Kitchen towels are essential items that no home cook or professional chef can do without.
They help with various tasks like drying dishes, wiping counters, handling hot pans, covering food, and more.
But with so many types of kitchen towels out there, it can get confusing to figure out which one works best for your needs.
The two most common kitchen towel varieties are bar towels and tea towels. At first glance, they may seem interchangeable.
However, there are some distinct differences between bar and tea towels that impact their functionality.
What is a Bar Towel?
A bar towel, as the name suggests, is a type of towel commonly used in bars, restaurants, and other commercial food service establishments. They are characterized by:
- Materials: Bar towels are typically made from heavyweight cotton or a cotton-polyester blend. The use of materials like terrycloth increases durability.
- Size: Bar towels measure around 16 x 25 inches, larger than a standard tea towel. The large size increases absorbency.
- Absorbency: The materials render bar towels highly absorbent to soak up large spills.
- Durability: With reinforced stitching and thick woven fabric, bar towels are built to withstand heavy-duty commercial use and frequent laundering.
- Appearance: Bar towels usually have a basic solid color or striped pattern meant for function over beauty.
- Uses: Bar towels are multi-functional workhorse towels ideal for tasks like drying glassware, wiping counters, handling hot dishes, cleaning spills, and more.
The combination of larger size, exceptional absorbency, and rugged durability makes bar towels the towel of choice for busy bars, restaurants, and food service settings.
What is a Tea Towel?
In contrast to the utilitarian bar towel, the tea towel has a more decorative, delicate appeal. Key attributes of tea towels include:
- Materials: Tea towels are commonly crafted from lightweight linen or 100% cotton. The smooth, lint-free fabric protects fine china and glassware.
- Size: Tea towels measure around 16 x 24 inches, smaller than bar towels.
- Absorbency: Less absorbent than bar towels but sufficiently absorbs moisture for light duty tasks.
- Durability: Tea towels are usually thinner and less durable than bar towels. Fiber content affects longevity.
- Appearance: Tea towels really shine with their decorative patterns, vivid prints, and colorful designs.
- Uses: Popular uses include drying dishes and glassware, lining bread baskets, covering food platters, decorative display, and more light duty kitchen tasks.
With their attractive appearance and smooth, non-abrasive texture, tea towels lend themselves well to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of kitchens and dining areas.
Key Takeaway: Bar towels use thicker, more durable materials designed for heavy commercial use while tea towels use softer, lighter fabrics with decorative appeal.
Absorbency Comparison
One of the biggest differences between these towels comes down to absorbency. Let’s see how they compare:
- Bar towels are made from highly absorbent materials like terrycloth or cotton-polyester blends. The combination of larger size and greater thickness enables bar towels to soak up and retain significantly more liquid.
- This high absorbency makes them perfect for tackling large spills, drying stacks of dishes, and other heavy duty tasks in busy bars and restaurants. The generous absorbency prevents spreading of messes.
- Tea towels, on the other hand, are made from lighter cotton or linen materials. While sufficiently absorbent for light moisture, they pale in comparison to the liquid-soaking abilities of a bar towel.
- The smaller tea towel size also reduces total absorbency capacity. But tea towels can still effectively dry dishes, hands, and light spills in home kitchens.
- When encountering a large volume of liquid, the bar towel’s supreme absorbency gives it an advantage over the tea towel. But for light duty absorbency, a tea towel will suffice.
Key Takeaway: With their larger size and more absorbent terrycloth or cotton-poly blend materials, bar towels significantly outperform tea towels in total liquid absorbency.
Durability Comparison
Durability is another area where bar and tea towels differ substantially. Let’s explore how they compare:
- Bar towels are constructed from thick, heavyweight cotton or cotton-polyester blend materials. This dense, tightly woven fabric is very rugged and abrasion-resistant.
- The reinforced edging and sturdy stitching further improve the bar towel’s durability. These design elements strengthen stress points prone to fraying.
- Such rugged construction enables bar towels to withstand intense use, hundreds of washes, and commercial laundering machines. A high quality bar towel retains integrity for years.
- Tea towels made from lighter cotton or linen fibers lack the dense weave and thickness of a bar towel. Without reinforced edging, tea towels are also more prone to fraying over time.
- Frequent laundering and machine drying can degrade tea towels more rapidly than bar towels. Higher quality tea towels may last for years, but most are replaced more often.
- The delicate nature that makes tea towels suitable for fine china also reduces their workhorse durability compared to bar towels.
Key Takeaway: Bar towels are overwhelmingly more durable than tea towels thanks to their thick, reinforced construction that resists heavy use and washings.
