Dishwashers for the home

Imagine that the average household spends 200 hours or more a year washing dirty
dishes when one of the most valued kitchen accessories—dishwasher—could do it all for
you. Time is one of your most valuable commodities and dishwashers are designed to
save as much as possible of your ever so precious time. Dishwashers now a days also
can save your energy and water costs while maintaining a tidy kitchen.

As the market for dishwashers has expanded, so have the number of features included in them, finding the right model for your lifestyle can at first appear daunting. We have put together this guide to help you find the right dishwasher for you. Just think over 25% of
the homes in the UK now have a dishwasher which now has become one of life’s
necessities.

How to Choose Your New Dishwasher

60cm
The majority of dishwashers sold in the UK are suitable for fitting into a 60cm wide gap, commonly referred to as full-size. These generally have the capacity for 12-14 place
settings and fit into the British standard gap for appliances.

45cm
If space is a constraint, then a 45cm or Slimline option may be a more sensible option.
These have the capacity for up to 10 place settings and may be the only option if you
have a 50cm or less of a gap.

Compact/Tabletop
Finally, there are a number of compact or tabletop dishwashers; these allow even the smallest of kitchens to have a quick and easy way to deal with washing up. They either fit into cabinetry or as their name suggests, will sit on a worktop with a similar size to a larger Microwave Oven.

Integrated, Semi-Integrated or Freestanding?
The most common confusion is regarding integration. There are 3 options, fully integrated, semi-integrated or freestanding. There are two types of integrated machine, both of which will need to be positioned between other units and under a worktop as they are not
intended to be visible from the sides or top.

Fully integrated dishwashers are hidden behind a full height furniture panel, and are
operated by controls on the top edge of the dishwasher door, meaning that when the door
of the machine is closed, no control panel is visible.

Energy Labels

Tests have shown that not all dishwashers will clean your dishes effectively which means
it is worth doing the research since not all dishwashers are the same.

• A machine with average marks, or below, might leave specks of dried-on food behind.
• They won't all dry and rinse equally well either.
• There are also differences in the amount of water and electricity each uses, how
  easy the machines are to use and how flexible they are to load.

All dishwashers are now graded according to their energy, washing and drying efficiency, ranging from very good (A) to very poor (G). It is worth while looking for products that display the efficiency logo. These dishwashers have been identified because they are the most energy efficient and will ultimately save you money.

Some dishwashers are rising to the challenge of the recent scrutiny of efficiency levels,
using digital sensing technology involving the co-operation of several intelligent sensors,
for total management of the dishwashing process. This effectively means that the thinking
is done for you, from the amount of water needed, and water temperature, to the length
and time of the programme. All you have to do is load up, switch on and relax!!


Types of Dishwashers

Different sizes

Standard full-sized dishwashers are 60cm wide. Most hold 12 standard place settings and serving utensils (75 pieces of crockery and 52 pieces of cutlery). The full-sized dishwasher
is the ideal choice for a large family or if you entertain frequently.

Several manufacturers now have models that will fit in up to 15 place settings but they're
the same size as standard machines, so the dishes are jammed in closer and cleaning sometimes suffers.

If space in your kitchen is at a premium, there are two main types of smaller model:

• 45cm, slimline models are about a third narrower than
  standard ones and take between eight and ten place
  settings – plenty for a small household. Although they
  can be a little noisier than bigger models but usually
  clean just as well.
• Compact, or table-top, models (pictured) take four to six
  place settings, aren't much bigger than a microwave oven.
  
  Tabletop are designed to sit on a work surface or draining board.
  Only a couple of brands are widely available.
  Good choice for those who live alone and for holiday homes.
  A good idea if you want to avoid bending down when loading the machine.

Built-in or semi-integrated models

Most dishwashers are freestanding. If you want one to co-ordinate with your kitchen cabinets, you can buy a built-in model (with concealed controls) or a semi-integrated one (where the control panel is visible).

What is a dishwasher in a drawer?

It's a novel idea – a drawer that's actually a dishwasher. One dishdrawer can be used alone or you can have two, stacked on top of each other to fit into the space of a standard full-sized dishwasher. Each drawer washes six place settings.

• Tends to have average wash results but a very long program time – three hours.
• However, according to Which? During a comparison study the dishdrawer gained a respectable total test score of 68 per cent: better than the compact table-top
  models tested, and as good as many full-sized machines.
• The Dishdrawer has a good range of programs (heavy, normal, fast and delicate),
  all of which can be run on normal or economy settings.
• Easy to use and loading it with dishes is simple. The drawer slides in and out easily even when fully loaded. There is a hinged cup rack, which adds flexibility to what
  you can fit in, and the dish basket can be removed for cleaning.
• Dishdrawers uses less water and electricity than a slimline model, but this is
  because it washes fewer dishes (slimline models take seven to nine settings; the Dishdrawer six).
• The Dishdrawer is manufactured by Fisher & Paykel, a New Zealand company.
  It's well designed, and worth thinking about if you can stretch to the hefty £500
  price tag.

Features to Consider in Your Dishwasher.

Program choices

Most machines have a choice of different programs.

Economy programs

These are meant to save water or electricity, but many have much longer program times. Bear in mind there's no standard definition of an 'economy' program and they can work in different ways. One machine's standard program may be more economical than another machine's economy program.

