If you’ve never experienced the convenience of owning a dishwasher (the actual appliance, not the derogatory slang for your wife), then you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s such a great thing not to spend 45 minutes after each meal hand-washing all those dishes. Dishwashers today are very good at super cleaning your plates, even if they aren’t “prewashed” first.
Dishwashers from 25 years ago were ok, but they required a lot of prewashing first and had very few styles and features to choose from. Today you can shop for a variety of styles and colors, ultra quiet, and water conservation features. You can get built-in units and portable dishwashers.
Most dishwasher brands now have water and energy-saving features available. Built-in dishwashers are designed to fit under your countertop, and most kitchen designs automatically assume you’ll have a space for the dishwasher (usually right next to the sink). Noise used to be a big problem in older models; today, you can buy ultra-quiet models that have better, thicker insulation to prevent rumbling in the main basin.
Dishwashers come in the standard colors of black, white, and cream, but you can also get models that allow for special front panels that allow it to blend perfectly with the surrounding kitchen cabinets. We advise getting door springs that can handle the extra weight of the wood panel. Expansion springs work better than flimsy expansion coils. If this is a feature you need, be sure to verify the dishwasher has that option, as many models do not.
FEATURES TO LOOK FOR
Adjustable Racks – Flexibility in the placement of racks and fold-down tines will allow for the cleaning of larger items and more options in dish placement.
Multiple Wash Settings – Ideally, you’d have at least 3 settings: light, medium, and heavy wash. Most people use the heavy setting as a default, butit’ss unnecessary if the dishes aren’t heavily soiled. The option of double wash cycles is also good, with 2 detergent compartments for a fresh soaping each time.
Energy Saving Cycles – In today’s environmentally friendly world, we should look for appliances that save on water and electricity. Most appliances have the EnergyStar guide that shows you how much you can save with each particular model.
Water Filters – The water filter is what eliminates the need for prewashing in today’s modern dishwashers. Some filters need to be removed and cleaned, or replaced from time to time. You’ll pay more for good water filters, but it’s the most important feature of dishwashers today.
Delay Start – This is handy when your dishwasher makes a little more noise than you’d like. Like a coffee maker, you can set it to run at a later time when you aren’t around.
Covered baskets – These are handy for keeping smaller utensils and dishware from blasting around the dishwasher during the high-pressure cycles. The basket keeps them contained and safe from the spray arms.
Portable Dishwashers
Some kitchens are too small to have a built-in dishwasher, or perhaps the homeowner doesn’t have the funding to completely remodel their kitchen cabinets in order to make space for a built-in dishwasher. In these cases, you can get a portable dishwasher. These are also good for small apartments and lofts. The good news is that they can be cheaper than the built-in models, but also have fewer features.
Portable dishwashers are generally smaller than built-in units, although since they fully stand alone, they are often taller than other units and come with a variety of countertops on their own. Since they are often small, they can be stored in a pantry or closet when not in use to keep them out of the normal traffic flow. Portable dishwashers work by wheeling them in and out of the room, hooking hoses up to your kitchen faucet, and plugging them into a standard electric outlet.
Conveniently, most portable dishwashers can be converted to a standard built-in unit later if you get the urge to remodel your kitchen. You would need to remove the top and side panels and also get the necessary conversion kit to fit the electrical and plumbing connections to permanent modes.
