Hôtel Napoléon, Paris

The market menu changes weekly to offer dishes based on local, seasonal products. The restaurant's capacity comes to 120 covers for breakfast, 60 covers for lunch and 60 for dinner. It is equipped with a glasswasher behind the bar, a dishwashing machine for the crockery, a utensil washer and two hood type dishwashing machines. However, one of the hood type dishwashing machines had to be replaced because of its age and inadequate performance, as well as difficulties in obtaining spare parts to maintain it. Hôtel Napoléon's installer, ISCO, therefore recommended calling on MEIKO's expertise, which the hotel did.

With regard to ergonomics, Olivier Legentil says, "the team appreciates the very intuitive aspect of the touchscreen in particular".

Its user friendliness is a boon to his team, some of whom do not speak French proficiently. The screen is located at eye level on the side of the machine and has been designed to be intuitively tactile. Once the wash cycle is programmed, staff no longer need to operate the screen. The fully automated hood system then takes over, simplifying the dishwashing process. Add to that reduced wash cycles and high performance. "Previously, with the old hood type dishwashing machine, we sometimes needed two wash cycles in succession whereas now just one wash cycle is enough to achieve gleaming washware." Olivier Legentil and his team also appreciate the aesthetic design of the machine and its touchscreen. The LED lighting is a valuable aid. You just need to glance at the machine to know which mode it is in thanks to its Blue and Green colour coding. That means that he can concentrate on other tasks, like preparing the vegetables, without worrying.

When Mr Legentil first explored the machine's automatic rack detection system, he admits he got the impression that the machine was a bit flimsy but, in reality, it has proved to be very solid and reliable. In addition, MEIKO offers investment and operational security with a 60-month warranty on all electrical and mechanical parts in the automatic hood opening system. The robustness of the machine is key in the gastronomy sector so it can withstand long hours of intensive washing. The machine is used between 6.30 am and 11 pm every day of the year with usage peaks 8.30 am–11 am, 12.45 pm–3 pm and 6 pm–9 pm, with around 120 racks of washware processed every day. In the morning, the dishwashing staff peel the vegetables while starting the machine. The simplicity and ergonomics of the machine allow them to be more efficient and put their time to better use. Loading/unloading is now much simpler and more comfortable. This, combined with the M-iClean H's ergonomic usage concept, means the process is easier on the back and muscles and allows staff to save time.