Dishwasher: You Love Clean Dishes – Not Washing Dishes

Dishwasher: You love clean dishes but you hate washing dishes.

Dishwasher – if you don’t have one just yet, maybe there’s a common misconception that washing by hand is much cleaner and easier than using a dishwashing machine.

But, the truth is, water in dishwasher can easily reach its intensive cycles of around 60℃ or greater to kill most of the germs on your soiled dishes. This high temperature is nearly impossible to reach during a hand wash. Your hands might not be able to stand it.

Uses Less Detergent

There is no control over how much detergent you add when hand washing. Compared with dishwater, each wash is portion-controlled, which means you’ll use less of it.

Dishwashers have become a staple in just about every kitchen. Everyone loves to cook but loathes it when it’s time to clean up the dishes. If you can’t afford to have a standard-size dishwashing machine, even a portable countertop can help you with the dirty job.

Here are a few things you must know before you’re buying your first dishwasher or looking for an upgrade:

Different Sizes Of Different Types Of Dishwasher

Dishwasher TypeDimensions (Approximate)
CompactW: 18 inches, H: 35 inches, D: 24 inches
CountertopH, W and D: 18 to 22 inches each
In-sink W: 36 or 42 inches (including sink); H: 21 inches, D: 22 inches
PortableW: 18 inches, H: 36 to 37 inches, D: 24 inches

There are a vast variety of brands, models, and types of dishwasher available in the market. But the majority of them can be categorized as compact, countertop, in-sink, and portable. These dishwashing machines have standard dimensions but there may be a slight variation depending on the manufacturer’s make and model.

So, before you click the button to purchase make sure you have taken measurements of your existing countertop, leaving enough space for plumbing.

For, any unit, ensure you have enough room to work with when the dishwasher’s door is drawn open.

Cleaning Power

You can’t say which dishwasher can clean better than the other. Of course, those on the high end have all the bells and whistles and can do the job much better than a cheaper one.

If you scrape and rinse your soiled dishes before loading them, they will probably be sparking clean disregard for your dishwashing machine brand.

If scraping is too much work for you then your washer has to work doubly hard for you. No worry, most of them have the functions of pre-heat and pre-rinse to get rid of the stubborn dirt that sticks to your dishes.

Introducing Steam

Steam is introduced into the machine prior to the washing cycle. The high temperature of steam and pressure effectively soften the bonds between the grime and your dishes, your grandmother’s old-school soap and water are history.

What the steam does is: the food left on the dishes absorbs the steam and becomes hydrated and the once solids lose their grips on the dishes. Now, a good rinse will wash away the muck!

The extremely high pressure and temperature of the steam also kill all the germs and bacteria as well as sanitize the dishes, which washing by hand couldn’t do. That is more reason to buy a dishwasher today.

NSF/ANSI Standard 184 Certification

If your dishwashing machine comes with this certification, it means that 99.99 per cent of the bacteria would be killed when you operate it to sanitize.

The Certification certified that the final rinse must reach a temperature of 150℉. Those who do not have this certification are most likely not able to kill many bacteria and organisms on the dishes or other objects being washed.

Save Water and Energy

A Freestanding dishwasher
Frigidaire FFBD1831US 18″ Energy Star Certified Built-In Dishwasher Buy Now at Walmart

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It uses about half as much water and a quarter less electricity, the research found.

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Is More Hygienic To Dry With Dishwasher

It’s more hygienic to dry them by the dishwasher itself after your wash than you would have to dry them using a tea towel which is a hotbed of germs. The more you use them the more they harbour germs.

Tub Capacity

The tub capacity is one of the top considerations on your list when you shop for a dishwasher because a large interior allows it to hold more dishes and pots of ranging shapes and sizes.

Choose a size that best fits your needs, and you don’t have to buy a new dishwasher when the old one doesn’t fit in your bigger pots.

