An essential appliance

The modern kitchen cannot function without a dishwasher. Can you imagine your plight on the morning after an evening of intense partying? When you see all those plates and utensils lined up for cleaning, the last thing you want is to stand for hours and clean them. With a dishwasher in your kitchen, the cleaning can be done without any problem. The task will be completed more efficiently and much faster and you can simply go about completing the other chores that are lined up for you.

Choosing your dishwasher

Installation

Like most large household appliances for the kitchen, dishwashers are either free-standing or fitted. Fitted models blend in with your kitchen better and the door can be covered with a trim that matches the style of the room. Integrated models go even further, with concealed control panels that can only be accessed when the door is open. In this case, the dishwasher is perfectly integrated. Make sure that the dimensions of the model fit into the space where you plan to install the dishwasher in your kitchen. If you intend to install your dishwasher in another room, or if a perfect match with the style of the rest of the kitchen is not important to you, then free-standing models offer the advantage of being independent and easier to move.

Number of place settings

The number of place settings expresses the capacity of your dishwasher. Make sure you choose a model that meets the needs of your household. Remember that the greater the capacity, the higher the water consumption. Very few models are capable of adapting their water consumption to the load.

Water consumption

Water consumption, which is directly determined by the quality of design and the capacity of your dishwasher, is an important factor to be taken into consideration. Modern models consume so little water that they are sometimes promoted by environmental organizations as a means of saving water, compared with washing the dishes by hand. In addition to protecting the environment, low water consumption also drastically cuts the cost of use. To make optimal use of the water, here are a few tips: always remember to select a cycle that is suited to the dirtiness of the dishes, only use the dishwasher when it is fully loaded, or purchase a model that allows you to choose to wash only a single rack.

Noise

Dishwashers are often installed close to living areas, so the level of noise they make is another factor to be borne in mind when making your choice. This also applies if you plan to use the delayed start function in order to benefit from off-peak electricity rates.

Look at energy efficiency

Energy efficiency is another important consideration for purchasing dishwashers. As per the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, 80% of the energy consumption for washing utensils is spent on heating the water. However, if you buy an energy efficient dishwasher (one that has water heating capability), you can save more than 20% of this energy consumption. Also consider dishwashers that can recirculate the water and reduce its consumption when washing dishes.

Make sure you are comfortable with the controls

Dishwashers can become highly complicated depending on the type of controls they have. There are some dishwashers that work on a single button and there are some with an array of fancy buttons, most of which don’t make any sense to you. Pay particular attention to the number and purpose of the buttons so that you have a dishwasher that you can operate without any problems. And while you are looking at the buttons, also pay attention to the LED display. Find out whether the display makes sense to you or not. Remember that a dishwasher is a long-term investment and you need to choose just the right appliance.

2 advanced features you will love

Many of the modern dishwashers now come with 2 advanced features that could be extremely useful for you. The first feature is delayed start. With this feature you can use the dishwasher when the energy consumption at home is lower, viz. when everyone is asleep at night. The second feature goes hand in hand with this feature and it is noise reduction. You don’t want the dishwasher to wake everyone up when it starts working at night. The noise reduction feature should be helpful here.

Dishwashers with adjustable racks

Some of the modern dishwashers also have adjustable racks. If you have utensils of various sizes, this is a feature that can prove to be extremely helpful. 

Stainless steel tubs

Finally about the tub. If you want your dishwasher to last longer than the average machines, it is a great idea to choose one with a stainless steel tub. The stainless steel tub is not only more durable, but is can also dampen the sound more than the other dishwashers.

Which dishwashers for which use?

In most of the cases, you will opt for a standard dishwasher. The standard here is in terms of size. Some of the top dishwashers that you can buy include Omega DW300XA, Bosch SMS50E32AU, Miele G4220UCS, Smeg DWA315 and LG LD1484T4. These are all freestanding dishwashers with different features and functions that you should go through.

If you are looking for a dishwasher that can installed below the kitchen countertop, look for some of the models available from Fisher & Paykel and Ariston.

The dishwashers that have the steam facility don’t need you to pre-wash the utensils (as you read earlier). These dishwashers are able to do the pre-washing using a fast jet of steam and make life even easier for you. Two models worth looking at in this category are the LG 14 Place True Steam Freestanding Dishwasher and the LG LD1454TFES2.

If you are looking at a dishwasher with the delay start feature, consider the Bosch SMS50E32AU and the Miele G6160SCVI Fully Integrated Dishwasher.