Buying a dishwasher for your kitchen is not a straightforward as you may think. Sure, most dishwashers will do the job of cleaning cups, plates, and other dinnerware. However, there are plenty of other considerations such as configuration styles, smart features, sanitization options, and so much more that can make your next dishwasher the best decision you’ve ever made – if you know what to look for.
At Appliance Palace, we want you to be certain that the appliance you choose will live up to your expectations before you buy it. So we’ve picked our experts’ brains to learn everything our customers should know about dishwashers before browsing our vast inventory of high-quality appliances. That way, you’ll be able to quickly and efficiently narrow down your search to the features and functions you need – or didn’t know that you needed.
Before You Buy
The last thing you want on delivery day is to find out you can’t use your new dishwasher. Let’s go through some basic housekeeping tips to determine which models are compatible with both your preferences and your installation space.
- Measure the Space: Take the height, width, and depth measurements of the cutout where you want your dishwasher to go. For built-in units, remember to leave clearance on some sides to ensure easy installation and leave room for things like rear hoses and electrical cords. A good standard to go by is 2-3” behind the unit and ⅛” on its left and right sides. Since the door fully opens at a 90-degree angle, make sure to leave at least 27” of clearance in front of the door.
- Electrical Hookups: Take stock of where outlets are in relation to the dishwasher’s installation space and if your preferred model has a power cord long enough to reach it.
- Water Hookups: If you are purchasing a built-in model, ensure you have a water line nearby and your model’s hose can reach it. Freestanding units will have a hose adapter for your sink.
Installation Types
When it comes to dishwashers, you have three options for installation: Built-In, Portable, and Countertop. Each type has its own benefits and tradeoffs, so consider the following before deciding which is best for your home and lifestyle.
Built-In Dishwashers
- High-End Aesthetics: Built-in dishwashers are integrated directly under your countertops. Since they are a permanent installation type, they are built with durable materials that will keep them operating at peak efficiency for close to 10 years.
- Drawer Options: Select luxury brands like Fisher & Paykel offer drawer-style built-in dishwashers for a true half load! Both single and double drawer options are available, and their top-loading designs require even less door clearance than standard units.
- Designed to Match: Finish options for built-in dishwashers coordinate with other major appliances from their respective brands, allowing you to get a matching stainless steel suite or blend into cabinetry with a custom panel exterior.
- Increases Home Resale Value: Long-lasting built-in dishwashers that coordinate with the rest of your kitchen appeal to home buyers and can boost the sale price a few percentage points if you ever decide to sell your property.
- Permanent Installation: Replacing these dishwasher types will be more expensive to replace since they are built directly into your undercounter area and require professional installation.
Portable Dishwashers
- Comparable Full Size Capacities: Many portable units can handle the same load capacities as their built-in counterparts.
- Conserves Cabinet Space: Portable dishwashers are equipped with rolling casters, allowing you to easily slide them into another room or deep closet when not in use. This is especially convenient for tiny kitchens and apartments.
- Prevents Sink Usage: Portable dishwashers’ hoses connect to a sink for their water supply, preventing you from using the sink for anything else while a cycle is in progress.
- Can Be Used as a Prep Counter: When the door is closed, a portable dishwasher can be used as a mobile workstation to place small items off of your kitchen counters.
Countertop Dishwashers
- Compact Design: Countertop units fit a handful of place settings, perfect for bachelors or couples with minimal washing needs and kitchen space.
- Conserves Cabinet Space: Like portable units, these dishwashers preserve counter space and can me moved somewhere else when not in use. This type is even more convenient for mobile homes and campers with limited storage space for a full size portable dishwasher.
- Prevents Sink Usage: Countertop dishwashers’ hoses connect to a sink for their water supply, preventing you from using the sink for anything else while a cycle is in progress.
Configuration Types
Configuration refers to the control panel placement on a dishwasher. When deciding on a configuration, it is important to first consider how you intend to use your dishwasher and your preferred integration style. Let’s go through the basics of each to narrow down your selection.
Fully Integrated Dishwashers
Fully integrated designs place the dishwasher controls on top of the unit’s door, concealing them from view. This is a high-end configuration style that enables many dishwashers to be panel ready, allowing you to equip them with a custom door matching surrounding cabinetry. Fully integrated dishwashers tend to have at least a few other luxury-grade features such as Wi-Fi connectivity and automatic water softener dispensing.
