If you are opening (or currently operating) a bar, club, lounge, or restaurant where you expect to serve a high volume of drinks, then you may be considering the purchase of a dedicated commercial glasswasher machine to help speed up beverage service and avoid a potential lull in service due to unwashed glassware.
Commercial glasswashers are an excellent choice for certain food and beverage service establishments, but they may not be right for everyone — there are a number of advantages and disadvantages that are worth evaluating before you commit to a purchase.
Let’s take a look.
Advantages of a Commercial Glasswasher
Quick and Efficient Glasswashing Capabilities
Glasswashers tend to be highly efficient machines — in fact, most glasswashers are capable of fully cleaning glassware in a matter of minutes (ranging from two to five minutes, generally speaking). This speed and efficiency is enormously beneficial in a busy bar, lounge, or club environment where spikes of drinking activity can be unpredictable. If you’ve run out of clean glassware, you can simply start a cycle of the glasswasher and have some fresh glasses ready within a few short minutes.
Minimizes Risk of Damage to Glassware
Many businesses purchase dedicated commercial glasswashers because the machines are capable of “gentle” washing that minimizes the risk of damage to fragile glass. With traditional dishwashing machines, some fragile glassware — such as wine glasses — may be vulnerable to a significant risk of chipping, or breaking. In the commercial context, this risk of chipped or broken glassware is unacceptable, as it can expose your customers to injury.
Compact Options Allow for Superior Positioning
Vendors in today’s commercial glasswasher market sell a variety of machines, each with different capabilities. Generally speaking, however, most commercial glasswashers are somewhat compact in comparison to traditional dishwashers, and are designed to fit neatly under the counter or on the countertop itself. As such, space is not usually an issue — if your bar stands to benefit from a dedicated glasswasher machine, you are almost certain to find one that can fit.
Disadvantages of a Commercial Glasswasher
Less Versatile Cleaning Functionality
It’s worth noting that glasswashers are less versatile than traditional dishwasher machines, and in fact, this is the primary disadvantage of purchasing a glasswasher. Though some glasswashers can handle other dishware, such as small plates and utensils, they may not be able to handle heavy kitchen equipment such as pots and pans. Make absolutely sure to consider your cleaning needs before investing into an expensive commercial glasswasher — if you do not serve a particularly high volume of drinks in your establishment, then you may be able to get by with a traditional dishwasher (on a gentle setting), or with hand-washing.
Just as Costly as Commercial Dishwashers
Despite the fact that glasswashers are less versatile than traditional dishwashers, they are usually close-in-price (when comparing based on the capabilities and the overall size of the machine). As such, glasswashers are a significant investment that may not necessarily pay dividends for all businesses. Committing to a commercial glasswasher purchase is generally a good idea only for those businesses who must not only serve a high volume of drinks to their customers, but who also have significant spikes in buying activity — these undulations in customer purchasing can justify a glasswasher purchase, as glasswashers can complete a cleaning cycle in just a few short minutes.