Delicate programs
These are to prevent damage to fine china or glassware. You can also help to avoid
chipping by ensuring china and glass items don't touch any other items.

Lower-temperature programs
These are intended to save electricity or for use with delicate items.

Half-load programs
These save only between 10 and 25 per cent on water and energy – so they're much less efficient than waiting until you've got a full load.

Intensive programs
These are for very dirty loads.

Automatic programs
Some dishwashers tested (including models from Zanussi, Electrolux and John Lewis)
have an 'auto' or 'automatic' program, which manufacturers claim can detect the amount
of dirt on dishes by how much there is in the water. The dishwasher is supposed to change the program length and water and electricity used accordingly.

Although during tests and studies reports came back inconclusive thus we would
recommend not buying a dishwasher based on the fact that the dishwasher has an
automatic program alone.

Indicator lights

Dishwashers need rinse aid, to speed drying and prevent water marks, and dishwasher
salt, to soften hard water. Without them, you could risk damaging the machine.

You don't need to use them each time you use the machine.

When you install your dishwasher you need to adjust the water hardness level setting depending on the hardness
of the water in your area.

Contact your local water board to find out what this level is.
It's useful if the dishwasher has lights to warn you when the rinse aid or salt need topping up.

The most convenient are models that have these on the outside of the machine (or the rim
of the door for built- in models).

Child-safety lock

Dishwashers use strong chemical detergents and scalding hot water, yet few models
have child-safety locks to stop the door being opened while the machine is cleaning.

Delayed Start

Many models have a function where you can set your machine to run, a number of hours
in advance. This can be useful if you have an energy tariff such as Economy 7, which gives cheaper power overnight. Some models don't have a delayed start option but will work with an ordinary timer plug.

Flexible racks and baskets

Not everyone has the same types of dishes and glassware, and not every dishwasher load
is the same, so adjustable racks and baskets can make life easier. The better models have adjustable or removable lower baskets and a height-adjustable upper basket. This means you can fit large plates or saucepans in the lower basket, for example, at the expense of space in the upper one. Alternatively, you can fit tall glasses in the top basket, and have
less space below.

Some models have tilting upper baskets, which make it easier to make the most of the available space.

Some also have a cutlery basket with a removable top. The top has holes in it to separate individual pieces of cutlery. Ensuring items don't touch helps cleaning but can be fiddly to load.

Types of control



Some models have hidden controls, which sit along the top edge of the door. These are concealed when the door is closed, giving a sleek and contemporary exterior. Front-facing control panels also come in different designs.

Buttons, such as those pictured, may be raised or flush to the surface, and some machines have electronic touch pads. LCD displays showing details of the cycle are also common. Some models will be unsuitable if you have sight or dexterity problems. Labels and buttons are sometimes small and cramped, making them hard to read and fiddly to operate.

Anti-flood devices

Many of the dishwashers have devices to prevent flooding should something go wrong.
The best devices are either 'float switches' which detect the presence of water in the base
of the machine and stop the dishwasher filling further, or an 'aqua-stop' which stops any flooding if the hose which fills the dishwasher with water splits or leaks. The hose carrying the water is encased within another hose, so if the inner one breaks the water pressure trapped within the next layer will close a safety value and stop further leakages.

Manufacturers

Care and maintenance

You will need to site your dishwasher as close as possible to your kitchen sink for ease of plumbing. It should be plumbed in before a water softener in order to maintain the performance of the machine.

All dishwashers require you to use dishwasher salt (to help with the water softening
process), rinse aid (helps to reduce drying time and leaves dishes shiny and smear free)
and of course detergent in powder, tablet or liquid form. There are now 'three in one'
tablets on the market but the efficiency of these may vary in hard water areas. Many machines also have 'additive indicators' on the control panel which will show you when
you need to refill the salt or rinse aid reservoirs.

By all means use a dishwasher freshener if you want a fresh fragrance when you open
the door, but it's more important to use a dishwasher cleaner every so often to descale, degrease and freshen. Both will be redundant if you don't take time to clean out the filters where food debris gets caught. They're simple and quick to remove and rinse through.

It's vital to load your dishwasher properly to get the best out of it. Generally the top
basket is for smaller, less soiled items as the spray arm is smaller, leaving the bottom basket for larger and more heavily soiled pieces. Read the manufacturer's instructions
for guidance on loading and for information on items which are suitable or not for dishwashing.

Energy efficiency and the environment

Every dishwasher receives an energy efficiency grading ranging from A - G, with A being
the most efficient and economical. Standardized tests, monitored by Trading Standards,
are carried out across the industry and manufacturers are responsible for grading their
own machines, taking into account water consumption, washing and drying performance.

The issue of water consumption may be of particular interest if you're on a water meter. All dishwashers are cold water fill, and some have time delays so that you can set the machine up to switch itself on during the night to take advantage of cheaper electricity.

All the dishwashers we stock have built-in protection against flooding activated by a
sensor which closes off the inlet valve. Some top of the range machines will detect
changes in water pressure at the top of the inlet hose, and a safety valve will cut off the water supply.

You'll generally find that the more expensive the machine, the better its energy efficiency because energy-saving features have been included. This may make it cheaper to run in
the long term. Top of the range machines also tend to be quieter because they have a
higher level of insulation. You'll also find that your dishwasher uses less water to wash effectively than hand washing the same size loads.