There are many different ways to wash up in a semi-commercial kitchen, making it easy to choose the right one to suit your kitchen

Sparkling clean mugs, crockery and cutlery are essential for all church kitchens – whether you’re using the space for a new, busy café; you’re hiring it out to parties; or it’s simply being used for a post-service tea round. But whichever its purpose, choosing the right method of washing up is vital for keeping everyone healthy and preventing the spread of germs.

Sinks
Even the smallest semi-commercial kitchen needs two sinks – one for washing and one for rinsing. And while not every kitchen will use them for washing up, they are necessary for hand washing and food prep. With a dishwasher on standby for cleaning needs. However, if you’re only planning to use your new kitchen for small activities, our large network of sink partners can find the right option for you, saving you money on costly machines.

Domestic dishwashers
One step up from handwashing are domestic dishwashers – exactly the ones you find at home. And similarly to how they save you time and mess after a Sunday roast, they are ideal for 20 dirty mugs after your monthly cake sale. However, as they generally run longer cycles and aren’t equipped to cope with constant loading, you might need something more efficient if you run large events.

Light duty commercial dishwasher
The biggest advantage commercial dishwashers have is speed – with fast drying cycles, higher temperatures and reduced drying times. Meaning you can get through dirty dishes in less time. They are also designed with busy kitchens in mind – great for smaller loads, but if you need to clean more than 30 plates an hour, something more robust might be better suited.

Undercounter dishwashers
Compact enough to fit into small and medium size kitchens, these require manual front loading and emptying – and can typically wash up to 500 plates an hour, with cycles averaging three minutes. A little more impressive than you average domestic dishwasher! For church cafes, they are the perfect solution, but unless placed on a stand, they can put a strain on your back, which is where the passthrough dishwasher comes in handy…

Passthrough dishwasher
On average, these large units wash between 600-1200 plates an hour, making them perfect for a thriving church café with hundreds of hungry customers. They are also more ergonomic than an undercounter dishwasher as you don’t need to bend down to use them – just make sure they aren’t too high for the people operating the machine.

Whatever your washing up requirements, all modern dishwashers use significant amounts of water and power, so it’s important to consider where you’d like it positioned – is it close to the waterpower supply? Will it create an obstruction? Do you have enough power to operate it efficiently? Does it need an overhead extraction canopy for excess steam? And will a double sink suffice for your needs?

For your new kitchen project, call the Steelplan Kitchens team on 0844 809 9186 – we’re experts at finding the right solution for your space.