Semi-Integrated Dishwashers
Like fully integrated units, semi-integrated dishwashers conceal controls on top of the door. However, a digital display screen is still present on the front of the door. This lets you tell the status of your cycle at a glance.
Full Console Dishwashers
Full console dishwashers have all controls and displays on the front of the dishwasher door. These tend to be the most affordable dishwashers thanks to their simple designs without all the bells and whistles of luxury-grade appliances.
Interior Options
While most dishwasher interiors were traditionally designed with plastic, many models in both the luxury and budget-friendly categories now come with stainless steel interiors. While stainless steel might jump the baseline price a bit, it has several advantages that can make it worthwhile.
- Odor-Resistant: Stainless steel is non-porous, preventing unpleasant food odors from lingering even after cleaning.
- Superior Heat Tolerance: Stainless steel can handle higher water temperatures than plastic, allowing their sanitization cycles to pass NSF certification.
- Less Noisy: Stainless steel dampens vibrations from the motor as the dishwasher runs a cycle, minimizing ambient humming in an otherwise quiet kitchen.
- Stain-Resistant: Stainless steel has a thin layer of chromium oxide which prevents food and drinks stains from remaining on the interior walls, allowing you to easily wipe them away without leaving behind any discoloration.
Noise Levels
Most brands will provide noise level (dBA) information in their dishwasher specification sheets. If a consumer is concerned about a dishwasher disturbing an intimate soiree or if the unit is located in an apartment where the kitchen is closed to a bedroom, dBA is an important consideration. Here’s a simplified description of what various dBA ranges sound like.
- 35-40 dBA: This dBA range is no louder than a quiet conversation in a silent kitchen. You most likely won’t hear a cycle running from a different room.
- 40-50 dBA: This dBA range is similar to washing your hands in the sink or a small fan running. You’ll hear a hum, but not enough to drown out conversation.
- 50-60 dBA: This dBA range is a bit on the loud side for dishwashers. It’s similar to an air conditioner unit running or an animated conversation.
Premium Features and Design Elements
Modern dishwashers have numerous features and design elements to help you tailor cleaning to your personal needs, including:
- Adjustable third racks provide a safe area for small utensils and bowls to be laid horizontally, providing excellent wash coverage without fearing them being damaged by larger cookware.
- Tall tub designs offer an additional few inches of vertical tub space, letting you load tall stockpots and full-size baking sheets with awkwardly angling them or removing racks.
- Automatic detergent dispensing systems release cleaning solutions at the exact right time during the cycle for them to be the most effective. Select luxury units from brands like Miele include accessories with enough for multiple cycles, so you don’t need to reload detergent for several wash sessions.
- Adjustable tines fold at any angle to optimize loading or can be flattened to create additional space, allowing you to fit any assortment of items.
- Hard food disposer models come with stainless steel blades that chop and flush away food particles, relieving you from having to clean out a smelly, grimy filter after each cycle.
- Half load cycles minimize water usage by concentrating wash power in either the top or bottom half of the dishwasher tub. The most efficient half load cycles are performed by drawer dishwashers since they have their own dedicated half-size wash tubs.
- NSF certification ensures high temperature wash cycles on your unit effectively kill 99.999% of germs and microbes.
- Smart Features and Wi-Fi Connectivity add hands-free functionality to your dishwasher, letting you operate it by means of a smartphone app or even your voice.
Smart Dishwashers and Wi-Fi Features
Whether it’s your phone to your Bluetooth speaker, your computer to your TV, and now even with appliances, the era of “smart” and “connected” devices is going strong. However, most people are not sure of the difference between smart appliances and connected appliances.
Smart Dishwashers
“Smart” refers to intuitive operations initiated by the dishwasher unit when certain sensors are triggered. An example of this is Miele’s Knock2Open feature, which opens a fully integrated dishwasher door approximately 4” when you knock on the front panel twice. Another is Bosch’s AquaStop™ which automatically cuts off water intake when a leak is detected to prevent flooding in your kitchen.
Connected Dishwashers
“Connected” refers to Wi-Fi compatibility. Connected dishwashers can access the internet to download updates, send notifications to your smartphone, allow the manufacturer to perform remote diagnostics, let you operate the dishwasher with your voice using a smart home manager, and so much more. One of the most impressive modern examples of this is the Miele@Home mobile app. From your smartphone, you can schedule automatic cycles, measure water softener levels, reorder accessories like detergent, and even receive consumption data that measures your utility usage.