Glasswashers

The professional glasswasher is the essential equipment of any bar, café, brasserie or restaurant serving drinks. More compact and faster than a dishwasher, it is designed for a single mission: to make glasses perfectly clear, sparkling and dry, cycle after cycle, without the slightest mark. Frigo Horeca offers a wide range of Diamond, Diverso, Gastro M and Buffalo glasswashers, from compact countertop models to versions with a built-in softener, drain pump or doser.

Why a dedicated glasswasher?

At the bar, glasses come back by the dozen during service, often marked with lip prints, foam or sugar. A glasswasher processes a rack in a few minutes, at high temperature, and returns immediately reusable glasses. Its small size lets it slide under the counter, close to the beer tap and service area, avoiding back-and-forth trips to the main wash area.

• Very short cycles suited to bar pace;
• Sparkling, dry glasses, free of limescale marks;
• Compact format for undercounter installation;
• All-stainless, hygienic and durable construction;
• Options: softener, drain pump, doser.

Glasswasher or dishwasher?

Although similar, these two machines meet distinct needs. The glasswasher is optimised for glasses: suitable racks, short gentle cycles, reduced footprint. The dishwasher handles plates and cutlery with more powerful cycles. In an establishment serving both drinks and food, the ideal is often to have both: a glasswasher at the bar, a dishwasher in the kitchen. For small mixed volumes, glass and dishwashers offer a compromise.

Rack sizes

Glasswashers come in several rack formats. Round-basket models, such as the DC202/6R with Ø 350 mm basket or the DC202/6 square 350×350 mm, suit small counters. The 400×400 mm baskets, the most common, hold more glasses per cycle and also accept cups and small tableware. The format choice depends on service volume and space available under the counter.

Limescale, the enemy of glasses

Nothing gives away a badly washed glass more than a whitish limescale film. On glass, transparent by nature, the slightest deposit shows immediately and spoils drink presentation. The versions with a built-in softener or continuous softener treat the water directly in the machine. When the appliance has none, adding a water softener upstream is the best guarantee of flawless glasses.

Osmosis for perfect shine

For absolute clarity, with no drying marks at all, some sets pair the glasswasher with an osmosis unit. Osmosed water, stripped of its minerals, dries without leaving any residue, eliminating the wiping step. Frigo Horeca offers turnkey glasswasher + water treatment sets, particularly appreciated by cocktail bars and upmarket establishments.

Drain pump

As with dishwashers, gravity drainage requires a pipe below the tank level. Models fitted with a drain pump, such as the DC402/6-PS, actively push the waste water out and can be installed even when the drain is higher up. Our "Drain pump" filter shows at a glance which machines have one.

Product dosers

Consistent washing relies on precise dosing of detergent and rinse aid. Models with a built-in doser, such as the Diverso WR-LB40-MC and its pump-and-doser variants, automatically inject the right amount of product on each cycle, guaranteeing sparkling glasses with no staff intervention and no waste.

Power supply

Almost all glasswashers run on 230 V single-phase: they plug into a simple reinforced socket, with no three-phase installation, which eases integration behind a bar. This electrical simplicity, combined with short cycles, makes them economical to run. Our "Power supply" filter confirms compatibility with your installation.

Pace and short cycles

At the height of service, a bar can chain dozens of rounds. The glasswasher meets this pressure with cycles of about one or two minutes, sometimes selectable according to the degree of soiling. A well-sized short cycle avoids running out of clean glasses at peak times and keeps the service rhythm without a build-up of dirty glasses.

Shine and presentation

A drink's presentation begins with the glass. A beer is judged by its head and the clarity of the glass, a cocktail by its limpidity. A high-performing glasswasher, paired with treated water, returns brilliant glasses that enhance every service. It is a detail that immediately sets apart a well-kept establishment, and that justifies investing in a dedicated machine rather than irregular manual washing.

Hygiene and safety

The high-temperature rinse ensures impeccable hygiene of glasses, in direct contact with customers' mouths. Fast towel-free drying avoids recontamination, frequent with manual wiping. These machines fit naturally into an HACCP approach and protect both the clientele and the establishment's reputation.

