Commercial Warewashing & Dishwashers

Buying commercial warewashing & dishwashers

A commercial dishwasher is judged on one number: the wash cycle. Where a domestic machine takes an hour, a commercial one runs in one to three minutes, because a busy service cannot wait. The right type depends on what you wash and how much of it.

Glasswashers and undercounter dishwashers handle glassware and light crockery for bars and small kitchens. Passthrough (hood) machines take a full rack and suit a mid-size restaurant with a dedicated wash-up. For high volume, a rack-conveyor machine moves crockery through continuously. Match the machine to your busiest hour, not your average one.

Two things decide whether a machine keeps up: rack capacity per hour, and your water. Hard-water areas need a machine with a built-in softener, or a separate one plumbed in, otherwise limescale kills the wash arms and elements within months. And check you have the electrical supply the machine needs, because larger passthrough and conveyor machines often want three-phase.

Commercial Warewashing & Dishwashers: common questions

What is the difference between a glasswasher and a dishwasher?

Size and what they are built for. A glasswasher has a smaller basket and a gentler, cooler cycle that protects glass and avoids thermal shock. A dishwasher runs hotter and takes a larger rack for plates, pans and cutlery. Many bars run both. Using a dishwasher for glasses tends to cloud them over time.

How do I stop my glasses coming out cloudy?

Cloudiness is almost always limescale or detergent build-up from hard water. Fit water softening, use the right rinse aid, and keep the machine descaled. Once glass is etched, meaning permanently roughened by long-term hard water, it cannot be reversed, so treat the water before it starts.

Do I need a water softener?

In most of the UK, yes. Hard water scales up wash arms, boilers and elements, which wrecks performance and shortens the machine’s life. Some machines have a softener built in; otherwise you plumb one in line. It is the single cheapest thing you can do to protect a warewasher.

Undercounter or passthrough, which do I need?

Undercounter suits a bar or a kitchen under roughly 40 covers. A passthrough (hood) machine takes a full rack, washes faster and saves your team bending down all shift, so it earns its place once volume climbs or you have a dedicated wash-up area.

What power supply does a commercial dishwasher need?

Undercounter machines usually run on a standard 13A or 16A single-phase supply. Larger passthrough and conveyor machines often need three-phase. Check this before you buy, because upgrading the supply is the expensive surprise, not the machine.

How fast can you deliver a dishwasher?

Warewashing is mostly ordered in from the manufacturer, so we will confirm the lead time on your chosen model before you commit. Lines we hold in our own warehouse go next working day when ordered before the cut-off. Plumbed-in machines need a competent install, which we can help arrange.