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From freestanding to integrated models, these are the best dishwashers to make your life easier
Congrats! You’ve made the wise choice to break up with the kitchen sink and get a dishwasher instead. Now, you’re wondering which of these helpful kitchen appliances to buy, with energy efficiency, cleaning capacity and space to factor into your decision.
First things first, narrow your search to freestanding or integrated models. If you want your dishwasher to go beneath the counter without any fixtures, then you may be considering a freestanding model. Integrated models on the other hand, are designed to be built into the kitchen unit instead. Alternatively, if you’re strapped for space, slimline and tabletop dishwashers are worth looking into.
Then there’s the appliance’s capacity to think about. A dishwasher with 12 “place settings” could wash all the kitchenware from 12 meals for one, or all the kitchenware from three meals for four people. The larger your household, the more place settings you would want to wash.
Energy efficiency is also an important consideration, both for the planet and your budget. You can gauge how eco-friendly your dishwasher is by looking at an appliance’s energy rating, which is given as a letter from A to G. We recommend opting for ones with a grade B or C (very good), as following a change to the energy rating system in early 2021, an A-grade is rarely awarded at this moment in time.
These dishwashers were tested with a variety of washing loads, in-keeping with their advertised place settings capacity. These best dishwashers were assessed on their dishwashing performance, distinctive features and specifications. Here are our top picks.
Combining a host of innovative features with great reliability, the Bosch Serie 6 SMS6EDI02G is a dishwasher to please just about every user. We loved the machine’s extra clean zone, an area inside the dishwasher with a higher concentration of water jets, great for cleaning off stubborn dirt. And the speedperfect+ feature, which senses the dishwasher’s load and adjusts the wash settings accordingly, was a stroke of genius. Thanks to its WiFi connectivity, this dishwasher can be operated via an app on your smartphone, wherever you are too.
Boasting bounteous wash settings and adjustable shelving, the Samsung DW60M5050FW is one of the most versatile dishwashers we’ve encountered. We were particularly impressed with this machine’s height-adjustable shelves and fold-down prongs, which make it possible to fit just about any dishwasher-safe item inside the machine. If you like to use oversized dinner plates or platters, this dishwasher could be the one for you.
Another highlight of this machine is the beautiful, light-blue LED display interface – although having said that, it may take users a little while to work out the meanings of all the symbols shown.
Neat, sleek and highly effective, the Zanussi ZDM17301WA is our favourite table top dishwasher. We were particularly impressed with its minimalistic design and snazzy digital display – considering these appliances tend to be kept in highly visible places, aesthetics are important here.
In terms of dishwashing performance, it’s effective and impressively versatile. And the 20-minute quick wash mode comes in handy when a few items need cleaning fast. However, tabletop dishwashers do have some common disadvantages, and this Zanussi model is no exception. In particular, bear in mind that this dishwasher is not especially energy-efficient, and it can only wash six place settings at once – fine if you live alone, but large families might want to opt for something bigger.
Read more about this table top dishwasher in our round-up of the best
If you’re looking for a dishwasher that won’t gobble up too much valuable space in your kitchen, the Indesit DSFE1B10SUK would be a great choice. Measuring just 45cm across, this appliance is only three-quarters the width of a standard dishwasher.
Considering its narrow design, this can handle an impressive amount of kitchenware in a single wash, with enough space for 10 place settings. What’s more, the dishwasher cleans effectively and quietly. Our only criticism would be that with a duration of 40 minutes, this machine’s “quick wash” isn’t all that speedy.
You really don’t have to break the bank in order to get a quality integrated dishwasher. Consider the Hotpoint HIC3B19C. This high-performing appliance offers a great choice of settings, user-friendly controls, and superb cleaning performance, all for less than half the price of some of the other dishwashers we’ve tested.
The one major downside to the HIC3B19C is its energy efficiency rating: a lowly F grade. However, there is much to be said for a dishwasher that brings many of the benefits of a high-end dishwasher at an affordable price.
This could be just the dishwasher to solve your kitchen layout conundrum. A slimline integrated dishwasher, it’s been designed to be built into a 45cm-wide kitchen unit. Fixed to a custom door matching the rest of your kitchen, this dishwasher can blend seamlessly into its surroundings.
In terms of dishwashing performance, highlights include automatic load sensing and water adjustment, and very quiet performance, with a noise level of just 44dB. Just be conscious that this dishwasher’s capacity of nine place settings might make it a little too small for larger households.
