Bar Drainboards

Bar Glassware Drainboards: What You Need to Know

Underbar drainboards are crucial pieces of equipment for kitchen cleaning setups dedicated to glass. When it comes to cleaning glassware, you have two main options: glasswashers and triple sinks. Glasswashers cut down on the need for handwashing, but three-bowl sinks are still a necessity for rinsing smallware and giving employees space to wash their hands. If your glasswasher stops functioning, you need a backup option. Additionally, bar drainboards can be placed in the service area, enabling bartenders to dry glasses as well as prep beverages.

Drainboard cabinets are also available if you want to increase storage space. These pieces are constructed with an open cabinet space beneath the drainboard, providing beverage preparation and air-drying space on the top while housing smallware below. Employees can use this area to store glassware, food product, and more, while the ribbed design on bar glassware drainboards contains spills and aids airflow. This equipment can also be used as the designated area for dirty dishware, signaling to other employees the smallware atop it must be cleaned.

Common Questions About Bar Drainboards

What does a bar glassware drainboard consist of?

Underbar drainboards are stainless steel pieces of equipment that stand on four legs. These units are constructed with a backsplash, which is a vertical extension that protects walls, employees, and patrons from splashes. Backsplash heights differ for each unit.

Some bar drainboard legs have black powder coating, which provides a higher uniformity of color consistency and thickness than wet paints or no coating at all. To ensure a tough finish, black powder coating is cured at high temperatures, and its durable coloring and high gloss effectively conceal minor surface flaws. We recommend equipment with black powder coating for high-volume kitchens where shoes are likely to contact the lower parts of the unit. Because this coating has a hard finish, it is highly resistant to dents and dings.

While most bar glassware drainboards are completely constructed of stainless steel, some have a mix of galvanized steel. Both materials are durable, but they have different vulnerabilities that make them the preferred choice for specific applications. To guard against corrosion, galvanized steel is coated with a thin layer of zink, so this material is often used in fasteners such as nuts and bolts. Galvanized steel readily withstands water exposure, but it can't handle saltwater. To form stainless steel, chromium is added to molten steel, and the resulting material is durable and resistant to rust, which is why it's often used in cooking equipment. Unlike galvanized steel, stainless steel can tolerate all forms of water, but it should never be exposed to chlorine.

Underbar drainboards are reinforced by welded braces and may come with a front apron, which enhances the equipment's professional appearance. Plastic bullet feet and tubular legs stabilize the unit. Each bar drainboard comes with a drain connection, which removes excess moisture.

Do you need a drainboard cabinet?

We recommend investing in bar glassware drainboards with a cabinet if you need extra storage space. Installing a shelf in the base creates more room for smallware, but you can leave it open to create space for large objects. If you don't need as much room as a drainboard cabinet provides, invest in a recessed bar glassware drainboard. These pieces have about half as much room as models with cabinets, and you can install a perforated, removable drainboard insert to create multiple shelves.

What's the difference between a glass rack and a bar glassware drainboard?

If you need a unit that functions as glass storage and a work surface for beverage prep, go with an underbar drainboard. Operations that will primarily be using their equipment for glassware storage should invest in a glass rack; these units have more vertical storage than bar drainboards.