What do you need in a dishwasher

Sandtree

Our current integrated dishwasher came with our home and despite being Bosch it really isnt very good and is very noisy... dont know how old it is but I know the kitchen as a whole was done 8 years ago or so that may be a good guess.

Having been looking at the catalogues and I am mildly depressed to say I seem to be acting the same with dishwashers now as I would have acted with computers or cars a decade ago and getting “excited” about the potential extra features of the next model up each time. So, as not to simply go out and buy the top of the range option; what features does a dishwasher need?

Volume - 41-44db (or a 38db extra quiet programme) is the difference at this level noticeable? All are the same brand so should have equal level of honesty/optimism

Wifi connection - seems a bit of a luxury but always annoyed that how much longer it has to go is a complete unknown which this would solve

Internal Light - our kitchens a bit dark, time will tell how the remodelling will do on changing this but could be useful to quickly glance to see if things are clean or where the tea spoon you dropped went

Extra programmes - things like a “pasta programme”... I know starchy foods can be a pain for dishwashers but do specially named programmes like this really make a difference?

Auto-open - slightly opens at the end of the programme to aid drying of the items inside... logic sounds good but never had one that does this nor remember dishwasher items being very wet

Integration - all of the ones Ive looked at are fully integrated, I know with washing machines this comes at both a premium and at a cost of poorer operation (eg smaller capacity). Is the same true of dishwashers? I assume not but dont know.

Neil_Jones

Re: db levels, have a look at this chart from noiselimiters.co.uk:

Of course the acoustics/make up of the kitchen aid or abet the noise levels - if its small, pokey, echoes and you can hear bread crumbs falling on the floor, the dishwasher sound will be amplified too.

Wifi - well you'll know its done as it'll stop making noises.

Internal light - we have these amazing devices called torches that do the same job

Programmes - depends on your choice of model.  You could always pre-soak in the sink beforehand.

Integration - depends on the kitchen.  If you mean built-in, there are freestanding dishwashers around, but the basic principle is the same - connect to a cold water tap and a drain.  You can get some that sit on the countertop but they'll be able to hold less stuff to wash.

Sandtree

Neil_Jones said:

Integration - depends on the kitchen.  If you mean built-in, there are freestanding dishwashers around, but the basic principle is the same - connect to a cold water tap and a drain.  You can get some that sit on the countertop but they'll be able to hold less stuff to wash.

Yes, there are the three options:
Free standing - see all of the front of the dishwasher itself
Semi-integrated - most of the front is covered by a fake short cabinet door and kickboard but a few inches at the top is the dishwashers control panel
Fully integrated - the front is all covered by cabinet door and the controls are on the top edge of the door instead

I know with washing machines and even more washer driers, where you only get the first and last options, the capacity and options on integrated units are much lower than free standing but they are more expensive.

For dishwashers the differences seem much smaller and if anything the built in ones can have extra features (eg the knock to open if you’re going for handless design) but don’t know if there is more to it than the spec cards would suggest

debitcardmayhem

I went through the agony of choosing a dishwasher for my wife some 25 years ago, in the end I went for a pair of marigolds, a brush and some fairy liquid, the best thing about that choice was the silence, she didn't speak to me for 3 days, then the agonies started with the constant nag after the silent time. Moving on to the current times circa 5 years ago we re-modelled the kitchen and went for a siemens which is fairly quiet (to my ears) although sometimes there is the stainless steel bowl which gets loaded into the lower shelf and it sounds like heavy rain on a tin roof. The siemens we have has a timer light which projects the time left onto the floor, the cat had lots of fun trying to catch that. It also has an internal light which is nice to have , along side the floor display it beeps when finishes. It has a few programs too but generally we use auto , hot for heavy pan / dish loads, and the light setting which is we use for glasses, cups and plates.(I find it benefical to rinses and brush food off before loading). The best thing I have found for dishwashers is Fairy Platinum capsules much better than Finish/Supermarket powders/tablets. Over the 25 years we have had a Neff(left behind when we moved) A Bosch until the aforementioned Siemens.The old IoT chestnut is something I feel is currently worse useful than a chocolate teapot, in most cases you will end up needing a very expensive router(which I have but for mesh purposes) rather than the ISP's supplied one for the 100+ smart thingies you have.

EssexExile

• Noise is important if your kitchen is open to living areas, 44dB is quite a bit louder than 41dB. Actually it's twice as loud but then we get into the linearity of the human ear and it gets complicated.

• I don't see the point in wi-fi. When it's full you put a tablet in and turn it on. You're next to it so pressing the button is easy.

• Internal light - you pull everything out onto the door to load/unload, you don't need a light.

• Extra programs - most people have a favourite program they use for everything.

• Auto open - different dishwashers use different methods of drying. The best ones make the crockery/cutlery/whatever hot and the tub cold at the end. The moisture evaporated off the hot things and condenses on the tub and runs down into the drain. Opening the door would stop this working. In other words they only have an opening door because they didn't dry very well to start with!

• Integrated dishwashers are more or less the same as freestanding but without the casing, and cost more.

I have a fairly new Bosch, it's almost silent, it has a cutlery tray at the top which is brilliant. It has about 6 programs but I only use intensive because it's the one that gets everything clean. I'm amazed it's still working after a few years as it's made in Spain and when I worked in the business that wasn't a good sign, perhaps things have changed.

