There was a time when elbow grease was the only way to restore silverware to its original luster. Today, the upscale food service industry depends on tiny stainless steel balls to do the job for them, and Kramer Industries has led the way in perfecting the equipment and the process that makes it possible.
“We used to clean our silverware by hand,” says David Bango, service director for the exclusive Rivers Club in Pittsburgh, PA, “But never with the results possible with our barrel-tumbler using stainless steel shot as our burnishing media. Unless they are very deep, we can repair nicks and scratches in just one 25-minute treatment, and every piece comes out looking like new.”
According to Steven Schneider, sales manager of Kramer Industries, commercial burnishing systems are referred to as barrel-tumbling systems because silverware is tumbled in the barrel of the machine. “The tumbling action causes the stainless steel balls to roll, or flow into the nicks and scrapes of the silverware,” says Schneider.
“There are a number of options when it comes to burnishing machine size,” explains Schneider, “depending on the volume of silverware a restaurant or caterer needs to restore on a regular basis.” The Kramer Industries K Series is a floor-model size unit and was designed for large volume use. The K14 Series commercial barrel finishing system is a smaller bench or tabletop model. Both are excellent machines for commercial use, and both can use stainless steel shot as the tumbling media.
Kramer Industries recommends stainless steel shot for silverware cleaning and restoration because the particles are substantially heavier than other media, which reduces tumbling time. Stainless steel shot along with an appropriate tumbling compound such as Kramco 910 also eliminates the need for rust inhibitors.
When asked if burnishing was cost effective, Bango answered yes without hesitation. “Since we have the machinery, we restore our entire inventory of silverware every month. Our standards are extraordinarily high here at our club.”
The Rivers Club is part of the ClubCorp family of private clubs, with membership requiring sponsorship by an existing member. According to Bango, “Our members represent business and community leaders throughout the Greater Pittsburgh Area, all of whom are committed to promoting traditional values of community service and good business. Our club plays a unique role in that process and our entire staff takes that responsibility very seriously.”