dishwasher virgin needs advice!

[mollysmum82]

My folks were over at the weekend and my mum said she calculated the time we spent washing dishes to be 3 hrs 45 minutes (...she is prone to exaggeration) So she has offered to give us some money towards a dishwasher for Christmas (bless her).

I am a complete novice when it comes to dishwashers though (well most things technical, lets be fair) so I wondered if you had an useful tips for buying my first one?

Do you get what you pay for where dishwashers are concerned? They range anywhere from £150 to £1000+ how much would you say is a reasonable amount to pay for one which cleans well and lasts long? Is it worth going for a big name (hotpoint etc) or are the lower budget ones just as good? Ideally I want one where you don't have to rinse the dishes first as this seems to defeat the object for me! Finally, can I get away with a slimline one if I'm feeding 3 and cooking from scratch at least once a day?

Many thanks in advance!

[BaroqueAroundTheClock]

I used to have a slimline Zanussi- it was ok, but not great (and died)

Current one is a full sized Bosch which is very good.

I've never rinsed first - I just scrape excess food off into the bin and then bung in.

I'm going to hazard a guess here and say that you'll be recommended either Bosch or Miele (sp) on this thread

[Winetimeisfinetime]

I have a Miele and would recommend it. I have had other brands - Smeg, Bosch, Hotpoint etc and think that the Miele is the best of the bunch.
It was one of the cheaper ones in the Miele range, but washes really well and I don't usually bother rinsing things before putting them in.
We are also a family of three and I cook from scratch at least once a day and I would struggle with a smaller dishwasher so I would say if you have the space, then go for a full sized one.

[flamingpants]

I also highly recommend a bosch. Think about the important things like if you live in a small house you probably want a quiet one, or a quick wash etc. I recommend joining Which? even just for a month as they will really help you assess the different makes and qualities objectively.

I'd say a slimline one is probably pushing it for that size family.

You won't have to rinse although there is the odd thing that gets too crusty for a quick wash (I never leave wheetabix on anymore).

Also, be prepared, once you've had one you'll never want to live without one! Secondly be prepared for a new thing to fall out over...who will unload the damn thing!

[AMumInScotland]

I have a Bosch - it was about £300 IIRC, and is extremely quiet which was a big feature for us as we are open-plan, though it may not bother you if you can just shut the kitchen door.

No need to rinse anything, just scrape off the loose stuff, or you will have to clean the filter at the bottom all the time which is where all the gunk settles.

There are 3 of us and I run it once a day - slimline would not be big enough for us I think, or at least we'd have to run it more often.

Take a look at the racks etc and make sure they are quite flexible, so you can set them up for the sorts of dishes you use most - eg mine has folding bits which would let you put small plates in the top if you didn't have many glasses/mugs that wash.

[ChippyMinton]

Another Bosch fan here.
Slimline tend to be about the same price as a full-size, and don't save that much space. We had one for a while, better than nothing, but in the end I moved the washing machine out of the kitchen to make space for a full size one.
Depends if you put you pots & pans in it, and how often you will run it.

[MrsJohnDeere]

Miele if you can afford it.

I've had Bosch, AEG, and Whirlpool and they weren't half as good as Miele.

[ChippyMinton]

Check the size of your dinner plates, to make sure there is space for them.

[doireallywant3]

we have a miele - i love it. it has a very effective way of arranging your dishes/glasses. cutlery which I like (being more than a little OCD). definiteyl worth spending a bit more on one. if yuo're in a hard water area i def recommend using occasional dishwasher cleaner product and salt.

[BiscuitNibbler]

Had a Hotpoint, it was useless and died quite quickly. Now have a lovely Bosch, which is quiet, cleans well and is quick.

[craftynclothy]

We've just ordered our first dishwasher . We went to John Lewis, fully intent on buying a Bosch after reading many threads on here. When we were there the guy on that department gave us loads of advice, knew his stuff and said there wasn't much difference between Bosch and Siemens, so in the end we bought the Siemens as it worked out cheaper than the Bosch for pretty much the same model and it came with a 5yr guarantee rather than a 2yr one.

My sister has a slimline Siemens and loves it, she has herself, her dh and 3 kids (late teens/early twenties). We've gone for a full size though as there wasn't much difference in price and it means it fits in the space where the washer currently is.

[mollysmum82]

Thanks so much ladies! Well I took all your lovely advice into account, read a bit of Which, drooled at a Miele...and then decided I couldn't afford it so bought a Bosch! It arrives later today and I can't contain my excitement (quite sad really...)

[alypaly]

i have a family of 3 and a slimline one is great. Mine is a Bosch...its really reliable.
depends how much space you have.