Industrial Dishwasher Selection Guide: Guillotine or Under Set?
The heart of a professional kitchen is undoubtedly the dishwashing department. Ensuring that the flow of clean plates, glasses and cutlery is not interrupted during peak hours of customer circulation directly affects the overall speed of the business. At this point, restaurant, café or hotel investors face one of the most critical questions: When buying an industrial dishwasher, should they choose a guillotine type or an under-set model?
In this guide, we look at the advantages and key differences of each model so that you can choose the best industrial dishwasher for your business capacity, kitchen space and budget.
What is a Stovetop Dishwasher? Who Should Prefer?
Undercounter dishwashers are compact industrial appliances that fit comfortably under standard kitchen worktops. They usually have a washing capacity of 500 plates per hour (30-35 racks on average). They work by loading from the front door.
Why Preferred?
- Space Saving: A perfect space optimizer for narrow kitchens, small cafes, bar backs and bistros.
- Easy Installation: Since they do not need an extra inlet and outlet countertop, they can be used by connecting directly to the water and electricity installation.
- Low Initial Cost: It is a more affordable investment option compared to guillotine models.
Who is it Suitable for? Boutique cafes, coffee shops, small-scale restaurants and bars.
What is a Guillotine Type Dishwasher? What are the Advantages?
Guillotine dishwashers are high-capacity machines that have a top-down door system and are usually integrated with left-right entry and exit sinks. They can wash an average of 1000 plates (approximately 60-70 baskets) per hour.
Why Preferred?
- High Speed and Capacity: Instantly melts through dish piles during peak service hours.
- Maximum Ergonomics: There is no need for staff to constantly bend and get up. The basket of dishes is pushed into the machine by sliding directly over the counter, and after washing, it is taken to the clean counter on the other side. Increases labor productivity.
- Ease of Pre-Washing: Thanks to the spray faucets on the entrance benches integrated into the machine, the pre-stripping and washing process is much faster.
Who is it Suitable for? Busy restaurants, hotels, cafeterias, hospitals and catering companies.
3 Key Differences Between Guillotine and Under Set Models
To speed up your decision-making process, let’s compare these two industrial kitchen equipment under 3 main headings:
- Capacity and Enterprise Size
If you have a business that serves 100-150 portions of food per day or only beverages and desserts, an under-set machine will more than meet your needs. However, if you have a restaurant that serves 300 portions or more per day, the under-set model will slow down your staff and a guillotine type machine will become a necessity.
- Kitchen Square Meter and Layout Plan
The under-set machine requires only a small floor area of 60×60 cm. The guillotine type machine, on the other hand, requires a dirty inlet counter (with scraper and sink) on the right and a clean outlet counter on the left in order to work efficiently. Therefore, before buying a guillotine model, you should make sure that you have at least 1.5 – 2 meters of wall space for the dishwashing line in your kitchen project.
- Energy, Water Consumption and Efficiency
Guillotine types have higher boiler volumes and higher heating resistance powers. Although they seem to consume more electricity and water instantaneously, they are much more energy efficient for busy businesses when the amount of dishes washed per unit time (cost per basket) is calculated.
(Design Note: An elegant CTA button “Get an Industrial Dishwasher Quote for Your Business” can be added here via Elementor).
Conclusion Which One Should You Choose?
Choosing the right industrial dishwasher depends entirely on the intensity and physical conditions of your business. If you don’t have a lot of space for washing dishes and your customer circulation is boutique-level, the under-set models are your best friend. However, if you want to reduce staff fatigue, maximize speed and ensure flawless service on busy evenings, you should definitely invest in a guillotine dishwasher.
How many minutes does an industrial dishwasher take?
Industrial dishwashers usually complete washing and rinsing processes in very short periods of 90 seconds, 120 seconds or 180 seconds, depending on the program selected.
Can pots and pans fit in the dishwasher?
The internal washing height of undercounter dishwashers is generally designed for standard plates and glasses. For large industrial boilers and deep pots, guillotine type machines or special boiler washing machines should be preferred.
Can you put household detergent in an industrial machine?
Absolutely not. In industrial dishwashers, industrial liquid detergents and rinse aids that do not foam and are drawn by special dosing pumps should be used. Household products damage the machine’s pump and washing system.