Sommeliers know the importance of sparkling clean glassware. Serving fine or vintage wine in streaky or dirty glasses reflects badly not only on them but the whole business. The quality of the glassware your guests experience acts as a business card for your business. The latest version of Winterhalter’s UC Excellence-iPlus glasswasher guarantees that even the most delicate stemware can be cleaned to the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene, without the need for polishing.

Winterhalter is often called “the home of glasswashing,” thanks to its pivotal role in the development of professional glasswashing systems. The company is constantly looking for ways to improve the quality of the results its range delivers. The current undercounter UC Excellence-iPlus models combine a range of technical innovations that allows all kinds of glassware to be cleaned perfectly, without the need of further attention, like polishing, before they are used in service.

These include powerful insulation, eco-friendly chemicals, an integrated reverse-osmosis system and features that help to ensure hygiene like deep-drawn water tanks and rack guides specially designed to stop debris collecting.

One key to the UC Excellence-iPlus’ superior performance is the wash arm. The nozzle geometry has been designed to optimise water flow and the s-shaped washfield distributes the water evenly, ensuring that wherever glasses are placed in the wash rack they receive equal wash power and exposure during the cleaning cycle.

Tests have shown that this washfield outperforms two main competitor models with a removal rate of 88% compared to 14% and 38%. The wash arm also reduces water consumption by up to 25%, which in turn reduces both energy and chemical consumption. This means an overall reduction in operating costs of up to 22%.

A four stage filtration system removes even the finest particles from the water, reducing how often it needs to be changed while increasing its cleaning power. The UC Excellence-iPlus can also be fitted with a hybrid water treatment system that offers both reverse osmosis filtration and a standard water softening system.

Reverse osmosis removes minerals like calcium and magnesium which can cause streaks on glasses as they dry, delivering the best possible cleaning results. RO water gives the UC Excellence-iPlus the ability to clean glasses perfectly, and means that they are ready for use straight out of the machine with no need for additional and time consuming hand polishing

The UC Excellence-iPlus can also be switched from RO to the standard softening system, depending on the job. RO uses more water than standard softening, so switching to the latter for less critical washes helps to reduce both water and energy consumption.

The UC Excellence-iPlus has a powerful control system that includes programs calibrated for different kinds of glass. For example, delicate wine flutes require lower pressure jets than sturdier items like hiball glasses. Select the required program for each wash from the simple touchscreen control panel and the system automatically adjusts a range of parameters including water pressure and the amount of chemicals.

Certified to DIN SPEC 10534, the machine guarantees hygienic and virus-free cleaning. The system can also inform operators when it’s time to change the water, and thanks to Winterhalter’s ConnectedWash, all operational data can be recorded and accessed remotely via PC, tablet or smartphone.

The UC Excellence-iPlus can also be customised for specialised applications including washing reusable glass bottles and plastics such as polycarbonates.

All of this technology allows the UC Excellence-iPlus to deliver the wash results Sommeliers demand, without the need for laborious and expensive polishing. This allows staff to concentrate on providing customers with the best possible service.

“Having great looking glassware is so important to make a good first impression,” says Stephen Kinkead, Managing Director of Winterhalter UK. “The UC Excellence-iPlus makes achieving that simple, without having to worry about extra steps after glasses are washed.”

Winterhalter has created guides packed with useful information about how to achieve great glasswashing, which can be downloaded here