Which dishwasher should take its rightful place in the kitchen?

How would a modern person manage to do everything without high-quality household appliances? According to statistics, after the stove, refrigerator and TV, the most important for us is, of course, the dishwasher. One can argue here, but the fact remains: many people prefer to exchange their unloved daily work for a convenient device that will take care of all the worries. And here the question already arises: which dishwasher to choose, so as not to miscalculate in terms of quality, price and other useful functions?

Basic selection options

When making a decision, rely on how many people in your family are present and how often you eat at home. That is, we are interested in the question of how many plates you collect per day. If, say, there are four of you, and you eat three meals at home, plus one snack for each, then we get 16 plates. This is the starting point for our countdown.

But that’s not all. Do not forget that there will be more utensils from cooking – pots, ducklings, salad bowls and so on. We will not take into account glasses and mugs – for them, spoons and forks, a separate "floor" is provided (except for compact models – they have only a small shelf).

Now, in order to decide which dishwasher to choose for a family of 4, you will have to deal with the mysterious term used by manufacturers: “dishes set". In fact, the set of dishes includes the following plates: soup, for the second, pie, saucer. To all this there is also a cup, two spoons, a fork and a knife. That is, one set is 4 plates.

Since we have calculated the consumption of 16 plates for our imaginary family, we will load 4 sets, add a couple of salad bowls and a couple of pots here and go to a hard minimum: we need a dishwasher for 6 sets of dishes. And this is taking into account that you will turn it on every day. If you suspect that you will be lazy, then take a model with a margin – for 8-10 sets, then you can wash the dishes every two days. By the way, be sure to read the instructions on how to properly load the machine, and do not leave unwashed dishes in it for more than two days.

Built-in dishwasher or standalone?

Both built-in and freestanding appliances have their advantages. The last dishwasher will have a larger internal usable volume, despite the fact that it will take up the same amount of space as the built-in one. The latter, in turn, additionally dampens the noise level, and simply merges with the rest of the furniture, which is sometimes important when looking for an interior solution.

Let’s go through the dimensions of dishwashers

There are three main lines of machines in height: standard – 85 cm, reduced – 60 cm and compact – 45 cm. Dimensions are approximate, for each manufacturer they may vary by several centimeters. The compact models can be placed on kitchen countertops and are easy to mount and remove, making them ideal for singles and small families. By the way, about 5 sets of dishes (without pots and other things) fit in such a dishwasher.

If you are deciding which dishwasher to choose, 45 or 60 centimeters wide, then here you need to return to the point where we figured out how many sets of dishes you plan to load. The high (85 cm) machine with a width of 45 cm holds up to 9 sets of dishes, which is quite enough for a family of four.

Let’s not forget economy

Water consumption in liters depends on the selected mode and on the volume of the dishwasher. To reduce this consumption, each manufacturer comes up with additional features, for example, the Half Load program, Express Wash, load sensor, and so on. Do not forget also that dishwashers are very convenient to run at night or during your absence. And this implies that your model must have an AquaStop leak protection system, which will 100% protect your home from flooding.

In order for the detergent to dissolve completely, there are also methods of their own: “Automatic 3 in 1” systems – recognition of the type of detergent, special placement of water supply nozzles, and so on. To save salt you will be helped by electronic determination of the level of hardness of water.

Main functions

If you decide which dishwasher to choose, Bosch or Siemens, you will surely come across the fact that the set of basic programs for both manufacturers is almost the same, so it’s better to rely on previous indicators and on the cost that you can afford. Bosch is considered a more expensive and reliable brand, Siemens is a little cheaper and less well thought out.

Additional functions

A dishwasher is a fairly well-thought-out modern unit, but in the fight for the consumer, manufacturers will always find what else can be improved. For example, a timer with an advanced delayed start program will allow you to postpone the start for up to 24 hours. "Gentle Wash" is a special program that will not allow hot dishes to be doused with ice water, which can cause plates and glasses to crack. Child lock, door closer, additional boxes, complicated water supply arms, Eco washing programs… All this will make your communication with the dishwasher even more convenient and enjoyable.

How do users rate technology?

In the question of which dishwasher to choose, user reviews can help.

When choosing a car, it is worth considering all its characteristics, its own financial capabilities and the reputation of the manufacturer. And there is no doubt that you will be satisfied with the very fact of buying this unit.