For anyone who works in a school cafeteria, the number one priority is the health and well-being of the children. That means preparing foods that are nutritious and appealing that kids will want to eat, helping their minds stay sharp and giving them the energy to learn and play. But it also means paying attention to food safety -- making sure the food is free of bacteria or contaminants and aligning with your HCAAP plan. Food safety best practices are a top priority in school cafeterias, and a well-designed commercial dishwasher plays a key role in achieving that priority.
Commercial dishwashers are designed to wash at 150 to 160 degrees and rinse at temperatures of 180 degrees or higher, meeting NSF requirements while helping to sanitize all the dishes, trays, and prep-ware being washed. In addition, well designed commercial dishwashers are equipped with controls and monitors that help operators maintain the correct wash and rinse temperatures every time the machine is in use.
Through automation, commercial dishwashers help reduce human error, providing consistently clean and sanitized dishes with every wash cycle. You no longer need to worry about constantly checking water quality, detergent levels, or if the dishes or prep ware are properly sanitized. Commercial dishwashers are designed to automatically use the correct amount of chemicals and detergents every time, plus use the appropriate water volume and heat for optimal wash performance and supporting food safety protocols.
The speed of commercial dishwashers is often a key factor in choosing the right model for your school cafeteria. With the ability to efficiently process thousands of trays and prep ware items per hour, the productivity in the kitchen is likely to improve, especially during the meal time rush. Additionally, cafeterias will need to devote fewer people to the task of washing dishes and prep ware. With a well-designed commercial dishwasher, school cafeteria employees can spend less time scrubbing dishes, allowing them to be more efficient in their other cleanup tasks. This leads to greater productivity in the kitchen overall, and happier workers to boot.
It’s not just human efficiency that plays a part in the decision to install or upgrade a commercial dishwasher. The times of dishwashers being energy hogs are long gone. Today’s models use less water and energy than previous generations by incorporating features such as power nozzles to rinse cleaner with less water, energy recovery features to reduce the energy needed to heat water, and sensors that power down when the machine isn’t in use.
Hobart leads the industry in efficiency and design, proudly being recognized as FE&S Best in Class for 17 years, as well as being an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for 11 consecutive years.
To learn more about Hobart’s complete line of commercial dishwashers and how they can improve your operations, call your account representative today.