Are dishwashers worth it?

[yourdaysa]

We are moving to a new house soon and there seems to be space for a dishwasher

Would you bother? Are they really any good? I've heard you have to pretty much wash up what's there anyway before you put it in

Thanks! I've never had one before, I have heard they're life changing

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MNHQ

Yes, a dishwasher is a good investment. Would you happily live without a washing machine?

Any tablets will do the job - you don't need Fairy. I buy whatever is on offer from whatever supermarket I'm in but am seriously thinking of swapping to Smol now.

I was so upset when our dishwasher broke recently, was counting the moments until someone could come fix it! It’s definitely worth it, particularly if you have a family where you would be constantly washing up otherwise rather than loading and unloading once daily. I don’t rinse much, just scrape bits off.

Yes.

My Miele never leaves anything on and I use the cheapest Aldi tablets/salt/rinse aid.

I wouldn’t use branded anyway as they still test on animals.

If you have fine china you need Wedgewoid approved liquids, Waitrose do a gel approved for good dishes. Marks & Spencer & Morrison’s are also on the list.

I wouldn't want to be without my dishwasher. Over the decades, it has been replaced instantly when it has broken. Especially with a family.

I guess for anyone living on their own, it might be do-able. Over most of last Winter we were down to just dh and I and still found the dishwasher to be invaluable.

If you go to the 'Which' consumer tests, Aldi's dishwasher tabs always come out tops. In terms of if you need to put anything else in, I guess it depends what your water is like. We don't, but I hear some people use a rinse aid and I've also heard rumours of salt being needed (?). I've been using dishwashers since 1975 though and we've never used either.

I once went 4 miserable years without one due to a house move. Never ever again, always tons of washing up to do after breakfast and dinner, took ages.

I load it as I’m cooking so after dinner it takes just a few minutes to have to the kitchen sorted, rather than being stuck in there for half an hour. Ditto mornings with breakfast stuff.

You don’t realise how much time (and water) you save until you get one, after not having one for a while. I put the oven racks, the food bin, fruit bowls, hairbrushes, ornaments, plastic stuff, loads of stuff in it.

I also prefer the hotter temp to ensure things are germ free than warm water from the tap.

I read that you’re not supposed to rinse stuff, just scrape, as the detergent needs dirt to cling too. I use dishwasher cleaner once a month to get rid of any buildup.

When our broke recently I almost cried, worse than the washing machine breaking down!

Our new one is much better as it’s got a 60 min full wash rather than the 2 and a half hour cycle our old one had. Absolutely love it and quite enjoy emptying it, everything warm and clean.

I use the Tesco own brand tablets in a bag now after previously only using Finish or Fairy. There seems to be no difference and they’re half the price.

I bought my first dishwasher in 1995 when I went back to work after first dc started school and it was honestly the best thing since sliced bread.

Yes if you have a family,waste of time for just one or two people.

I wouldn't be without one! My favourite thing is being able to keep the kitchen tidy - not even teaspoons get to sit on the worktop unless it's already running. And it runs hotter and gets things cleaner than hand washing. You don't have to prewash things - just scrape the plates of anything that can clog the filter (like rice). Oily baking trays I scrape then soak in boiling water and washing up liquid first but it's only about once a week we have those.

Very much so. My kitchen is being refitted so have had to without for a while. Dreadful.

@LittleBearPad

I can’t understand people who say they are more work than washing up

I find loading and unloading it more work that just doing the few pots we have.

Ditto Miele, definitely the best make of dishwasher and washing machine IMO.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

Genuine question @ LST not being sarky, what extra steps are there? Scrape plate, put it in the washer and press start,that's it.

Loading and unloading it. I am disabled. It was a pain. I find the sink much easier and quicker. That's why we got rid of ours.

Love my dishwasher. They get things so much cleaner, especially glasses.

Yes, 100% worth it.

DH jokes that it was life changing for us 😂 maybe a bit dramatic but we wouldn’t be without ours now.

I always buy the branded and premium version of the dishwasher tabs. I notice the difference with the cheap ones. Would not be without my dishwasher.

The vast majority of people love their dishwasher and couldn't be without. I'm not one of those people and most people genuinely think I'm insane when I tell them I don't have one.

I grew up with one and still choose not to have one. I hate the way they make glasses feel, the smell when you open them and with only 2 of us I don't see the point.

I wash the pots and put them away after breakfast and after tea. We're not in for lunch. It takes me 5 or 10 minutes at the most. A couple of side plates and mugs might get left in the sink overnight until they're washed after breakfast the next day but since they get put there at night nobody sees them to "make the kitchen messy".

For families with kids who use 4 or 5 glasses a day for drinks etc I see the benefit.

Yes, they're 100% worth it.

Absolutely a dishwasher is worth it.

Funnily enough, there was an article in the newspaper today about how much water and energy they save over hand washing.

Yes.

Couldn't live without one.

@480Widdio

Yes if you have a family,waste of time for just one or two people.

Yep, can see the benefit if you have kids but we don't so just wash up as we go. If you keep on top of it it's easy.

why? Don't you cook for 2 people? Many couples do.

You can buy smaller ones for 1 person, still totally worth it.
Of course you can wash up as you go. But I don't want to.

Yep, can see the benefit if you have kids but we don't so just wash up as we go. If you keep on top of it it's easy.

but there is something very lovely to know it is all being washed without you, whilst you go out to work, or crack on with something else.

There and two of us and frankly even if there was just me I'd still have a dishwasher. Life is too short to wash dishes and have a cluttered kitchen in between.