Dishwashing is one of those line items commercial kitchens tend to overlook, yet it has a direct effect on both running costs and hygiene standards. Choosing the wrong type or capacity leads to wasted water and energy, or worse, a bottleneck right when service gets busy.
Dishwasher Types: Undercounter, Hood-Type and Conveyor
For small cafés and bars, undercounter machines handling 20-30 racks a day are usually enough. Mid-size restaurants typically need hood-type machines that can wash 40-60 racks an hour to keep up with peak service. Hotels, hospital kitchens and central production facilities are better served by conveyor systems built for continuous, high-volume washing.
Sizing the Right Capacity
Capacity planning should factor in daily covers, table turnover, and how many plates, glasses and pots actually pass through the kitchen. As a rule, the volume of dirty items generated during peak service shouldn't exceed the machine's hourly capacity — once dishes start piling up, service slows down with them.
What Drives Water and Energy Consumption
Modern commercial dishwashers can run on as little as 2-3.5 liters per rack, while older units often use 4-6 liters. Machines with heat recovery preheat the rinse water using waste heat from the wash cycle, which noticeably cuts the boiler's energy load. Higher energy-class (A-rated) machines cost more upfront but usually pay that difference back within 3-4 years through lower utility bills.
Hygiene Standards and Rinse Temperature
High-temp sanitizing machines need a final rinse between 82-90°C to kill off bacteria without relying on chemicals. Low-temp systems instead wash around 60°C and add a dosed sanitizing chemical to the cycle. In a HACCP-compliant kitchen, both the temperature and the chemical dosage of the dishwasher should be logged on a regular basis.
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