Eli5: Why do all my cups and glasses have rims on the bottom that collect water in the dishwasher?
In: Other
Ikea makes cups that have a slit or two on the bottom exactly for this purpose, so the water flows out when upside down
IIRC some cups (pretty sure I saw this on IKEA ones) have a small gap in the rim on the bottom so water can run off
If a perfectly flat cup sat upon a perfectly flat table and any kind of moisture was to develop between the cup and the table be in by condensation or spillage… the cup would stick to the table.
The problem is that you are putting them flat in the dishwasher. Put them on an angle so the water runs off.
Because you’re not tilting all of your mugs and glasses at 45 degrees (preferably so that the opening is facing the center of the washer). Do that, and none of you cups and glasses will have a rim on the bottom that collects water.
Your dishwasher should have a drying cycle where it heats up everything in the dishwasher, causing any residual water to evaporate off of the cups, plates, etc.
Also make sure to fill up the rinse aid compartment – this is used to alter the surface tension of the water, preventing stains and aiding in drying.
[removed]
Because if we tried to make them flat on the bottom they would always wobble, and they would slide around when there is even just a little moisture and, the clay ones would crack while being fired. But if they have a round rim or “foot” down there they fire nicely and are very stable and strong, and don’t wind up with more sloppy puddles on the bar counter.
If it’s a ceramic cup, it needs a “foot” that does not have a coat of glaze so that it can be removed from the kiln after firing. If you look at any regular ceramic cup, the ring at the bottom of the cup, the “foot,” is unglazed and rough. If it had a coat of glaze, the glaze would melt and fuze to the kiln as it cooled. There are cups that have unglazed flat feet (not hard to make unlike people here suggest) but that unglazed, fired clay can absorb liquids (thus making it not dishwasher friendly), be rough to handle, and besides cups and bowls and other ceramic objects have had that traditional shape for millenia. Don’t know about glasses, but most glasses I own look like they have flat bottoms.
Do you use a drying aid? It can help prevent standing water in a dishwasher. A lot folks never use it but most dishwashers benefit from it.
Latest Answers