Stand facing the front of your dish machine: a left side dishtable sits on the machine’s left and a right side table sits on its right. Racks travel from the soiled table, through the machine, to the clean table, so a machine that runs left to right needs a left side soiled table and a right side clean table, and a machine that runs right to left needs the opposite pair.
Shop the equipment in this article: dishwashing equipment and glass and dish rack storage. Freight is included on every order.
How the side is named
Our dishtable pages use one rule: face the dishwasher, and the table is named for the side of the machine it sits on. A left side clean table such as the Prepline PCDT-36L sits on the machine’s left. A left side soiled table such as the PSDT-36L also sits on the left. The name says where the table goes, not which way the dishes travel, so the direction of your machine decides which pair you need.
Work out your direction in three checks
- Find which side the dirty dishes arrive from. In most dish rooms that is the side nearest the door from the dining room or the bus station. That side gets the soiled table.
- Check which way racks travel through your machine. The machine’s spec sheet or your installer will tell you. The soiled table goes on the entry side and the clean table on the exit side.
- Look at where clean racks go next. The clean table should sit on the side closest to the shelving or carts that take clean ware back to the line, so clean racks never pass back through the dirty area.
If dirty dishes arrive on the left and clean ware leaves to the right, order a left side soiled table and a right side clean table. If they arrive on the right, order a right side soiled table and a left side clean table.
The dishtables we carry
All eight of our dishtables are Prepline models, 30 in. deep, in 36 or 48 in. lengths, with a left and a right version of each.
| Model | Type and side | Size | Top | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSDT-36L | Soiled, left | 36 L x 30 D in. | 18 gauge 304 stainless, 20 x 20 x 5 in. pre-rinse bowl | In stock |
| PSDT-36R | Soiled, right | 36 L x 30 D in. | 18 gauge 304 stainless, pre-rinse bowl | In stock |
| PSDT-48L | Soiled, left | 48 L x 30 D in. | 18 gauge 304 stainless, pre-rinse bowl | In stock |
| PSDT-48R | Soiled, right | 48 L x 30 D in. | 18 gauge 304 stainless, 20 x 20 x 5 in. pre-rinse bowl | In stock |
| PCDT-36L | Clean, left | 36 L x 30 D in. | 16 gauge 304 stainless | Backorder |
| PCDT-36R | Clean, right | 36 L x 30 D in. | 16 gauge 304 stainless | In stock |
| PCDT-48L | Clean, left | 48 L x 30 D in. | 16 gauge 304 stainless | In stock |
| PCDT-48R | Clean, right | 48 L x 30 D in. | 16 gauge 304 stainless | Backorder |
The soiled tables include a 3.5 in. drain basket in the pre-rinse bowl, so scraps stay out of the drain during a rush. The clean tables have no bowl, and the PCDT-36L page notes that its top drains back toward the machine. The pages list a 36.5 in. working height where they give one, galvanized legs and sockets with plastic bullet feet, and a 1 year parts and labor warranty, and the PSDT-36L and PCDT-48L pages note that they ship knocked down for assembly.
Match the height and the connection
The product pages ask you to match the table height to your dish machine before you order. Measure the height of the machine’s rack track, compare it with the 36.5 in. working height of the tables, and confirm with your installer how the table edge meets the machine. A table that sits too low or too high makes racks catch at the joint.
What the Food Code says about the space
The FDA Food Code requires drainboards, utensil racks or tables large enough to hold all the soiled and cleaned items that may build up during hours of operation, for holding before cleaning and after sanitizing (Food Code 4-301.13). Size each table for your busiest rush. If 36 in. tables fill up during service, the 48 in. versions give you a foot more on each side.
The Food Code also requires a handwashing sink located to allow convenient use by employees in warewashing areas (Food Code 5-204.11). Staff who move from scraping plates to unloading clean racks should wash their hands between the two jobs, so plan a hand sink within easy reach of the clean end. Your local health department has the final say on how your dish room is laid out.
Mistakes to avoid
- Ordering two tables for the same side. A left soiled table and a left clean table cannot both sit on the left of one machine.
- Leaving no room for clean racks to drain and air dry. The Food Code does not allow cleaned and sanitized ware to be cloth dried except in limited cases (Food Code 4-901.11), so the clean table needs space for racks to sit.
What to buy
Choose your pair from our dishtables, then plan the rest of the room from our dishwashing equipment, including pre-rinse faucets and baskets, and our glass and dish rack storage for the clean side. Add a hand sink near the clean end. For a full room plan, see our dish room layout template. Freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price, and as non-powered items the dishtables have a 14 day return window from delivery.