The Sticky Truth About Egg White Foam (And Why Bartenders Are Over It)

Every bartender who’s ever worked a busy Friday night knows this pain. The last guests have left, the lights come up, and you’re staring down a lineup of coupe glasses glued with stubborn egg white residue. You rinse, you scrub, you curse — and the next morning, the glasswasher smells like regret and scrambled eggs.

The reason is pure kitchen chemistry. When you rinse egg white foam with hot water, the proteins in the egg denature and coagulate. In plain English, that means they cook. The same process that turns a clear egg white into a firm white omelette happens right there in your sink. Once it cooks, it clings. The foam hardens onto glassware, filters, and drains, gumming up everything from bar towels to dish racks. And because it’s organic matter, it can also start to smell — fast.

On top of that, egg proteins mix terribly with heat and detergent. Most commercial glasswashers use hot rinse cycles, which means every foam-coated glass turns into a microscopic breakfast. The buildup isn’t just gross; it can block jets, clog drains, and leave that telltale haze that even polish cloths can’t save.

That’s exactly why so many modern bartenders have moved to Cocktail Foamer. It gives you the same velvety texture, the same glossy, camera-ready finish, but without the post-service punishment. The foam rinses clean, doesn’t solidify under heat, and leaves no lingering residue in your glasswasher. It’s one of those small upgrades that changes your entire close-down routine — less scrubbing, less swearing, more time to clock off and actually enjoy the night.

Egg whites had their era. But in 2025, nobody has time to cook omelettes in their glasswasher.