Water boiler or otherwise known as hot water dispenser is a simple equipment yet most important for any restaurant that serves tea. Common in Asian restaurants, many will agree that a good pot of hot tea makes the difference to your breakfast dim sum or a serving of “Bak Kut Teh” – a delicacy of pork ribs served in a herbs and spice soup.
In the beverage menu, many other machines have sprouted to claim their market share – the coffee machine being a very good example. However, a good cup of tea relies on you water boiler performing its duty maintaining it’s temperature between 85 to 95 degrees celcius.
There are a few variants of boilers in the market.
A. Round Bin Units – these units are common in the market and heavily used by caterers. They are light in weight and do not come with an automatic refill. Most have a built in water level indicator in front and it should be checked off and on to ensure that the water level is sufficient. It is advised to refill before the water falls below half tank to shorten recovery time.
B. Fixed Units – these are normally seen at convenience stores and self service outlets. It has a sealed tank built-in and is connected to a water inlet and outlet valve. It is able to monitor its water level and temperature. Also automatically tops up the water in its tank.
C. Floor Mounted Unit – these customised units are frequently used in Asian restaurants and most come with a built in water inlet. It automatically cuts off the water supply once filled and will constantly monitor its level.
The selection of a suitable water boiler is generally determined by it’s water tank capacity space needed and choosing the right one will be determined by the amount of hot water needed within an hour. Higher capacity means higher power consumption and lower capacity means less hot water.
Water boilers should be cleaned and de-scalled periodically. This helps to reduce calcium and lime build up inside the unit thus extending the service life of the heating element and also quality of the water. It is also important to know the type and the power of the heating elements used in your boilers and ensure that replacement would be available.
Never use your water boiler as a tea dispenser, not only will it damage your boiler, tea left boiling or heating in a pot or kept warm for too long would turn bitter.
If you operate a self-serve eatery, it is important that your water boiler or dispenser of choice has a clear indicator that the water is ready for consumption or if it is still being boiled. Though many has sufficient tank in store for boiled water, a constant flux of customers may kick start the water inlet and introduce fresh unboiled water into the tank.
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ALAN TUNG
MSM Equipment Manufacturer Sdn. Bhd. – Assistant General Manager
“Clean using the proper cleaning agent. Do not use abrasive cleaning compounds, wire brushes or metal scouring pads. Stainless steel if not cleaned and maintained correctly can rust if the protective layer on its surface is damaged.”
