This is the hub for every type of commercial kitchen dishwasher we stock — the starting point if you know you need warewashing but aren't yet sure which machine format fits your venue. From here you can route straight to the right sub-range, or browse the full commercial dishwasher range in one place. Already know the format you want? Skip to the section below. Still weighing it up? The guide further down walks you through choosing by throughput, machine type and the plumbing and power your site can supply.
Who needs a dishwashing machine
Any venue washing crockery, glassware or cookware faster than a sink and a person can keep up with. A small café or coffee van might manage with hand-washing and a benchtop unit; a busy bistro, club, pub or hotel kitchen will plate-stack within minutes of a rush without a proper machine. The right format depends less on the food you serve and more on how many racks have to clear between orders — which is exactly why this hub splits the range by machine type rather than by cuisine.
What's in scope
Undercounter (underbench) machines
The compact format that sits below a 900mm benchtop and washes a single rack at a time. Best suited to cafés, small bistros and bars where a tidy footprint matters and rack turnover is steady rather than relentless. Browse the underbench dishwasher range for these.
Passthrough and hood machines
A hood lifts over the rack, washes, then releases so a fresh rack slides straight through — ideal when a wash pit handles back-to-back loads and you want a clean rack out every minute or two. See the passthrough dishwasher range for these higher-turnover machines.
Conveyor machines
Racks ride a powered track through wash and rinse zones non-stop — the format function venues, large hotels and high-cover kitchens reach for when the wash bay never really stops. View the conveyor dishwasher range for continuous-flow setups.
Glasswashers
Purpose-built for stemware and tumblers, gentler on glass and quicker between cycles than a general machine. Bars, clubs and front-of-house spaces usually run one alongside a main dishwasher rather than instead of it.
Utensil and pot washers
Heavier machines built to shift baked-on grease from pots, pans and prep gear — back-of-house workhorses for production kitchens and caterers rather than service-floor units.
Inlet sinks and outlet benches
The stainless steel scrap, pre-rinse and clean-stacking benches that flank the machine and turn it into a working wash line. Match these to your chosen machine via the inlet sinks and outlet benches range.
How to choose a dishwashing machine in three steps
Three questions decide the machine, and they're best answered in this order.
Step 1 — Size the throughput at your peak
Work out how many racks have to clear in your busiest hour, not your daily total. A venue clearing a rack every few minutes is in different territory to one that empties the wash bay between sittings. Manufacturers quote racks per hour against a wash-cycle time, so that figure is the honest yardstick for matching a machine to your service.
Step 2 — Pick the machine type to match
Steady, modest volume points to an undercounter unit; heavy back-to-back loads point to a hood or passthrough; an all-day wash line points to a conveyor. If glassware is the bottleneck, a dedicated glasswasher beside the main machine clears it faster than forcing everything through one unit.
Step 3 — Confirm the plumbing and power on site
Warewashing machines need hot and cold supply, a floor or trapped drain, and — on most models — a dedicated electrical circuit your switchboard can carry. Larger units may want three-phase. Check the model's water inlet temperature and connection size against what your site actually provides before you commit, because retro-fitting services is where budgets blow out.
Buyer's guide and venue fit
If you're starting from scratch, our commercial dishwasher buying guide walks through capacity, running costs and the questions worth asking before you order. Cafés and small bistros tend to settle on an undercounter machine; pubs, clubs and mid-size restaurants step up to a hood unit; function centres and large hotels run conveyor lines. Whichever way you lean, size the machine to your peak rather than your average, and leave headroom for growth.
Popular picks: two reliable starting points across the range are the ESWOOD Undercounter Dishwasher SW500 for a compact café or bistro bench, and the Washmaster Underbench Dishwasher WM50U for a busier small-venue wash bay.
Frequently asked questions
Which dishwasher formats do you stock?
The main formats are undercounter (underbench) machines that sit below a benchtop, hood or passthrough machines where the lid lifts to feed racks through, and conveyor machines that move racks on a powered track for continuous washing. Alongside those sit dedicated glasswashers for stemware and heavier utensil or pot washers for back-of-house. This hub links each format so you can compare like with like.
Which dishwasher format suits my venue?
Match the format to how fast racks have to clear at your peak. Cafés and small bistros with steady turnover usually suit an undercounter machine; pubs, clubs and mid-size restaurants with heavier rushes step up to a hood or passthrough; function venues and large hotels that never stop washing run a conveyor line. If glassware is the choke point, add a glasswasher beside the main unit.
How does a glasswasher differ from a dishwasher?
A glasswasher is tuned for stemware and tumblers — lower-impact wash action and quick cycles that protect glass and keep a bar's stock turning over. A general dishwasher handles mixed crockery, cutlery and cookware across larger racks. Many venues run both: the glasswasher serves the bar, the dishwasher serves the kitchen.
What plumbing and power does a warewashing machine need?
Expect to provide hot and cold water, a suitable drain, and a dedicated electrical circuit sized to the model. Compact undercounter units often run single-phase; larger passthrough and conveyor machines may call for three-phase supply. Always check the spec sheet's inlet temperature and connection requirements against your site before ordering.
Do I need a separate inlet sink and outlet bench?
For anything busier than light use, yes. An inlet sink lets staff scrap and pre-rinse before loading, and an outlet bench gives clean racks somewhere to drain and stack — together they turn a standalone machine into a flowing wash line. You can match both to your machine in our inlet sinks and outlet benches range.
How long does a commercial wash cycle take?
Far quicker than a domestic machine — most cycles run in a couple of minutes or less, which is what lets a venue clear rack after rack through a rush. Cycle time and racks-per-hour are quoted on each product page, so check those figures against your busiest service.
Do you deliver dishwashing machines across Australia?
Yes. Commercial Kitchen Store ships nationwide, and Australian-based phone support is available on 1300 111 901 if you'd like help matching a machine to your venue and site services. Every order is backed by a service team Australian operators rate across our verified product reviews.
