Conveyor dishwashers

Conveyer dishwashers are the hardest working of all commercial dishwashers. You simply put the racks of dishes in one side, and in seconds, clean racks of dishes are being conveyed out the other side. Conveyor dishwashers aren't necessary for small kitchens, but are considered a savior in large kitchens and cafeterias.

I recommend: Galasource has a variety of high and low temperature conveyor dishwashers. Blakeslee manufactures flight-type (rackless) and rack-type conveyor dishwashers.

Undercounter dishwashers

Undercounter dishwashers are the most popular type of commercial dishwashing equipment due to their compact size. They are workhorses, but they need to be placed in a low-traffic area that won't cause kitchen congestion when they are being loaded and unloaded.

I recommend: The Restaurant Source has several options of undercounter dishwashers. Select Appliance Pro has a large variety of models of undercounter dishwashers from Jackson, Jet Tech, Meiko and Moyer Deibel commercial dishwasher manufacturers.

Upright dishwashers

Upright dishwashers are available in pass-through, front loading and hood varieties and come in a range of sizes and capacities. All types of upright dishwashers work the same in that they allow you to load a rack of dishes into the machine and pull down the door or hood for each cycle.

I recommend: Central Restaurant Products carries front loading upright dishwashers that can be loaded one rack at a time from the front or back. Dishwasher World has hood type upright dishwashers.

Pot/pan/utensil dishwashers

Stainless steel pots, pans and baking sheets need a larger space than most commercial undercounter dishwashers or frontloading dishwashers provide. Some manufacturers make pot/pan/utensil dishwashers while others make commercial dishwashers that specialize in each. Depending on your restaurants needs, you may be able to get by with a combined pot/pan/utensil dishwasher rather than having a separate machine for each.

I recommend: Douglas Machine Corp. specializes in pot/pan/utensil dishwashers. Electrolux Food Service has pot/pan dishwashers, utensil dishwashers and tray dishwashers.

Glass washers

Not all commercial dishwashers are created equal. Glass washers are gentler than heavy-duty commercial dishwashers and are made especially for glassware. Bar machines have bottle washers attached to scrub the inside of each glass.

I recommend: You can find manual, automated and full service glass washers at Bar Glass Washer World. Find counter-top glass washers Jean's Restaurant Supply.