Choosing the Best Pass Through Dishwasher for Your Business

Choosing the right commercial dishwasher can be a game-changing investment for your business. One of the most impactful types of commercial dishwashers is the pass-through dishwasher, also known as a hood type dishwasher. It strikes a perfect balance between efficiency and capacity and is ideal for medium to large size food establishments. This guide will help you understand what to consider when deciding on the best pass-through dishwasher for your business.

1. Understanding Pass-Through Dishwashers

Pass-through dishwashers, as the name suggests, are machines where dishes enter from one side and exit from another once cleaned. These types of dishwashers are excellent to cater to high volumes of dishes, as they can clean a large number of dishes swiftly and efficiently.

2. Size and Capacity

The dishwashing capacity your business requires depends on the size of your eatery and the number of customers you serve. Pass-through dishwashers typically offer various capacities, usually measured in washing cycles or racks per hour. Here are some general recommendations:

• For small to medium-sized eateries serving up to 100 customers a day, consider a pass-through dishwasher that can handle 30-45 racks per hour.
• For larger establishments catering to 100-250 customers daily, a machine with a capacity of 45-75 racks per hour should suffice.
• For high-volume restaurants, catering halls, or cafeterias accommodating more than 250 customers daily, opt for dishwashers that offer 75-150 racks per hour.

These numbers can significantly impact your overall efficiency, ensuring that your staff can manage the workload without compromising cleanliness or the need for multiple machines.

3. Ease of Use

To ensure minimum operational challenges for employees with varying levels of experience, consider the following features or specifications when selecting a pass-through dishwasher:

• Intuitive control panels: Opt for dishwashers with user-friendly control panels, featuring clear labels and touchscreen interfaces for quick settings adjustments.
• Easy-to-understand operating manuals: Comprehensive, well-written manuals can make the learning process more manageable for your staff.
• Quick installation and setup: Preferring dishwashers that require minimal setup cuts down on the time needed to get it up and running.
• Automatic start/stop: Ensure that the dishwasher can detect when the rack is loaded and start or stop automatically, minimizing manual input during operation.
• Soil-sensing technologies: Advanced models can sense and adapt cleaning settings based on soil levels, optimizing wash cycles, and reducing the need for manual adjustments.
• Adjustable interior racks: Flexible and easy-to-modify interior racks for various dish sizes and types can streamline the dish-loading process.

These features not only promote ease of use but also boost productivity and overall efficiency while operating the dishwasher.

4. Durability

The durability of a pass-through dishwasher is functionally determined by various factors — robustly constructed body, quality of internal components, as well as the brand’s reputation for enduring products. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

• Construction Material: Stainless steel makes for strong, corrosion-resistant models. Unlike plastic, stainless steel can withstand higher temperatures and impacts, making it a durable choice for both the body and the interior of the dishwasher.
• Quality of Internal Components: It’s equally vital that internal components, such as wash arms or filters, are made from resilient materials. Plastic components might wear out or need replacements sooner than metal parts.
• Brand Reputation: It’s also recommended, as part of your purchasing decision, to consider brands known for their reliability. Brands with a reputation for durability usually indicate high-quality construction and a lesser need for frequent maintenance or part replacements.

Making a judgment call based on these factors when deciding on a dishwasher will help ensure your investment stands the test of time and delivers value in the long term

5. Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is crucial for reducing your overall operating costs and promoting eco-friendliness. In Europe, a typical pass-through dishwasher consumes around 1.17 kWh of electricity per cycle. To ensure energy efficiency, consider the following aspects:

• Energy Rating: Opt for dishwashers with high energy ratings such as A+++ (the most efficient), as they use significantly less energy. Efficient models can even use as little as 0.54 kWh of electricity per cycle.
• Certifications: Look for dishwashers with ENERGY STAR certifications or equivalent local accreditations, as they adhere to a higher standard for energy consumption.
• Heat Recovery Systems: A heat recovery system can significantly reduce energy consumption by recycling and using the heat generated within the dishwasher for subsequent wash cycles, reducing the energy required to heat the water.

Choosing a highly energy-efficient dishwasher can decrease operating costs and contribute positively to protecting the environment.

6. After-sales Service

After-sales service plays a vital role in ensuring the long-term efficiency and functionality of your pass-through dishwasher. Thus, it’s beneficial to opt for a manufacturer that provides comprehensive equipment repair services and offers adequate educational resources to train your staff in the correct operation and maintenance of the machine.

Under typical operating conditions, some components might require regular servicing, repair, or eventual replacement.

• Spray Arms: The spray arms and their mounting components are common parts that often need repair or replacement. Ensuring a secure fit post-replacement is important since these components are critical to the dishwasher’s operation.
• Filters: Some dishwashers come equipped with self-cleaning filters, while others require manual cleaning. Regular cleaning prevents clogging, maintaining the dishwasher’s washing efficiency.
• Door Latch and Seals: The door latch might require repair if it prevents the dishwasher from starting. Simultaneously, worn-out door seals might need replacement to avoid water leakage.
• Heating Element: Over time, the heating element may fail or lose efficiency, leading to inadequate dish cleaning. In such situations, the heating element may need to be replaced.

For best practices, it’s recommended to scrape off large food particles from dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. This simple step can significantly reduce the load on the filters and protect the spray arm from damage.

By understanding your product’s servicing needs and ensuring that the chosen manufacturer provides solid after-sales service, you will be able to maintain your dishwasher’s performance and longevity.

7. Budget

The price of pass-through dishwashers can vary significantly based on their capacity, features, and brand. As an approximate guide:

• Entry-level models: These basic pass-through dishwashers often cost around €1,500 – €2,500. They can handle lower capacities and tend to come with fewer advanced features, but they might be sufficient for small to medium-sized eateries.
• Mid-range models: Dishwashers in this range cost approximately €2,500 – €5,000. They generally offer increased capacity, better energy efficiency ratings, and more useful features, such as heat recovery systems.
• High-end models: These dishwashers cost upwards of €5,000. They provide the highest capacities and most advanced features, including soil-sensing technologies, and are suitable for large, high-volume establishments.

While investing in a pass-through dishwasher, ensure you’re not compromising on essential features for the sake of cost. A pricier model might deliver superior performance and greater longevity, providing better value for your money over time.

Conclusion

Investing in a pass-through dishwasher can help boost your establishment’s productivity and cleanliness standards. However, this selection should be made mindfully. Evaluating factors like capacity, durability, energy efficiency, ease of use, aftersales services, budget, and your specific needs will help you pick a machine that is just the right fit for your business.