Glass washers - The good, the bad, and the ugly

Glass washers are one of the most ubiquitous items in the food service trade. They are found everywhere from clubs and pubs to little cafes, but often they are the most neglected of all machines until they go down and staff start screaming.

There are a few different types of machines available which suit different applications and while technology has moved on in leaps and bounds, the vast majority of glass washers out in the industry are old inefficient units. Unfortunately, the prevailing attitude in Australia seems to be "run it until it’s dead" with no consideration of how much it is actually costing to run the unit.

One of the oldest styles is the "Wash and Dump" machine. This is a unit that draws in a full tank of water for every wash, and "dumps" it at the end of the cycle. These units can use up to 12 litres per cycle of hot water and due to the fact that they get a new load every time, have long wash cycles. This is by far the most expensive of all units to run.

Next is the "Cold rinse machine". This unit will generally wash at 60 degrees and then rinse at 82, then rinse again with cold water. This can help bring the temperature of the glass down significantly however, it will result in around 7+ litres of water being used per cycle. The remaining cold water will be left in the wash tank, which then needs to be heated again (using more energy). They can be useful in high volume environments with little glass storage space where glasses need to be turned over instantly, but this is a rare scenario.

Third is the recirculating glass washer. Most machines on the market today are recirculating. They are essentially a mini dishwasher and can cut water consumption down to between 1.5L and 3L of water per cycle. This is the most efficient way to wash glasses as the 82+ degree rinse is used to help keep the wash tank temperature up, as well as reducing energy costs to heat water coming into the unit. Chemical usage costs may also be cut dramatically (most units dose between 2mL & 3mL per litre of detergent and 0.2mL to 0.4mL of rinse aid per wash). A recirculating glass washer will also do a cycle in 60 seconds allowing faster turnaround of glasses.

More than anything, the most important consideration is what is what you are washing. For Schooner glasses and tumblers, a 17” x 14” wire glass rack may suit, but if you are doing champagne flutes or fancy wine glasses you may want to consider a pocket rack or a larger 500mm x 500mm rack machine. If you are a club or pub, sanitisation and speed may be your only requirements. If you are a 5 star hotel or restaurant, you may value wash result and soft start to protect expensive stemware.

There are more brands of glass washer on the market than you can poke a stick at. You need to work out which one is right for you. According to most dealers, it's the one that they are selling that is best. According to the finance people, it’s the cheapest quote that is best. The reality is, you get what you pay for and while on paper, the machines may be similar (and in some cases identical). It’s the backup that comes with the machine that can be the key difference. Choosing a reputable brand can usually ensure that there is a qualified service department and extensive parts holding to draw on. Many of the fringe brands simply contract their work out to general appliance repairers which usually guarantees that you don't get a specialist, nor will they be carrying anything more than the most basic of parts. A good test of a company’s service department is to call them on a Saturday night at about 6pm and see what happens. They may answer which is a good thing, but if you leave a message, how long before you hear back from them?

If you need any help or advice in working out which glass washer is best suited to your environment, please feel free to contact me at any time.