Stop carrying trays up the stairs. A dumbwaiter moves food, crockery, linen, files and stock between floors in seconds — quietly, safely, and without anyone risking a loaded tray on a staircase. IET Solutions supplies, installs and maintains dumbwaiters and small service lifts across Kenya.
About Our Dumbwaiters
A dumbwaiter is a small goods-only lift in a compact shaft, sized for what a person would otherwise carry — plated meals, crockery, linen, files or stock — running between floors in seconds so no one takes it up the stairs.
The main decision is how it’s loaded: a counter-level car sits at worktop height so staff slide trays straight in (the usual choice for kitchens), while a floor-level car suits trolleys and heavier stock wheeled in.
Everything else follows the job — a wipe-clean stainless car for food service, fire-rated landing doors, and a quiet drive our Nairobi team can maintain.
Key Features
Takes the Stairs Out of the Job — trays, crockery, linen and stock travel between floors in seconds, so staff stop carrying loads up staircases.
Counter or Floor Level — load at worktop height for kitchens, or at floor level where trolleys and crates are wheeled straight in.
Stainless, Wipe-Clean Car — stainless steel cars built for food service and hygiene routines, and easy to keep clean.
Fits a Compact Shaft — a small footprint that fits into existing buildings, often without major structural work.
Quiet Enough for Service — runs quietly, so it works in a dining room, ward or library without intruding.
Serviced Locally — a Nairobi maintenance team keeps it running, with servicing available under a maintenance contract.
Specifications
| Capacity | 50 – 300 kg (typical: 100 kg for food service) |
| Car size | Compact — sized around trays, crates or trolleys, typically 500–1,200 mm wide |
| Speed | 0.3 – 0.5 m/s |
| Travel | Typically 2 – 5 stops |
| Loading height | Counter / window level (worktop height) or floor level |
| Drive | Traction or hydraulic |
| Doors | Manual or automatic vertical bi-parting; fire-rated landing doors available |
| Car finish | Stainless steel; removable shelves; wipe-clean surfaces for food service |
| Controls | Simple call-and-send push-button at each landing |
| Safety | Door interlocks (car cannot move with a door open), overload detection, emergency stop |
| Compliance | EN 81-3 (electric and hydraulic service lifts / dumbwaiters) — goods only; no rider |
| Power | Single-phase or three-phase, by model |
Capacity, car size and loading height are chosen per site; confirmed at survey.
Where It Fits
How We Deliver
FAQs
What is a dumbwaiter?
A dumbwaiter is a small goods-only lift that carries items — not people — between floors. It runs in a compact shaft and is used to move plated food, crockery, linen, files, medical supplies or stock, so staff are not carrying loads up and down stairs all day.
Can a person ride in a dumbwaiter?
No. A dumbwaiter is built for goods only and nobody should ever ride in it — including children. It is not designed or certified to carry people, and the doors and controls are built on that basis. If you need to move people between floors, you need a passenger or home lift.
What size dumbwaiter do I need?
It depends on what you carry. Food service usually runs at around 100 kg — enough for trays, plates and crockery — while heavier stock, crates or a small trolley may need up to 300 kg. Tell us what goes in it and how often, and we size it at survey.
Should it load at counter height or floor level?
Counter or window level suits kitchens and service counters, because staff slide trays straight in without bending. Floor level suits trolleys, crates and heavier stock that get wheeled in. It is the main decision on the page, and it shapes the shaft, the doors and how the lift feels to use.
Is it suitable for food?
Yes, when specified for it. We supply stainless steel cars with wipe-clean surfaces and removable shelves, so the dumbwaiter can be cleaned as part of your kitchen routine and stand up to a health inspection.
Ready to Get Started?
Tell us what you’re carrying up the stairs, and we’ll size the dumbwaiter that ends it. Request a quote or talk to an engineer today.
Kenya Office
B67, 6th Floor, Valley View Office Park, City Park Drive, Parklands, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254 725 000 052 · +254 116 003 009