LG LDF5545BD LDF5545BD Tall Tub Built-in Full Console Black Stainless

The EasyRack Plus system gives you the ultimate in-loading flexibility with height-adjustable racking and fold-down tines. This dishwasher can easily accommodate dishes of all shapes and sizes.

Get one with a super-capacity or tall tub because it has a similar footprint to a standard tub but it has a larger interior from top to bottom.

Dishwater with a standard tub 24-inch should fit about 10 or 12-place settings in one load, whereas a tall tub in a 24-inch dishwasher should fit 14 or 16-place settings in one load.

LG LDF5545BD LDF5545BD Tall Tub Built-in Full Console Black Stainless Buy Now at Walmart ?

It is quite obvious that a tub made of plastic is the cheaper choice which is quite durable but stainless steel retains heat better.

Adjustable Racks And Shelves

Adjustable or removable racks and shelves add adversity and flexibility in accommodation to a large range of cups, tall pots and pans, and large of tall stems. They can either be lowered or removed to suit your washing. Without flexibility in its racks and shelves, some bigger and taller items will not fit in.

Better Use Of Space And Capacity

Most dishwashers have a standard 24-inch capacity but do you know that a higher-end model can fit more dishes?

The fact is they have less space between tines so more can be fitted in and if you have bigger items, the tines can be folded to accommodate them.

What Does Hard Water Do To Your Dishwasher?

If your dishes are coming out spotty or cloudy, don’t blame it on your dishwasher so fast. Often, it is a sign that you are using hard water and hard water doesn’t lather well with soap, distinctively shown in glassware which doesn’t show its crystal clearness.

One of the methods where you can deal with water hardness is to install a water softener in your home. Or you can add more detergent when you run your dishwasher. It’s essential to follow the dishwashing machine owner’s manual on the amount of detergent to use.

Without treating the minerals in the hard water, soon a layer of the white crust will appear at the bottom of your dishwasher.

To solve these problems, it is necessary for you to use a water softener system to ease the problem of “hard water”.

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Off-Peak Utility Rates

Perhaps you looking for dishwasher model that helps you to save on your electricity charges.

Odd enough, you can do your washing at off-peak hours. But what when you forgot your task at that particular time?

Here’s the Delay Start option which is available on some models. After you have set the delay start, the countdown begins. Don’t worry, during this period before the countdown ends, you can still add items to the dishwasher. Unlatching the door will not cancel the delayed start cycle.

Another reason to delay your washing is that you don’t want to avoid conflict using electricity when the rest of the household is during peak hours. It makes sense because it took about 3 – 4 hours to complete all the washing cycles.

Use This Feature If You Want To Improve On Your Dishwasher Drying Performance

Some models have this AutoRelease Dry feature. The door automatically opens during the last 5 to 15 minutes of the completion of the washing cycle.

Unlatching the door when the temperature has fallen below 122℉ helps to improve the drying performance.

Sure, a lot of moisture will spill out but an internal fan is activated to blow off the steam to protect your countertop from damage.

Use Of Extension 3rd Rack

Some brands have a third utility rack attached to their dishwasher. It serves to clean flatware, cooking or serving tools, and miscellaneous small items.

Choose A Quieter Dishwasher

Always check the dishwasher noise level rating to whether it is within your acceptable level. Noise levels rating is measured in decibels (dB). The higher the dB is, the louder the noise.

But there is no industry standard for measuring dishwashing machine noise. Some measure it during the wash cycle and while some measure it during the crystal cycle.

Having a dishwasher of 44 dBs seems tolerable. If you would compare the noise of a whisper of about 30 dB, normal conversation is about 60 dB, and 95 dB of a motorcycle engine running, so 44 dB doesn’t sound too bad.

But bear in mind that with an increase of only 1 dB, the noise is amplified by 30 per cent louder.

How To Get Rid Of Disintegrated Food Particles End Up Recirculating Inside

It’s gross to see food particulars still circulating around despite several wash cycles.

