A Dishwasher. Is it worth it ?

[JDarvall]

Sorry. More kitchen questions.

On the weekends I'm sady the cleaning lady. Wife does tons of cooking for her little business, and I spend most of that time washing up and watching kids.

Doing a kitchen up at the moment. Thinking maybe its worth getting one. Never had one before. Are they more trouble than their worth ?

[jmk89]

Jake

If you have pots and pans with food stuck on, a dishwasher isn't much help - to get them clean you really need to wash by hand. Dishwashers do plates, cups and glasses and cutlery well and handle 'wet' cooking utensils (eg mixmaster bowls), but they struggle with anything that is 'baked on'. They also use qite a lot of water and power to do their job.

However, for the cutlery and crockery that a family generates during a normal day, they do a good job and so they cut down on the washing for the day.

[JDarvall]

Thanks Jeremy.

Too much baked on in her kitchen. Won't worry about it then.

[jmk89]

I would design a space for a dishwasher and install the electricity and plumbing, evenif I wasn't going to install one now. Put doors and shelves and a falso bottom in the space for the dishwasher and then you can install one easy-peasy if you change your mind (also is a selling point if you sell the house that the kitchen is set up for a dishwasher)

[JDarvall]

Ta. that makes sense. I'll run it by her.

[czzer]

A GOOD dishwasher using GOOD powder should have no problems removing baked on crud...I know ours gets everything off.

We never had a dishwasher until we rented a house with one a few years ago. It was a godsend! When we bought our first house it didn't have one, and going back to washing things by hand was a nightmare. One of the number one requirements when we recently bought a new house was that it absolutely had to have a dishwasher...we could never live without one now.

[bitingmidge]

yes.

It's worth it.

Although a good few years ago, I arrived home late one evening to see our aged dishwasher on the footpath.

Thinking it must have died, I enquired of my beloved.

"If they (referring to our three little angels) won't stack it, I've told them I'd get rid of it, and they can wash up from now on!"

And they did, for a good two years thereafter. Every dish and pan.

After that, we got a new one, and never had an argument about stacking it again.

It'll cut out 75% of your baking washing up anyway, but don't get a cheapie.

P

[Ironwood]

I've always had one in the houses I've lived in for the last 18 years. Couldnt and wouldnt live without one. We use the 'Finish' powerball tablets (detergent) they seem to get most things clean.

For really baked on stuff, they just get a bit of a soak before going in, to soften it up a bit.

[munruben]

We have had 3 over the years and have mixed feelings about them. They definitely don't get some things as clean as hand washing and comparing to washing by hand, they are slow. If everyone did the right thing and washed up by hand immediately after using the crockery and cutlery it would be much quicker than the machine but that would be in a perfect world and it just doesn't happen. Dishwashers are here to stay but they are not the complete answer to washing up unfortunately. They are a plus when you are trying to sell your house, most people want a dishwasher.

[JDarvall]

Thanks....ok..... so which dishwasher brand should I get you think ? There's still some of that end of year bonus left.

So they need hot and cold water as well as power right......so, I'm guessing I should plan the plumbing for it as well. Do they hook up under the sink there where the sinks mixer connects........and I spose I'll have to put a power point in the dishwasher bay (or whatever that areas called) as well.

[bitingmidge]

Hook 'em up under the sink allow for hot and cold water.

The waste goes through the sink trap.

Don't put a power point in the recess, put it in the cupboard beside the dishwasher recess, so you can get to it if you need to, and also so you can fit the dishwasher in the recess!

Any of the weird European brands you've never heard of are terrific, AEG, Bosch, Smeg... basically anything you can't afford!

The Fisher and Paykel Dishdrawer has a great following as well, and lets you do two loads separately. I'd look to one of those next time based purely on rave reviews from customers who have them.

cheers,

P

[Clinton1]

I have one and never use it.

The water and power that they use and the stacking time kind of outweigh the effort taken to wash up.

just my opinion.... but they seem to be a waste of time compared to the "time saving" that they generate.

[jmk89]

I agree with BM - Bosch (and the other European brands) are very good. Our Bosch has done good service for the last 3 years.

[Bleedin Thumb]

Mate after a good meal, a couple of glasses of wine....who in their right mind would want to wash dishes?

We lived without one for 7 years until the kitchen reno.

Living without a dishwasher is like getting hit over the head with a bottle.....you can get used to it...but its nice when it stops.

[bitingmidge]

The water and power that they use and the stacking time kind of outweigh the effort taken to wash up.

just my opinion.... but they seem to be a waste of time compared to the "time saving" that they generate.

I'll race you to wash up after a dinner party for eight then eh?

You can load and unload the thing in shifts too, so that by the time you've finished dessert, all the main course dishes are done!

Years ago, the body of opinion was clear that you used much less detergent, power and water using a dishwasher. I haven't seen any latter day stats though.

I suggest using Hot water, if it's ok with your machine because it's cheaper to pump preheated water in, but the difference is marginal even over a year.

Cheers,

P