Cutlery polishers are fast becoming a staple piece of equipment in many restaurants and for good reason. If you and your staff are spending several hours hand-polishing cutlery, then you may not be efficiently running your business. It takes plenty of time and effort to polish knives, forks, and spoons to a consistently good shine. Not to mention the costs of buying dozens of polishing cloths, this simple task can easily eat up a chunk of your resources.

Restaurants operate in a busy and fast-paced environment and focusing on less important tasks is likely to impact your operations. This is where cutlery polishers come in. By simplifying the process of polishing cutlery, you can focus more on core businesses and streamline your operations as a whole. In this article, we’ll be discussing what a cutlery polisher is and why you should consider buying one for your restaurant.

What is a cutlery polisher?

As the name suggests, a cutlery polisher is a type of machinery that polishes and dries cutlery. These handy units significantly reduce the amount of time and energy needed to polish cutlery to a good shine. What makes cutlery polishers so great is that the results are as consistent as can be. No matter which type of restaurant you own, there is little margin of error when it comes to serving your customers. Even the slightest visible watermark can be off-putting to a guest and it can severely damage your restaurant’s reputation.

With cutlery polishers, you don’t need to purchase polishing cloths that are usually just left lying around the kitchen. Your staff can also dedicate their effort into more resource-intensive tasks to ensure quick turnaround and timely order fulfilment.

Why you should invest in a cutlery polisher

There are plenty of benefits to using a cutlery polisher. Many large-scale establishments own a cutlery polisher to keep up with the growing demands of their customers. Here are several reasons why a cutlery polisher is a smart investment:

  • Removes watermarks efficiently – Unlike polishing cutlery by hand, a cutlery polisher will leave zero watermarks each time you use it. The cutlery comes out from the machine completely dry which eliminates the risk of developing water stains.
  • Safer to use – Polishing knives and forks can pose cut hazards to your staff, especially when they have plenty of cutlery to polish. Cutlery polishers are a safer option for shining cutlery. Just turn on the machine and let it take care of the rest.
  • Eliminates cross-contamination – Another reason why you should invest in a cutlery polisher is for sanitary purposes. A dirty polishing cloth can contaminate the rest of your cutlery and spread bacteria to foods, surfaces, and in worse cases, your customer’s plate. You can eliminate cross-contamination by using cutlery polishers when prepping for your customer’s dishes.
  • Cost-effective – While cutlery polishers are more costly upfront compared to buying disposable polishing cloths, you do end up saving more money in the long run. Cutlery polishers are robust and are designed to withstand years of heavy use. No need to restock on polishing cloths, detergents, and rinse aids as the equipment will take care of all that in just one cycle.
  • Frees up your waiting staff – Running a large-scale food business requires careful planning and timely execution. While polishing cutlery is part of that process, you should never spend too much time on a simple task that can be automatically completed. Cutlery polishers eliminate the guesswork and free up your waiting staff to do more important work.
  • Space-saving – A common problem in most kitchens is running out of space. Thankfully, cutlery polishers come in a variety of sizes to fit even in the most modest of kitchen spaces. Some machines can fit under the counter while others stand tall and wide to meet the needs of bigger kitchens. 

How does a cutlery polisher work?

To appreciate a cutlery polisher, we need to understand how it works. A set of clean cutlery coming straight from the dishwasher goes into the cutlery polisher via a stainless steel chute. The cutlery then travels through a vibrating spiral filled with polishing granulate. This process is what polishes and dries the cutlery before it passes through a UV light to kill off any bacteria and other microorganisms. Finally, the cutlery exits through a chute and is now ready for serving.

A standard-sized cutlery polisher can polish cutlery anywhere from 5,000-7,000 pieces per hour. Smaller units can polish 3,000 pieces per hour while the larger polishing machines can comfortably polish up to 10,000 – 12000 pieces in an hour.

So, are cutlery polishers worth it?

Yes. In our opinion, cutlery polishers are a must for any food establishment. It saves you plenty of time, money, and energy whilst simplifying the entire cutlery polishing process. You can find the right cutlery polisher that fits your needs and the available space you have in your kitchen. All told, a cutlery polisher is a worthy investment and one that you’ll be able to get the most of from your day-to-day operations. Here at Warewashing Solution, we also supply glass polisher machine, commercial glasswasher, and more!