Once seen as a luxury, the dishwasher has become a mainstay in most Australian households. Those without one: how do you do it? As a working mother I’ve found the more tasks I can outsource to machines the better, I’m still looking for a robot that changes nappies and carries my tantruming toddler out of the shops under its arm like a surfboard.
Washing dishes is the literal worst, a meal has been cooked and eaten gratefully by your loving family (ha!) and now before you can finally crawl into bed the kitchen mess awaits in silent judgement just like your mother-in-law during your wedding ceremony. All joking aside, if you want to buy a new dishwasher and the rows upon rows of candidates lined up in the shops are overwhelming you, read on and start your dishwashing journey on a note of empowerment.
Even though the time savings of using a dishwasher are enticing enough, the potential water saving using a dishwasher instead of filling and emptying your sink multiple times a day can’t be ignored, doing our part for the environment and outsourcing a tedious task to a machine? Count me all the way in.
Types of Dishwashers
Before buying a dishwasher go and have a look at your kitchen. Consider the space. Do you have a space with water connections and a drainage point designed for a dishwasher to go in? That’s a great start! How do you want your dishwasher to look? Below are the main types of dishwasher and who they’re best suited for.
Freestanding Dishwasher
Freestanding Dishwashers can be installed anywhere where there’s space, water connections and a drainage point. They come with a worktop and don’t need to be built in anywhere (although generally they can also be built in as well). They come in a range of sizes to suit most spaces, and are great for renters because you can take it with you each time you move house.
Best for: Renters, those without under-bench space, would suit most households.
Built-In Dishwashers
Built-In Dishwashers come in a range of options. They’re installed in the under-bench space in your kitchen and can be built in sitting snugly in your dishwasher space with no gaps with just the door showing, or you can even get fully integrated models with a front panel that matches your kitchen cabinetry for a completely seamless look.
Best for: A clean, seamless look (you won’t even know it’s there!)
Dish Drawers
Dishdrawers are built into a drawer like space and slide out at about waist height like a drawer. They take up less space however that means they don’t fit as much in them. There are double Dishdrawers which have the option to run both or only one drawer at a time for added versatility. These are really good for people using less dishes or those who don’t want to bend down, however for them to work properly they do need to be packed carefully.
Best for: Singles or couples, people with mobility issues.
Additional Features
There are a range of additional features available in new dishwashers. Here’s just a few to open your mind to the possibilities:
A Third Rack
Many dishwashers will come with a third rack, a smaller rack on top of the other two used for utensils and cutlery. This frees up space in the rest of the dishwasher where the utensils and cutlery basket would usually be.
Automatic Door Opening
Some people like to open their dishwasher doors at the end of the wash cycle to let the steam out, dishwashers with this feature will do it for you. Worth it for the little smile you’ll do every time you witness it open on its own.
Adjustable Rack Heights
Many models will allow you to adjust the height of the top rack allowing you to wash awkwardly shaped or tall pots and pans on the bottom or taller glasses on the top.
Comfortlift
Some Electrolux models have a feature called Comfortlift where the bottom rack pivots and lifts up when pulled out so you don’t have to bend down to load and unload the dishes. This feature is a real wow factor when showing your friends and family!
Steam
Steam is the new trend in dishwashing where the dishwasher will use high pressure steam jets at various stages of the wash cycle to loosen food scraps or remove bacteria.
Delayed start
The option to delay the start of the wash if you want to - if you prefer to wash overnight you can stack the dishwasher and set it to start after you go to bed, easy peasy.
Quiet option
If you’re the kind of person who is easily bothered by noise then many new dishwasher models are super quiet, much quieter than your groaning partner who agreed to do the dishes if you cooked dinner and now very much so regrets that choice.
Hot Final Rinse
A super hot final rinse to kill germs! If you’re like me and you shower in water that’s skin meltingly hot you can give your dishes the same treatment.
Just like all appliance purchases, the right dishwasher will fit in seamlessly as if it was always there. Now you know the various types of dishwasher and just some of the endless cool features available, you can approach the rows upon rows of potential candidates with an idea of what you want in your mind and be on your way to dishwasher heaven. Or at least a clean kitchen, am I right??
