Do you have 2 dishwashers? Or regret not having 2 dishwashers? Come and talk to me!

[GappyValley]

First world problem alert 🚨

We are currently doing a once-in-a-lifetime kitchen extension and redesign.
This is the last part of the refurb of our forever family home which we bought as a bit of a wreck so very keen to get it right so I never have to have builders set foot in the house again..!

We have seen quite a few kitchen companies, and half of them have suggested getting 2 dishwashers, suggesting it’s up there with a boiling water tap as a family essential.

The company we’ve ended up going with for the kitchen was Team OneDishwasherOnly but I am now having buyers remorse and wondering if I should ask them to incorporate a second one into the design.
It would mean sacrificing some cupboard space, but I’m wondering if that’s worth it?

We are a family of 4, and love cooking, having people over, doing big roasts, so can envisage times when we would need both
But can also see that for the majority of the time, we wouldn’t

Arghhhh

I have a dishwasher the has two compartments a top and a bottom which is fantastic because when ones on I can still stack the other

We got two dishwashers as a family of three

@TheKeatingFive

We got two dishwashers as a family of three

Buy another and have one each ?😏

Well we’re now a family of four. But two is perfect.

[quote Wexone]@isthismylifenow newer dishwashers are far more environmentally friendly and use water and energy conservately. It takes more effort to heat the water to wash by hand than it does to heat the water for a dishwasher. Its also far more hygienic to use a dishwasher. Also you should never rinse your plates to put in the dishwasher you should alswys scrape the plates if they need to in the bin . you are only wasting water. However unless you are feeding 20 people a day i still dont see the need for two dishwashers[/quote]
Its not just about using the appliance though is it. That appliance still has to be made, transported, disposed of when it is no longer usable etc.

I am all for learning to live better, but I just cannot get my head around why someone needs two of the same machine for household use. Most new machines are made to be loaded with more items than when they originally came out, like washing machines, now take 7kg as standard instead of 5kg, dishwashers have pull out trays for cutlery so you can put more dishes in etc.

I am still not with team2dishwashers even after all these posts.

I am all for learning to live better, but I just cannot get my head around why someone needs two of the same machine for household use.

In our case it saves us time and effort loading and unloading, and that’s valuable to us. Others have different priorities.

We’re a much less gadgety house than most overall, we drive an old car, so it really is horses for courses. Definitely improved our lives though.

@isthismylifenow alot of factories have done huge amounts of work to reduce their carbon footprint etc , pls they provide employment etc in the countries the are made. All old machines are now ( and should be) taken off to be recycled. I would agree i wouldn't have two dishwashers don't see the need but as @thekeatingfive says its the priority of that house and they value that over something else. We are all different. I send my bed linen to the local laudrette to be ironed, my mother balks at the idea and is like do it yourself, but to me it takes up so much of my time to iron etc that it helps my life so its worth it. Each to their own

I have one dishwasher and since finally realising that there was a quick setting, one is enough for me. I wouldn't be without my boiling water tap, chest freezer or walk in larder though.

You mentioned garbage disposal up thread.... we have one, it was here when we moved in.

They are great but in 6 years we have been through 3 of them. They aren't particularly robust! ....they've had a leak, motors burn out.... etc so just keep in mind you may need to replace it!

Thanks @cancancan

Is there anything in particular that burns them out or is it just wear and tear?

I briefly lived in the US, and they are ubiquitous there - even the smallest flats have them as standard, so I’m always quite surprised at how uncommon they are in the UK
Not sure if it means we have better or worse plumbing?!
Or just a higher tolerance for scraping slimy vegetables out of plug holes

I have 2. One in the outside kitchen and the other in the pantry off the dining room. It works for us as we’re a large family who a
So like having extended family and friends around to eat with us and when the machines need replaced one of them will be a catering sized machine.

Two dishwashers? Whatever for? You have already answered your question by saying you don’t think you’ll use it often. We have one and I hate loading and emptying it

The whole point of having two dishwasher is that they do not need to be fully unloaded.

Assuming you use roughly the same things each day, you would use clean things as require from the clean one and add dirty dishes to the other one. Once the other is full, set it running, put away whatever is left in the clean one ( or just leave them) and start filling that one with the dirty dishes as they are used.

No need to put things away. Genius.

As a child, Emptying the dishwasher was my chore. I always complained and asserted that when I had my own place, I would have two. My first place had a very small kitchen, I had a hob and a dish washer instead of an oven.

No need to put things away. Genius

I know right? I’m torn between evangelically trying to covert people, to leaving them to their unstacking.

Wouldn't you sometimes need to empty the dishwasher though? You don't use the same types of crockery etc all the time.

Wouldn't you sometimes need to empty the dishwasher though?

Yes, but it’s pretty minimal

90% of stuff is the same, basic plates, bowls, cutlery.

It's a lot less annoying to put a few odd bits away than the entire load!

I wouldn't get two, you'll regret it (unless you're a huge family). We've got one large capacity Miele which is the best one I've had. We run it twice a day just after lunch then after supper. Never generate enough pots in one sitting to run two at the same time (except Christmas/parties and then you're too busy entertaining to be loading the dishwasher!)

We thought about this but have a utility room with a big sink where big oven items can be left out of the way to soak and then put through the next wash. Works well for us.

I wouldn't get two, you'll regret it (unless you're a huge family).

As a family of 3 then 4, I couldn’t recommend it more

We have two and run one when full then fill the second. We don't wait until both are full to run at the same time. I do empty the run dishwasher in the morning so it is ready to receive dirty stuff once the other dishwasher is full and set to run. It means the dishwasher dry cycle completes rather than opening as soon as the run finishes to empty - needing to dry before putting away - in order to stack the remaining dirty stuff.
We are a family of 4, 18 for regular family events and enjoy entertaining (both when allowed) and have never regretted the decision to have 2 dishwashers. And ours have a 36 min cycle too.

We (family of 4) have two and I think it was the best decision ever. One has the clean stuff and one dirty. No more dirty dishes and glasses piling up and no one fighting over whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher.

I have two washing machines. One in the garage for gardening clothes and dog blankets etc. Would not be without them

Never generate enough pots in one sitting to run two at the same time

Honestly, they are not meant to run at the same time, but always to have one supplying clean things and another for the dirty things.

Then swap over.

It’s not the point of the thread but it really annoys me how dishwasher designers don’t seem to realise that food has to be prepared as well as eaten. The description of “place settings” and the pictures of 12 plates, 12 bowls, 12 side plates neatly stacked, winds me up. Where are you supposed to put casserole dishes, measuring jugs, Pyrex roasters, lunch boxes, big serving spoons?

Family of 4 here and the dishwasher is on daily, we still do 1-2 hand wash loads too of stuff that doesn’t fit in or isn’t dishwasher safe. But I wouldn’t get a second. My parents rarely use theirs since there’s just 2 of them so I think when the kids leave home it’ll be a waste of a cup except when entertaining. But we’re weird and don’t have a microwave or a tumble dryer.