Pot washing without the fuss
Pot washing without the fuss
Wexiödisk dishwashers have long set the standard for efficiency, sustainability and performance. Jim Banks explores how its WD-10S pot washer helped a busy Swedish supermarket eliminate leaks and reduce noise.
The ICA Supermarket in Borgholm, on the island of Öland, Sweden, plays a key role in the lives of the municipality’s 11,000 inhabitants. Its highquality produce is always fresh, and its range of cooked food and salads are a talking point in the local community. Maintaining these standards requires efficiency in the kitchen that goes beyond food preparation.
Faced with a loud and leaky pot washer, store manager Felix Teern knew it was time to replace it with something more reliable and convenient. “The old machine had been here for 10 years and was leaking water,” Teern explains. “We called someone who sells Wexiödisk machines and asked about the new models, and they told me about a brand-new product that was coming out soon. So, we agreed to take it on as part of a pilot project.” Teern says their dishwasher gets used a lot, particularly in high season. “It’s mainly to clean the plastic lids for our classic salad bar, as well as the serving cutlery.
Then there are other kitchen utensils, like tongs, but it depends on the day. Spoons are always particularly dirty from products like pasta, chicken, shrimp, and sauces, and sometimes we have a lot of pots and frying pans to clean.” In the low season, the machine is used between 20 and 40 times per day. The most commonly used light program runs for about two minutes, though it can be extended to four or six minutes for a heavy-duty cycle. In the high season, when sales can triple, the machine is used 60 to 80 times a day.
THE FIRST STEP TO SUSTAINABILITY IS HAVING A LONG LIFESPAN, WHICH IS WHAT OUR PRODUCTS ARE DESIGNED TO DELIVER
Clean and green
The machine chosen to attack this heavy workload – Wexiödisk’s new pot dishwasher WD-10S – offers more than just efficiency and reliability. Its environmental performance is also outstanding. With ECO-FLOW technology that saves energy with each wash cycle, granule-free washing, an intelligent energy-saving mode, and four flexible wash programs, including a soaking cycle for heavily soiled items, the WD-10S delivers sparkling results with minimal fuss.
“Water flow, pump pressure, detergents and time are the four key parameters that can be matched in different ways to optimize cleaning,” says Wexiödisk’s international area sales manager, Henrik Florentzson. “We have a dual pump system that starts with lower pressure before another pump activates for higher pressure to get full coverage of wash items across the four programs.”
Adding to its sustainability credentials, the WD-10S is manufactured with recycled steel. In Sweden, where being environmentally conscious is in the DNA of every business, that is an important bonus. “Before, we had a product that was 90% recycled material, but this is made with 98% recycled steel,” says Wexiödisk sales and marketing manager Johan Engström. “The market is asking for it, so we are proud to be leading on the steel aspect. We are the first company to do this here,” he adds. “Our customers are now asking about carbon emissions too,” he adds. “By using less new nickel and chromium, the WD-10S reduces our carbon footprint by 47%.”
Engström says sustainability has influenced their product development for many years. “The first step to sustainability is having a long lifespan, which is what our products are designed to deliver. Customers want a low carbon footprint, a long lifespan, and resource efficiency.”
Supermarket satisfaction
The WD-10S delivers on all of those factors. In fact, customer satisfaction levels in Borgholm could hardly be higher. “We are 110% pleased,” says Teern. “It is very simple to use. You press the button and open the hatch. It takes ten minutes to fill with water at the start of the day and then it is preset to run the two-minute program. The water may need to be changed during the day, but this happens automatically,” he says. “It is cheaper to run, more efficient, and it cleans very well,” he adds. “Every time we take out the lids and pots, they are like new.
Also, it is much quieter, which is very important in a small kitchen.” The WD-10S has one more ace up its sleeve. At 820mm, its loading height is also higher than normal, making it more versatile for handling a wider range of items. “We had a gap in our product portfolio for products with the higher loading capability, and because this model does not have a hood it can wash bigger, bulkier items,” says Florentzson. “That opens up a new market when it comes to stores.”
Always maintaining a keen focus on craftsmanship, Wexiödisk was founded in Växjö, Sweden, in 1972
Wexiödisk’s Service Tag acts as a service record to ensure each machine can perform 100% when it comes to wash performance and wash economy
Wexiödisk’s WD-10S machine is made from 98% recycled steel. It also uses less new nickel and chromium, reducing the carbon footprint by 47%
How does Wexiödisk combine performance and sustainability?
By developing reliable dishwashing solutions that optimize resources, reduce environmental impact and deliver outstanding cleaning results every day.