I tested dishwashers for over 5 years – here’s what I learned
As GH’s resident household advice editor, I’m constantly keeping my ear to the ground for the latest decluttering hacks and cleaning solutions. But, before all that, I worked in the GHI, starting out as a Junior Tester.
I tested all manner of appliances for the Homes team day-in day-out, from washing machines to kettles and slow cookers. But one appliance I always held a fascination for was dishwashers. While this might surprise you, there’s more to dishwashers than meets the eye. Once you know what features to look out for, and how best to use it, it really can make a difference to the overall performance; saving you from the occasional dirty dish or giving you extra space for items in the first place.
Want to know what I’m talking about? Here’s seven things I’ve learned in five years of testing dishwashers.
What I've learned from testing
AN OVERLOADED WASHING MACHINE WILL LOSE BALANCE
THERE'S A RIGHT WAY TO LOAD A DISHWASHER
1. Always check the baskets before you buy
While the baskets for dishwashers look very similar to one another, I can’t stress how different they really are. I’ve seen this first hand as I’ve used the same plates to test a wide range of dishwasher models. In some, the plates sat a decent distance apart; far enough for the water to flow through effectively, but in others, they’re more tightly packed, to the point that you hear them making contact from the edges as you slide in a full lower basket.
The only answer for this is to look at the layout and the quality of the lower basket before you buy. You want a generous capacity from your dishwasher, but not to the point that it impairs the performance by crushing items together. Consider the thickness and the spacing between the tines and check it’s appropriate for your plates too. I’ve previously purchased a new set of dinner plates, only to find they’re too thick to fit between the regular tines – this really impacts how much I can wash at once. If you’re washing different shapes of dinner plate, they should never make contact or ‘nest’ with one another once stacked. Water always needs to flow through.
2. Third racks are fantastic
I was sceptical when I first tested a dishwasher with a third rack. I figured it would only add to the loading time and remove available space in the dishwasher, all for a similar result. How wrong I was!
A third rack sits above the upper basket. It’s intended to hold cutlery and utensils, but some are now deep enough even to fit glassware and smaller items.
The first benefit is it keeps items separate, which can be difficult in a cutlery basket (even with the dividing lid in place). It prevents spoons from ‘nesting’, where the bowls stack on top of each other, impairing the wash. A third rack can hold a lot of cutlery too; I used to fit a full capacity’s worth with ease, leaving the basket below unnecessary, and as such, more space for plates. A third rack gives you another level for utensils too, plus it’s easier to load at this height compared to the basket.
My only fault would be, depending on the spacing between the tines, cutlery with thicker handles may not be suitable. A cutlery basket would be the only option in these cases. This is only a small flaw though, so a third rack is still on my list of essentials when purchasing a new dishwasher.
3. Use the Eco setting where you can
We’re all trying to be more sustainable and save money with our appliances, so why don’t we use the Eco setting? The Eco setting can be found on all dishwashers. It saves money by using less water and energy, at a trade-off for a longer cycle. It achieves this by having longer to wash, so it doesn’t need to heat the water so much. Naturally, the performance isn’t as strong as the regular cycles, particularly the intense cycle which tends to reach 70 degrees. But, we should still make use of the Eco setting where we can to take advantage of the savings.
In my experience, the Eco setting works fine for removing light, everyday food residue. It only becomes inappropriate where you’re dealing with burnt pots and pans or items with heavy residue. Avoid the Eco setting in these cases, because you don’t want to have to run additional cycles on top to fully clean the load, or hand wash sporadic items separately. Always consider if you’re using the right cycle before you run a wash; each will be phased to suit what it’s intended for. For instance, glassware will be more gentle compared to the normal cycle, while the half load option can save you some money if the appliance is only half-filled.
4. Make sure there’s clearance
Always check there’s clearance between each of the baskets and racks before running a cycle. If tall items in the lower basket block the spray arm (found under the upper basket), the cycle will fail and it will be a waste. If items in the upper basket catch the third rack or the top of the machine, you won’t be able to close the basket, or items will catch and fall over, and not be cleaned properly. This was a common problem during testing where we filled the dishwashers to full capacity.
Adjust the height of the upper basket if necessary. Some of these can be lifted to different heights via levers on the sides, but others may need to be removed completely and refitted at the right level.
Dishwasher dos and don'ts
5 DISHWASHER SETTINGS YOU SHOULD USE AND 2 TO AVOID
BAD HABITS TO BREAK WITH YOUR DISHWASHER
5. Dishwashers can’t always fit their capacity
Within weeks of testing, I soon learned that not all dishwashers can fit the capacity that they claim. During testing, each dishwasher would be filled based on the number of place settings recommended. Some would fit it all, but others would leave several plates leftover. That’s why the capacity accuracy is included as part of our scoring.
While this makes little practical difference when purchasing a dishwasher (you usually wouldn’t be filling it to such an extent with each use), the place setting capacity can help guide you on how much your dishwasher can fit. Each place setting usually includes one dinner plate, side plate, soup bowl, glass, teacup and saucer and corresponding cutlery.
Slimline dishwashers tend to hold between 8-10 place settings, while full-size dishwashers will handle 12-16 place settings. Shop for a higher number if you’re dealing with a lot of dishes on a regular basis.
6. Water and electricity consumption really does vary
It might sound obvious, but it’s important to mention. Water and energy consumption really varies from machine to machine as well as from cycle to cycle. Generally speaking, the intensive cycle consumes more compared to the normal and eco settings, while the eco setting is naturally the more sustainable of the three. In our testing, however, we’ve seen some models use an extra five litres of water to complete the same cycles. While energy can fluctuate by as much as 20% or more.
If you want to check the energy efficiency of your potential dishwasher, always compare the energy label with similar models. This shows you the overall energy class as well as the energy consumption per 100 cycles (based on the eco setting) and the water usage per cycle (again with the eco setting). The noise rating is handy to check too if you prefer a quiet kitchen. Of course, you can check out our list of the best dishwashers to find the top performers too.
7. Hold onto the funnel
Every dishwasher comes with a plastic funnel for adding dishwasher salt to the reservoir at the base of the machine. These often go missing after the first time you use your dishwasher, but you must keep it safe and sound. It makes the process much easier and keeps the salt from being spilled onto the floor, which encourages rust and must be rinsed or wiped away immediately.
Funnels aren’t easy to replace if you lose them and they can have slightly different shape and size depending on the machine too, so it’s not a one size fits all situation. I keep mine next to my rinse aid and dishwasher salt at home, so I know exactly where it is.
As you can imagine, funnels could easily get confused with one another when we were testing multiple dishwashers, so we had to be strict on keeping each with the rightful machine at the GHI.
You Might Also Like
