Is a residential dishwasher enough for your food business? Will it be too much expenditure if you’d opt for a commercial dishwasher?
This article is for you if you can’t confidently answer such questions. Choosing the kind of dishwasher to use for your commercial space is a big decision. Most people think that a residential dishwasher is no different from a commercial dishwasher since the two basically do the same thing. But they are very wrong.
Apart from being physically bigger, a commercial dishwasher is way mightier. If you have no use for a powerful machine that can wash hundreds of plates in one go, then a residential dishwasher is probably the better choice for you. But if you intend to go big and all-out when it comes to foodservice, a commercial dishwasher will be perfect for you.
To help you truly see the main differences between the two, we’d enlist the five main factors to tell the two apart. We assure you that after reading this, you’d get to confidently choose which between the two is perfect for you.
5 Main Differences Between a Commercial Dishwasher and a Residential Dishwasher
1. Hygiene
A residential dishwasher can clean, sure. But it can’t clean in a way that a commercial dishwasher could. Commercial dishwashers are more powerful because they can clean and sanitize dishes using extremely high temperatures.
Having a commercial dishwasher is a no-brainer if you run a food business in Australia and you want to comply with the government’s cleaning and sanitation standards. The Australian government requires dishes to undergo sanitation of 75° or over for effective and food-safe sanitation. This is something that can be easily complied with if you’d have a commercial dishwasher.
Bottom line: if you want to comply with strict Australian standards when it comes to food safety, it will be best to opt for a commercial dishwasher. If you don’t run a food business and have no need whatsoever to comply with Australian food safety standards, then you can opt for a residential dishwasher.
2. Cost
A commercial dishwasher costs way much more than a regular residential dishwasher. This is primarily the reason why most businesses still figure out a way to come up with a commercial kitchen set-up that only uses a residential dishwasher. This should not be the case as it will make complying with Australian food safety standards extra tricky.
Industrial dishwashers in Australia could cost you over $60,000 while residential dishwashers will only cost you around $2,000. The price difference is massive. The good thing with commercial dishwashers though is they come with flexible purchase options. One such option is provided by Silver Chef where businesses in the hospitality industry can opt to rent, try, or buy commercial dishwashers through dedicated financial funding. Silver Che financial loans are 100% tax-deductible and all purchased equipment can be easily returned within 12 months.
Bottom line: If you run a business and you have sufficient funds, you should opt for a commercial dishwasher. If you have no need whatsoever to spend bigly, then a residential dishwasher will be best for you.
3. Speed
Commercial dishwashers can clean and sanitize hundreds of dishes and glassware in one go. Its cleaning process that involves cleaning and sanitizing is ultra-speedy and hassle-free. Powerful industrial commercial dishwashers can even wash over 5,000 dishes in an hour. Now that’s a solid perk if you run a hospitality business or food catering service that requires you to have thousands of clean dishes on standby. A regular dishwasher can clean between 120-150 items in one go.
Bottom line: If you want to truly have an efficient kitchen workflow where dishes and glassware don’t cause any form of delay, then opt for a commercial dishwasher. If speed is not your concern, a residential dishwasher will do.
4. Capacity
Commercial dishwashers are for serious players in the food business industry. A residential dishwasher can almost have the same size as that of an entry-level commercial dishwasher with an under-counter design. But make no mistake when it comes to capacity as it can carry triple the amount of items that a regular dishwasher could. Commercial dishwashers are powerful machines that can adjust to your specific operational needs.
It can come in different sizes to seamlessly accommodate your kitchen space limitation. Under-counter commercial dishwashers are perfect if you’re okay with a smaller machine with boosted speed and capacity. If you’re not limited when it comes to space, then you could opt for conveyor dishwashers that can wash thousands of dishes in an hour.
Bottom line: It’s best to opt for a commercial dishwasher if you need to wash numerous dishes and glassware. A residential dishwasher will be perfect for you if you do not need to wash more than hundreds of items in one go.
5. Noise
Commercial dishwashers are noisier than regular dishwashers. This is the case because it’s equipped with more advanced parts that allow for speedy and hassle-free cleaning and sanitizing. All commercial dishwashers are significantly noisier regardless of size and model. So much so that it’s not advised for you to place an under-counter model in your bar if you want to provide a serene dining space for your customers.The bigger the model, the noisier.
Bottom line: If you have no need to comply with food safety protocols and regulations and you prefer a less noisy machine, then you should opt for a regular dishwasher. You should opt for a commercial dishwasher if you don’t mind its noise.