Check out before you buy your dishwasher whether it is equipped with a Hard Food Disposal. It uses a chopper to break up the food particles and disposes of them so that nothing will end up in circulation again.

If your dishwasher has a filtration system instead of a chopper, food particles are trapped at the bottom of the dishwasher but you have to manually clean it which is quite bothersome and a dirty job.

However, some brands have the dual power of chopping and filtration at the same time.

Sensor Wash To Determine The Best Wash

Some wash took a longer dishwasher cycle than others. How does dishwasher monitor itself on how long a particular wash cycle should take?

Some models are equipped with an optical sensor that helps to detect whether the water has reached the optimum temperature, how much grime the dishes are and how much detergent is in the water.

What is sensed, the dishwashing machine will adjust the wash cycles accordingly for the best wash.


Integrated Dishwasher

With the rising standard of living, most people can afford to decorate their kitchens. The focal point in the kitchen is, of course, the countertop.

Everybody wants their kitchen cabinetry as sleek as possible. If you have a freestanding refrigerator and a freestanding dishwasher it may stand up like a sore thumb!

In that case, shop for an integrated dishwasher that fits beneath the countertop. This provides a neat, smooth, and flush finish that hides the untidiness. A fully integrated dishwasher provides a simple minimalistic style in your kitchen.

Normally, a fully integrated dishwasher has its control panel located inside the top of the door. When the door is closed, the control panels are not visible and the whole dishwasher is concealed within your bench.

A counter-depth refrigerator is just as streamlined and perfectly blends with the kitchen decor. Check out my blog here.

All the plumbing is connected permanently and concealed under the cabinet so you don’t have to worry about connecting it to your faucet every time you use it.

Since they are surrounded by cabinets in your kitchen, the noise level generated by the dishwasher machine is greater reduced and muffled.

Some models allow for a custom-made cupboard door that will blend with the decor of your countertop. It also helps to conceal your dishwasher when closed.

Integrated dishwashing machines are more-or-less remained permanently installed into your countertop’s cavity. If you’re moving house, this integrated dishwasher will most likely remain here.

Can A Freestanding Dishwasher Use As An Integrated Model?

You may think that a freestanding dishwasher can fit in with your existing kitchen units. No, you can’t because they don’t have attachments on the front door for you to fix a kitchen cupboard door.

GE Appliances GDT635HSMSS 24 Inch Built In Fully Integrated Dishwasher Stainless Steel

24 Inch Smart Built-In Dishwashing machine with 4 Wash Cycles, 16 Place Settings, Hard Food Disposer, Steam Wash, NSF Certified, Energy Star Certified, Connects With Amazon Alexa, Connects with Google Assistant in Stainless Steel@generated

Getting the right size for your integrated dishwasher is the most important thing to ensure all the dimensions fit under the countertop. Make sure you leave some spaces for electrical cables and plumbing too.

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A integrated dishwasher
GE Appliances GDT655SSJSS 24 Inch Built In Fully Integrated Dishwasher

24 Inch Built-In Dishwasher with 4 Wash Cycles, 16 Place Settings, Hard Food Disposer, Soil Sensor, NSF Certified, Energy Star Certified, in Stainless Steel This Energy Star Rated Dishwasher with fully integrated control and GE’s most advanced wash system features 65 more wash power The Dishwashing machine is equipped with Bottle Jets to clean hard-to-reach areas inside tall items

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Front Control Freak

Control freaks would love this type of front control dishwashers. They have all the controls visible on the outside front of the door.

A front control model is suitable for your needs if you want the controls as accessible as possible.

You may also like to see the cycle indicator lights. A digital time remaining display shows a quick countdown to each individual cycle.