Smeg has done the unthinkable here, and made a dishwasher that is genuinely lovely to look at. The DF13FAB3CR borrows design elements of Smeg’s classic, mid-century fridges, from its beautifully curved edges to its smart, metallic details. If retro style is your thing, then this is surely your dream dishwasher.
Of course, it can’t just sit around looking pretty all day. It also does a solid job of washing the dishes, with features including a residual drying system and a 27-minute quick wash mode to make the user’s life easier.
The only potential sticking point is the price, yet this model flew off the shelves. But fear not, you haven’t missed out on your own stylish cleaning assistant it’s coming back in stock soon – sign up now to be notified when it is back.
Here’s a truly excellent freestanding option from Hisense. The HS661C60WUK is one of the most energy-efficient dishwashers you can buy in 2021, with a high-tech motor, eco wash programme and auto-dry functionality all contributing to the savings.
The best news from a practical standpoint is that it can wash an extraordinary amount of kitchenware at once, with capacity for loads of up to 16 place settings. If you have a big, hungry household, or if you have a penchant for hosting lavish feasts, this dishwasher would be our recommendation to you.
There are many factors to consider when scrolling the dishwasher market for the perfect fit for your kitchen – dishwashers come in a variety of sizes, styles, and capacities. The four main types of household dishwashers are: integrated, freestanding, slimline and tabletop.
An integrated dishwasher is designed to be built into your kitchen to match the existing décor of the rest of your kitchen cabinets. Their main benefit? Fitting neatly beneath the countertop and giving back control over the space’s interior design using wooden doors or panelling over the dishwasher door.
Freestanding dishwashers are standalone appliances designed to stand anywhere where there is access to water and drainage, for example, in the kitchen or a utility room. These dishwashers offer simple flexibility as they can be installed and moved with ease.
Slim by both name and nature, slimline dishwashers, integrated or freestanding, have a narrower design than standard dishwashers with a width of around 45cm – 15cm thinner than the average model. They typically wash between 80-100 items and make the perfect choice for those who are short on space.
Similarly, to portable washing machines, tabletop dishwashers sit on the kitchen counter saving crucial surface space and draining into the sink. As with an average size dishwasher model the small appliances save time washing up so you can kick your feet up while it washes small loads of six-eight place settings.
Dishwashers these days are much more energy efficient. Assuming you utilise eco-cycles and only run a fully loaded dishwasher, using a dishwasher could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be an eco-friendlier choice than hand-washing. As dishwashers can wash more in a single wash, they use less water so there is not only less waste from rinsing plates, but they also require less energy to heat up.
On 15 March, the government delayed plans to increase the energy price cap by 20 per cent. Previously intended for 1 April, this increase will now not take place until at least August, making it easier to explain how much a typical dishwasher costs to run. In The Wash, a British website that specialises in the costs of domestic washing, says the average dishwasher consumes 0.91 kWh of energy to clean a typical load. With the current price cap set at 34p per kWh, this means the average dishwasher load costs 31p. If used once per day, this equates to about £2.17 per week.
The cost of water also needs to be taken into account. According to In The Wash, the average dishwasher uses 10.68 litres per wash, which currently costs about 3p, taking the daily usage cost to about 34p, or £2.38 per week if used daily.
These statistics can vary though, with more power- and water-efficient dishwashers potentially costing just 20p per wash, or £1 a week. However, it is worth remembering that more efficient dishwashers tend to cost far more upfront. Lastly, the cost of dishwasher tablets and other cleaning products can vary from 8p to around 27p per wash, according to In The Wash.
Unfortunately, it’s not just about how it looks in the kitchen. Dishwashers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and widely varying price points. It’s important to think about the space in your kitchen to decide between a freestanding, slimline or tabletop dishwasher. Love cooking for and hosting a large family? A freestanding or integrated model washes the most place settings in one go and could be the best fit for you.
If this large family includes young children keep an eye out for dishwashers with a quiet mark. These keep noise levels down by using brushless motors that won’t disrupt the open floor living of today. Generally, dishwashers running at below 49dB will fade into the background noise.
To invest in an environmentally conscious appliance, look out for eco settings. Eco programmes wash dishes using around 30 per cent less energy as the water is heated slowly over a longer washing cycle making it more energy and cost-efficient.
Thanks to its superb, innovative features and excellent core dishwashing performance, we’re naming the Bosch serie 6 SMS6EDI02G our best buy. This appliance scores highly on just about every criterion, from energy efficiency to user-friendliness.
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