Cup and napkin dispensers, dish dispensers

How to choose

The dispenser is chosen for the vessel, not for the space on the worktop

The first parameter is the vessel diameter. Cup dispensers have a stated range – Ø73–98 mm, for example – and outside it the cup will either jam or drop several at a time. The range refers to the rim of the cup, not to the base, so measure at the widest point.

The second question is how it is set in place. The built-in version is let into the worktop and requires a cut-out of the stated size – for items with a rectangular section we give it as height and width. The free-standing version stands on the worktop and can be moved, but it takes up working space.

The third matter is capacity and the pace of refilling. For napkin dispensers we give the number of pieces, for plate dispensers the number of items, for containers the litres. This translates directly into how often staff have to come over and refill – and on a serving line at peak hours that matters more than the price of the unit.

Waste chutes are a separate group: an opening in the worktop with a housing that directs the waste into the bin underneath. They are chosen for the worktop thickness and the size of the cut-out, not for the vessels.