Nebulous2

As far as I'm concerned the answer is Bosch. We went on holiday about 25 years ago to a house with a dishwasher and came home wanting one. We bought a Bosch that could have stripped paint, and it lasted for over 20 years. We replaced it with another Bosch which uses less water / electric and has a long eco wash which we generally use. Noise doesn't matter as we run it overnight as the Eco setting takes about 3 hours, but it isn't noisy. They aren't all good though, they make so many that they are bound to make some turkeys. My parents had a Bosch one which was so rubbish they rinsed everything before putting it in the dishwasher. It's important to check reviews for each individual model. 

We also have a Smeg, though it might have died. I've never taken to it. We drink a lot of water from pint glasses, and there is nowhere to stand them without a risk of them falling over and filling with water. It has a strange control panel with flashing lights that flash all the time rather annoyingly. You pick a programme by cycling through the flashing lights, which is a bit of a faff.  Leaving it on at night doesn't work well either, as everything is damp in the morning, where it isn't with the Bosch. 

In summary - important issues for me:- Does your crockery fit? Are the controls straightforward to use? Is it economical? Will it actually wash and dry your dishes? 

Range of programmes - slow eco overnight. - quick wash if you've forgotten to put it on and want some stuff quickly. Hot wash for heavily soiled stuff. Do you really need any more than that?  

Emmia

We've got a slimline integrated bosch - it apparently has wifi (they all do these days) but it's pointless/redundant as we haven't connected it to the network or an app.  It has a light feature which beams the remaining time /cycle stage on the floor.

I'd go for a cutlery tray over a basket as it's more space efficient and quicker to unload.  Noise wise, I find ours quiet but this will depend on the layout of your home and how sound travels.

getmore4less

Cutlery shelf at the top, extra intensive wash arm at the bottom, wine glass rack. 

Check the sizes of what can be put in, gaps between shelves can vary a lot and a lot large plates won't fit with larger items like pt glasses on top shelf. 

Ended up with a Beko. 

It came with a foam strip that is installed around the bottom to seal with the floor reduces noise a lot. 

Choice of tablets make a big difference on the cooler eco) washes.
Fairy platinum deals with tea stains better than cheaper options.
Same with previous one we had.

Read the manuals before making final decision.

Integrated version. 

https://www.beko.co.uk/a-integrated-dishwasher-self-cleaning-everclean-filter-din29x20

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/dishwashing/dishwashers/beko-pro-din29x20-full-size-integrated-dishwasher-10166517-pdt.html

IvanOpinion

getmore4less said:

Cutlery shelf at the top, extra intensive wash arm at the bottom, wine glass rack. 

Check the sizes of what can be put in, gaps between shelves can vary a lot and a lot large plates won't fit with larger items like pt glasses on top shelf. 

Ended up with a Beko. 

It came with a foam strip that is installed around the bottom to seal with the floor reduces noise a lot. 

Choice of tablets make a big difference on the cooler eco) washes.
Fairy platinum deals with tea stains better than cheaper options.
Same with previous one we had.

Read the manuals before making final decision.

Integrated version. 

https://www.beko.co.uk/a-integrated-dishwasher-self-cleaning-everclean-filter-din29x20

https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/dishwashing/dishwashers/beko-pro-din29x20-full-size-integrated-dishwasher-10166517-pdt.html

That is the same model as we ended up with.  Seems to be well built and very quiet, in fact apart from when it is pumping out we generally only know it is on by the red light shining on the floor.

Sandtree

So this is slightly embarassing.... after the Mrs complained again yesterday evening about the dishwasher not cleaning things at all I decided to have a look and found a tea spoon sticking up out the filter that was blocking the lower arm from spinning. Reran over night and its back to its mediocre performance so still needs replacing but a little less of a priority.

EssexExile said:

• Noise is important if your kitchen is open to living areas, 44dB is quite a bit louder than 41dB. Actually it's twice as loud but then we get into the linearity of the human ear and it gets complicated.

DBs are one of those things that I know “is complicated” but beyond that struggle to really predict how much real world impact it will be or imagine how loud something is... we have an open plan kitchen/living room and with the current machine the TV has to be turned up from “12” to “22” to be able to continue to hear dialogue clearly over the noise.

getmore4less said:

Check the sizes of what can be put in, gaps between shelves can vary a lot and a lot large plates won't fit with larger items like pt glasses on top shelf. 

The ones we are looking at have a height adjustment for the top shelf so you can have it lower to fit tall glasses on the top shelf or higher to fit really big things on the bottom shelf. I was slightly concerned with the cutlery tray at the top that it’d take valuable height but with the adjustments I think it will be ok.

EssexExile said:

• I don't see the point in wi-fi. When it's full you put a tablet in and turn it on. You're next to it so pressing the button is easy.

In principle I agree, and the only immediate benefit I can see is seeing the time left or being really lazy and being able to turn it on from bed if you forgot to do so before getting in (this doesnt justify the extra cost to me). 

The only caveat is that our oven came with wifi and I was equally dismissive of that but its proved more useful than I thought... changing cooking times for a programmed function when we’re out and our plans change. For slow roasting meat thats internal temp based rather than time and getting a notification when I am out in the workshop so cannot hear it beep. Or similarly if the steamer runs out of water getting the notification to refill the container etc. I just cant think of any parallels for a dishwasher.

wongataa

Sandtree said:

DBs are one of those things that I know “is complicated” but beyond that struggle to really predict how much real world impact it will be or imagine how loud something is... we have an open plan kitchen/living room and with the current machine the TV has to be turned up from “12” to “22” to be able to continue to hear dialogue clearly over the noise.

How about putting a sound level app on your phone and using that to measure how loud your current one is at various positions in the room.  That should give you an idea.