs to heat less water ) and the amount of chemicals it consumes (because they are treating less water).
Energy saving
 The variety of technologies available to save resources include: warewashers with reduced wash-tank capacities and more efficient rinse systems; heat exchangers that recycle the heat from steam and wastewater; systems that eliminate the need for heat pumps on larger machines; and models that operate vent-free, reducing the need for direct ducting and extraction fans.
How big? 
Manufacturers' figures give the maximum performance of a machine and the industry standard is to assume an operator efficiency of 70%. In other words, if the manufacturer says a machine is theoretically capable of washing 100 racks per hour, assume that it will do 70.
Source: The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA)www.cesa.org.uk