A Front Control dishwasher
GE GDF630PSMSS 24″ Front Control Dishwasher with 16 Place Settings

GDF630PSMSS 24″ Front Control Dishwasher with 16 Place Settings 3rd Rack Dry Boost 4 Bottle Wash Jets Steam Prewash in Stainless Steel This 24 front-control dishwasher by GE comes with up to 16 place settings and a 3rd rack for cleaning flatware collection It also features Dry Boost option 4 bottle wash jets true half-load wash zones steam prewash and dedicated silverware jets

Front control may not have the aesthetic appeal of that of a top control dishwasher, but you have the convenience to check what cycle is running and how long the time remains.

GE GDF630PSMSS 24″ Front Control Dishwasher with 16 Place Settings Buy Now at Walmart ?


Top Control Dishwasher

Keep your guest amused when you challenged them to find your dishwasher. Chances that they’ll never notice it if you didn’t say you have a dishwasher.

These hidden top controls where controls are on the top of the door, visible only when the door is opened leaving a bare door when it is closed.

Maintaining its minimalistic look, some models do have a readout on the front of the dishwasher indicating the time remaining of a particular wash cycle.

You may make it your choice of a dishwasher because you want a seamless look. The control panels are hidden and these prevent the prying eyes of children who may accidentally push the buttons. The control buttons may be smaller in size but the overall panel looks decent and neat.

A built-In Top Control Dishwasher
Galanz 24-In. Built-In Top Control Dishwasher in Stainless Steel

The Galanz 24-inch top control dishwasher is the perfect combination of outstanding technology and high-quality design. An industry-leading quiet operation of 49 dB makes this dishwasher ideal for small, busy kitchens. The adjustable upper rack allows for the flexible loading of larger pots and dishes.

This dishwashing machine features a water softener option that efficiently removes harmful minerals and salts that adversely affect dishware throughout the wash cycle. Choose from 6 preset wash cycles across premium touch controls. A capacity of 12 standard place settings, a hidden top control panel, and sleek finishing designs make this Galanz dishwasher perfect for any family.

Matching With Your Countertop

Some high-end model has a panel ready to match the other appliances or countertop.

Galanz 24-In. Built-In Top Control Dishwasher in Stainless Steel Buy Now at Walmart ?


Galanz 18-In. Built-In Top Control Dishwasher in Stainless Steel

The Galanz 18-inch top control dishwasher is the perfect combination of outstanding technology and high-quality design. An industry-leading quiet operation of 49 dB makes this dishwasher ideal for small, busy kitchens. The adjustable upper rack allows for the flexible loading of larger pots and dishes.

This dishwashing machine features a water softener option that efficiently removes harmful minerals and salts that adversely affect dishware throughout the wash cycle. Choose from 6 preset wash cycles across premium touch controls. A capacity of 9 standard place settings, a hidden top control panel, and sleek finishing designs make this Galanz dishwasher perfect for any family.

Galanz 18-In. Built-In Top Control Dishwasher in Stainless Steel Buy Now at Walmart ?


Portable Dishwasher

A portable dishwashing machine may be a flexible option for kitchens if you’re living in a rented apartment or if you are lacking in space for an integrated dishwasher. Or you would prefer not to have all plumbing since you don’t live there permanently.

A typical portable dishwasher has wheels so that you can easily glide around to your sink or back to your storage when not in use.

Perhaps it has all the necessary wash cycles to clean your dishes. Always scrape off all solid food scraps from the dishes before you load them into the dishwasher.

You must have close proximity to a hot water supply and a sink to operate properly. It’s better if you have running water of 120-150℉ for an effective clean wash.

Hassle-Free Operation

A portable dishwasher is easy to operate: First, make sure the faucet adapter is securely anchored. Then you pull the hoses and the unicouple out and connect them to the faucet adapter. The unicouple should be pointing to the draining opening all the time. The drain opening is often the kitchen sink.

