Having the right equipment and knowing the best way to use it will aid in both performance and productivity. We've compiled some basic things to look for when considering which types of equipment and supplies are right for you and your needs.
TO REPLACE YOUR MICROWAVE ... OR NOT
Microwaves are like cars in that you’ll still find some vintage models in use; however, they typically need or could use replacing about every three to ten years.
Two things to look for when contemplating whether or not to “drive off” with a new microwave are your current microwave’s performance and how much it’s going to cost to fix if it’s broken.
Of course, your microwave’s current performance could be no performance if it just plain broken and not working. However, if you’ve been noticing that food doesn’t seem to be getting cooked as quickly as it has in the past, it could mean that your microwave is drawing near the end of its life and you would benefit from starting to look into a new one.
If your microwave is broken and in need of repair, you’ll need to find out how much that repair is going to cost and then weigh the pros and cons, including the cost, of fixing it versus purchasing a new one.
IT'S A DISH MACHINE, NOT A GARBAGE DISPOSAL
We all do it. We are in a hurry, and we just throw the dirty dishes in the machine without rinsing or scrapping. We know we shouldn’t. But why?
There are two main reasons why the dish machine also functioning as a garbage disposal in this way is counterproductive. First, dish machines use the water/chemical solution in their tank to spray through the wash arms to clean soils off plates, glasses, utensils, etc. Even with screens, bits of food and garbage in the machine can work their way through and clog wash arms, giving you poor washing action.
“I have seen anything from fruit seeds to jelly packet wrappers and even straws plugging up a wash arm,” says chemical vendor sales representative, Rob Fiori. “Customers should really make a point to inspect and clean their machine wash arm daily, at a minimum.”
Second, the chemicals used in the dish machine are designed to help loosen soils from the items being washed.
In a low temperature machine, a set amount of chemical goes in on every rack. If there are gross soils added to the load because of poor pre-scrapping, the detergent may get weak as it is breaking down the soils in the wash tank and then not be able to loosen the soils on all of the items needing washed. Poor results and rewashes will follow.
On a high temperature machine, the wash tank has a set concentration of chemical solution. If more soils are added to the tank and the detergents attack those soils, then the machine calls for more detergent to reach that set concentration. Excessive chemical use and still possible poor results may occur.
There is an easy overall solution to these problems, and it really doesn’t take a lot of extra time and effort. Proper pre-scrapping is the key! Train employees to take the time to sufficiently remove the gross soils from items before running them through your dish machine. When properly pre-scrapped, you will see cleaner dishes the first (and hopefully only) time.
IDENTIFYING THE RIGHT GLASS & RACK
Choosing the right drinkware and glass racks for your establishment is very important. First of all, everything inside and outside your establishment that your guests see makes a statement, and glasses are no exception. In addition, drinkware is an investment that you want to last a long time and always look great, so picking the proper racks to clean and store your glasses is very important.
Some of the things you’ll want to think about when choosing your drinkware are style (from classic to contemporary), shape, tapering, base, width and height. You’ll want what you pick to match the look and feel of your establishment while meeting the demands of those you are serving and also fitting within your budget.
Once you have your drinkware decided on, you’ll need to figure out what racks you’ll need to wash and store it all. Did you know that Vollrath, one of our smallwares partners, has an online Glass Rack Guide to help you plan? Go to vollrath.com > Products > Vollrath Warewashing, Handling and Dispensers and click on Vollrath Glass Rack Guide towards the top of the page.
As always, our team is also here to assist you with your planning needs, as well.
Cheers!