How to choose your glasswasher

The choice depends on glass volume, space under the counter, water hardness and desired options. For a small bar, a compact 350-basket model is enough; for intense service, a 400×400 basket with softener and doser is preferable. In hard water, a softener (built-in or upstream) is essential. Washing accessories usefully complete the installation.

• Small counter: compact 350-basket model;
• Intense service: 400×400 basket + softener + doser;
• Hard water: built-in softener or osmosis;
• High drain: drain pump.

Installation and maintenance

The glasswasher connects to water, drainage and a 230 V socket. Commissioning by an installer ensures correct setting of water hardness and dosing. Day to day, maintenance involves draining and cleaning the tank after service, checking the wash arms, cleaning the filters and periodic descaling. Using softened water greatly reduces scaling and extends the appliance's life.

The bar, a wash station in its own right

In an establishment serving drinks, the bar works like a miniature kitchen with its own washing cycle. Separating glass washing from dish washing has several advantages: glasses never come into contact with food grease, drink service is not slowed by the kitchen wash area, and bar staff stay self-sufficient. A dedicated glasswasher under the counter, fed with softened water, thus forms an independent, fast and reliable wash station, designed for the particular rhythm of drink service.

Running cost and savings

A well-chosen glasswasher pays for itself quickly. Its short cycles use little water and electricity per rack, and 230 V single-phase avoids the cost of a three-phase installation. The main source of extra cost remains limescale: a scaled heating element heats for longer and eventually fails. Protecting the machine with softened water and dosing products correctly stabilises costs and reduces glass breakage linked to manual washing. Over time, the appliance costs less than risky hand washing.

Protecting fragile glassware

Stemware, flutes and cocktail glasses are fragile and costly to replace. Mechanised washing, with suitable racks that hold each glass in place, limits knocks and breakage compared with manual washing at the sink. Compartmented racks protect stems and rims, while gentle air drying avoids towel scratches. Properly loaded, the glasswasher extends the life of the glassware, an often underestimated expense in a bar.

Stainless steel for durability

Like all professional washing equipment, the glasswasher is built from stainless steel. Stainless withstands constant humidity, the heat of cycles and cleaning products, with no corrosion. Its smooth, non-porous surfaces are easy to clean and disinfect, supporting hygiene. It is this robustness that allows a glasswasher to chain many cycles a day for years behind a bar, in a humid, hot environment, without losing performance.

Undercounter integration

The compact design of glasswashers aims at discreet integration under the counter, as close as possible to the point of service. Before buying, check the available height, access to water and a drain, and the proximity of a 230 V socket. Good integration places the machine within reach of the beer tap and the preparation area, for a smooth flow of glasses. Washing accessories help organise this station ergonomically.

Continuous softener versus traditional

Some glasswashers feature a continuous softener built into the machine, treating the water permanently as it flows, rather than relying on periodic regeneration. This keeps the rinse water consistently soft throughout service, which matters for glasses where any hardness shows instantly. It also simplifies daily use: there is no separate salt tank to manage at the bar. For establishments in hard-water areas that prioritise glass clarity above all, a continuous-softener model offers a convenient, low-maintenance way to guarantee spotless results from the first round to the last.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a glasswasher and a dishwasher?
The glasswasher is more compact, with short cycles and racks suited to glasses; the dishwasher handles plates and cutlery with more powerful cycles.

Why do my glasses come out with marks?
It is usually due to limescale. A built-in or upstream softener, or even an osmosis unit, removes these marks and makes glasses perfectly clear.

Which rack size should I choose?
The 350 baskets suit small counters; the 400×400 mm ones hold more glasses and small tableware, for more intense service.

Does a glasswasher run on a normal socket?
Yes, most are 230 V single-phase and plug into a reinforced socket, with no three-phase installation.

Do I need a drain pump?
Yes if the drain is above the tank level. The "Drain pump" filter lets you spot the models that have one.

What does the osmosis unit add?
Osmosed water dries without leaving residue, eliminating wiping and guaranteeing perfect shine — ideal for cocktail bars.

Can it wash anything other than glasses?
The 400×400 basket models also accept cups and small tableware, but for table ware a dishwasher remains more suitable.

Discover the full Washing range from Frigo Horeca.