A portable Dishwasher
Frigidaire 24″ Dishwasher, Black, FFBD2412SB

Depth with Door Open: 49-1/4″. Max. Height: 35″.  Quiet Dishwashing machine, Energy Saver Plus Cycle, Fits-More Capacity, Energy Saver Dry Option, NSF Certified

The unicouple carry two hoses: the smaller one carries water from the faucet and the larger one carries dirty water back from the dishwasher to be discharged into the drain opening.

Frigidaire 24″ Dishwasher, Black, FFBD2412SB Buy Now at Walmart ?


Danby 18″ Portable Dishwasher, White DDW1805EWP

This attractive washing machine comes with a silverware basket, an eight-place settings capacity and four different wash cycles. It’s just 18 inches wide (45.7 cm) meaning it can easily be installed in condos and apartments and the convenient built-in castors allow you to move it around with ease. 

Danby 18″ Portable Dishwasher, White DDW1805EWP Buy Now at Walmart ?


Portable Counter Top Dishwasher

If you’re living alone and you only cook occasionally, you’ll probably don’t need a full-sized dishwasher. A portable countertop or a compact countertop can wash just as much as some dishwasher without permanent plumbing.

The portable counter dishwashing machine is just like the other portable dishwasher that fills and drains through a unicouple that attaches to the kitchen faucet.

Water goes in by one tube of the unicouple into the dishwasher when you plug in, and discharges the dirty water through the other tube into the sink.

Though the size of the portable countertop may limit you to wash plates, cups and cutlery, pots and pans may not fit in. This is the consideration you have to think about when buying a portable countertop dishwasher.

A portable Counter top dishwasher
Magic Chef Energy Star 6-Place Setting Countertop Dishwasher

It features enough room to accommodate up to six standard place settings, making it well-suited for singles, couples, apartments or the office kitchen.

The lack of noise-buffering walls in most portable dishwashers is the reason why they are being much louder.

Magic Chef Energy Star 6-Place Setting Countertop Dishwasher Buy Now at Walmart ?


RCA Countertop Dishwasher RDW3208, White

It comes with six different settings which can easily be programmed and monitored via the electronic LED display. The wash cycles range from soak, glass, rapid, economy, normal, and intensive. Plus, there is an automatic detergent and rinse agent dispenser for your convenience. 

RCA Countertop Dishwasher RDW3208, White Buy Now at Walmart ?


Bottom Line

I’m sure you are now convinced enough to buy a dishwasher. Think of the freed time for cleaning up after meals. They also use less water and the dishes are much cleaner and hygienic than washing by hand. It saves the use of electricity as well.

What type of dishwater you choose will either be a built-in or a free-standing model. But that will depend on whether it suits your budget, the size of your kitchen and what features you’re going after.

Advanced Features

All typical dishwasher can wash well with all the usual options such as load sensing and multiple cycles, but the more expensive models would have more advanced features. Of course, you would love to have specialized wash cycles with targeted sprays for hard-to-clean pans or pots.

Nobody wants their kitchen to look messy and cluttered. If you prefer a clean, smooth, streamlined look you may have a built-in or integrated dishwasher that fits beneath your countertop and is flush with your kitchen cabinetry.

Even though you opted for a freestanding dishwasher, you can still make your dishwasher blend with the kitchen with customized panels affixed to it.

Place Settings

A dishwasher which has 24 inches wide can hold between 12 and 14 standard place settings. Dishwasher capacities are measured in place settings. One place setting will typically consist of one set of dinner plates and bowls, cutlery, a teacup, a glass and a serving bowl.

The smaller dishwasher at about 18 inches wide, can accommodate about 8 place settings, which are suitable for small families.

Clutter-Free

Freestanding units may get in your way and it just looks cluttered. But you save on installation costs unlike the built-in dishwasher is a permanent feature stored beneath your counter and needs special installation. The freestanding dishwashing machine is akin to a plug-and-play device – you just have to connect to your sink faucet and you’re all set to go.

“Do not allow children to play in the dishwasher.”

– a manufacturer’s sticker warned

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