Glas dishwasher or regular dishwasher

Do you need a special glass dishwasher, or can you wash glasses in the same professional dishwasher as plates and cutlery?

For many cafes and restaurants, one machine works fine. But if a large part of the dishes consists of wine glasses, beer glasses or cocktail glasses, a dedicated glass dishwasher can provide a better workflow and make it easier to get beautiful glasses straight from the machine.

Many people will choose to have a regular dishwasher in the kitchen and a glass dishwasher in the bar.

What is a glass dishwasher?

A glass dishwasher is a professional dishwasher designed for washing glass.

It often looks like a regular undercounter dishwasher, but the machine, programs and accessories can be adapted to the special requirements that come with glass.

These can include programs with more gentle washing and glass baskets that hold the glasses correctly during washing.

Can you wash glass in a regular industrial dishwasher?

Yes. Glass can be washed in many professional dishwashers.

If a small café, for example, washes plates, cups, cutlery and a limited number of glasses, it is not necessarily necessary to have two separate machines.

The decisive factors are, among other things, which programs the machine offers, which chemistry is used, the water quality and how many glasses need to be washed.

When does a separate glass dishwasher make sense?

A dedicated glass dishwasher is particularly interesting when glasses make up a large part of the total dishwashing load.

This could be the case, for example, in a bar, cocktail bar, restaurant or café, where the same glasses need to be quickly returned to circulation.

Here, it may be inappropriate if the glasses have to constantly wait for the regular dishwasher to finish with plates, cutlery and other tableware.

A separate machine creates two washing flows: one for glasses and one for the rest of the dishes.

Why do glasses have special requirements?

A glass can be completely clean and still look dirty.

Small water spots, streaks and mineral residues are much more visible on transparent glass than on, for example, a white plate.

At the same time, wine glasses and other thin glasses can be more sensitive to mechanical stress and incorrect handling.

Therefore, professional glasswashing is not just about removing dirt. The glasses should also come out of the machine without visible stains and preferably with as little manual post-treatment as possible.

Water quality is of great importance

If there are white spots on the glasses after washing, it is not necessarily the dishwasher that is washing poorly.

The problem may be due to minerals in the water, which remain on the glass when the water dries.

The higher the requirements for completely clear glasses, the more relevant the water quality becomes.

In places with high demands on the glass result, water treatment can be used, which reduces the amount of minerals and salts in the water. Reverse osmosis is one of the solutions used professionally when you want very spotless glasses and less need for post-polishing.

You can read more about the connection between lime, minerals and washing in our guide on lime and water treatment in industrial dishwashers.

Why is the right glass rack important?

Glass should be stable during washing so that they do not tip over or hit each other.

Therefore, there are special dishwashing racks for different types of glass. They help keep the glasses separated and correctly positioned, while allowing water to reach the surfaces.

This is especially important for tall wine glasses and other fragile glasses, where incorrect placement increases the risk of damage.

Can you wash glasses and plates at the same time?

It may be possible, but it is not always the best workflow.

Glasses and plates have different shapes and are usually placed in different types of racks. In addition, the requirements for washing, chemistry and the finished result may be different.

In a smaller kitchen, one machine may still be the most practical solution. In a busy restaurant or bar, on the other hand, it may be more efficient to keep the glassware separate.

Why can glasses smell after washing?

A glass may look clean, but still have an unwanted smell. This can be related to, among other things, the cleanliness of the machine, the wash water, filters, chemicals or residues from other types of washing.

If the same machine is used for very greasy dishes and then for glasses, this places additional demands on correct operation and cleaning.

In the event of recurring problems, you should therefore not try to hide the smell with more chemicals. Instead, find the cause in the washing process.

Can a glass dishwasher eliminate the need to polish glasses?

It depends on the entire washing process and not just the machine.

The machine, chemicals, rinse aid and water quality must work together. The mineral content in the water in particular has an impact on whether visible stains are left on the glass.

With the right combination of machine and water treatment, the need for manual polishing can be significantly reduced.

One or two dishwashers?

For a smaller kitchen with limited glassware, one professional dishwasher will often be the most practical solution.

However, if the company washes large quantities of glass, you should consider whether the glasses should have their own washing flow.

This is especially true if the glasses need to be returned to the bar quickly, or if employees spend a lot of time polishing.

The interesting question is therefore not only whether the existing machine can wash glasses. It is whether it can do so quickly and with the desired result without creating a bottleneck in the rest of the washing.

Should you choose a professional dishwasher?

If you are choosing a machine for a café, bar or restaurant, you can see our commercial dishwashers. Here, the choice can be assessed based on both the amount of glass, the other washing and the load during the busiest period.