Intended Uses
The unique properties of bar and tea towels also make them better suited for different uses:
Common Bar Towel Uses
- Drying glassware, dishes, and utensils
- Wiping down counters
- Cleaning spills
- Polishing glassware
- Covering hot plates
- Grabbing hot pots and pans
- Drying hands
- General commercial kitchen tasks
Common Tea Towel Uses
- Drying glassware and dishes
- Lining breadbaskets
- Lining serving trays
- Covering food platters
- Drying hands
- Decorative display
- Protecting surfaces from hot dishes
- All-purpose home kitchen tasks
While there is some overlap in usage, the bar towel’s durability, absorbency, and basic appearance make it the workhorse for busy commercial kitchens. The tea towel lends itself better to home kitchens where its delicate nature and decorative appeal are beneficial.
Key Takeaway: Bar towels are multi-use workhorse towels for commercial tasks while tea towels are decorative all-purpose towels ideal for home kitchen jobs.
Maintenance Comparison
To get the most life from kitchen towels, proper care and maintenance are essential. Here is how bar and tea towel maintenance differs:
- Bar towels constructed from sturdy materials like cotton-poly blends withstand very hot water, harsh detergents, and commercial washers well. They can be laundered after every use without quickly degrading.
- However, very hot drying can damage even durable bar towels over time. Tumble drying on medium or air drying is best for longevity. Avoiding fabric softener also maximizes absorbency.
- Tea towels require much gentler care. The use of mild, bleach-free detergents and washing in cool to warm water helps maintain the integrity of the lighter cotton or linen fabric.
- Tea towels should be air dried or dried on the delicate setting to prevent damage from heat. Ironing while still slightly damp smooths out wrinkles.
- More frequent washing is needed for tea towels as the lighter fabric shows stains easier. Proper care results in a beautifully usable tea towel for years.
With the right washing and drying methods, both towel varieties can be maintained for optimal longevity. But the heartier construction of bar towels allows them to better withstand frequent, more intense laundering procedures.
Key Takeaway: Bar towels can be washed more vigorously while tea towels require gentle care with mild detergents and air/delicate drying to avoid damage.
Bar Towel vs Tea Towel: Which is Better?
So when it comes down to choosing between bar and tea towels, which one should you use?
Here are some key considerations:
- For a heavy-duty kitchen workhorse that can absorb large volumes of liquid, withstand intense use, and be washed frequently, choose a bar towel.
- If you desire a decorative, softer towel for delicate tasks like drying glassware or want a beautiful design element for your kitchen, go with a tea towel.
- Home cooks that prepare meals in smaller batches likely only need the easy functionality of a tea towel.
- Busy restaurants, bars, cafes and other commercial kitchens will benefit most from the rugged performance of a bar towel.
- Maintaining a supply of tea and bar towels provides the right tool for any kitchen job. Rotate bar towels for dirty jobs and reserve tea towels for finer tasks.
FAQs
What are bar towels made of?
Bar towels are typically constructed from thick cotton, cotton-polyester blends, or terrycloth materials to provide durability, absorbency, and rugged performance.
What are tea towels made of?
Tea towels are commonly crafted from smooth all-cotton fabrics or linen which gives them a soft, delicate texture safe for fine dishware.
Are bar towels and dish towels the same thing?
Bar towels and dish towels are very similar – both are absorbent cotton towels for kitchen tasks. But bar towels tend to be a larger size with reinforced edging optimized for commercial use.
What tasks are bar towels good for?
Bar towels are multi-functional workhorse towels great for drying dishes/glassware, wiping counters, handling hot items, cleaning large spills, and other intensive kitchen jobs.
What tasks are tea towels good for?
Tea towels are lighter-duty all-purpose towels well-suited to drying glassware, lining baskets, covering foods, decorative display, and other home kitchen tasks where a delicate touch is beneficial.
Should bar or tea towels be used to dry dishes?
Either towel can effectively dry dishes. But the supreme absorbency and durability of bar towels makes them ideal for repeated dish drying tasks in busy kitchens. More delicate tea towels are preferred for fine china.
How should you wash and care for bar towels?
Bar towels can withstand very hot water, harsh detergents, and commercial washers but air/medium dry is best for longevity. Avoid fabric softener and wash frequently after use.
How should you wash and care for tea towels?
Carefully wash tea towels in cool water with mild, bleach-free detergents. Air dry or dry on delicate setting to avoid damaging lighter cotton/linen fabric. Iron while damp to smooth wrinkles.
Conclusion
Whether you choose bar or tea towels comes down to the type of tasks, appearance, and durability you need for your kitchen.
Bar towels are supremely durable, absorbent workhorse towels built for intensive commercial demands.
Tea towels offer delicate decorative appeal and gentler performance for home kitchens.
