A dishwasher is a person who washes and dries dishware, cookware, and cutlery, often in a "back of house" restaurant or institutional setting. In the United Kingdom, this role is also referred to as kitchen porter, however in this case the role will often include additional cleaning and light food preparation duties.
Duties and functions
Most professional dishwashers work in a restaurant or institutional setting.[1] Typically, dishwashers scrape food residue from dishes, pots and kitchen utensils, then sort and load racks of dirty dishes into a commercial dishwashing machine. They organize and place clean dishes and other smallwares back in their respective storage location. Additionally, they wash by hand larger items and utensils in large sinks that are usually designated for that task. Depending on the operation, they might have additional cleaning duties.[citation needed]
The job requirements are normally physically demanding and fast-paced. Dishwasher uniforms are sometimes covered with personal protective equipment to keep the user dry; these normally include a waterproof full-length apron, tall waterproof rubber boots, and long heavy-duty waterproof gloves.[citation needed]
The dishwasher in a commercial kitchen is frequently an entry-level job that can lead to a career in food preparation.[2] That being said, many operations rely on the capabilities of an experienced dishwasher crew in the "dish pit".[citation needed]
A 2008 study by the Pew Hispanic Center reported that many illegal immigrants to the United States worked as dishwashers.[3]
See also
- Dishwasher Pete – memoirs of a writer who supported himself for more than a decade working as a dishwasher in all 50 US states
References
- ^ "Dishwasher Job Description - How to Become a Dishwasher". www.snagajob.com. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ Olivo, Antonio; Avila, Oscar (26 November 2006). "A foot in the kitchen door". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
- ^ Kershaw, Sarah (7 September 2010). "Immigration Debate Steps Into the Kitchen". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
External links
- /r/dishwashers, a reddit community for dishwashers to talk about their work
- Dishwashers, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2015, a report from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Professional Dish-Washer Shares Tales From the Pit
This page was last edited on 13 December 2023, at 11:29