AIBU not to want a dishwasher?

[ChloeCC]

My DP and I are currently planning our kitchen. We don't have dishwasher in our current kitchen and I'm not too bothered. He thinks it's an essential, and it'll become more essential as our kids grow - they're tiny atm. The new kitchen doesn't have a huge amount of cupboard space so I think we should save the space and go without. What do people with slightly older kids think? Is it something that would put you off buying a place if there wasn't a dishwasher? We might sell the house in a few years. I'm a bit torn - I don't mind washing up - sometimes it feels like a break!

but having looked them up they take between 1.5 and 4 hours to clean your dishes.

I don’t find that very problematic myself. I’m not sitting there waiting for it.

We moved house nearly four years ago and the kitchen had space for two white appliance (previous owner had washing machine and dryer with large fridge in adjoining conservatory). When we moved in we put our fridge and washing machine in the these spaces and I 'did without my dishwasher' for a couple of months. DH kept saying we would sort it in a few months and in the end I got so fed up of not having it that I paid a plumber friend to create a little utility area in my conservatory and we now have our washing machine and tumble side by side and our dishwasher where the washing machine used to be. DH was cross for a couple of days but as I was the one doing most of the washing up I told him it was tough $h1t and I was fed up. Within days he relented that I had in fact done the right thing.

We are a family of 3 but I refuse to spend my 'free' time stood at a sink. Now if only there was a machine that could do the ironing??

I wonder if they are that eco friendly over all tbh. Yes, they use less water etc, but how does that balance against the manufacturing of them, the electricity to run them and the fact that they die eventually and so need to be disposed of.

I would like one, but on the other hand it's just another thing that can break down or need replacing, resulting in faff.

We manage perfectly well without a dishwasher.

I’m annoyed by the outrage at anyone who doesn’t have one. ‘Don’t be an idiot’. etc being said upthread. So fucking judgemental.

Now if only there was a machine that could do the ironing??

Omg. I would give DH's kidney for that!

I love having a dishwasher! I put it off for ages as I felt it was a bit lazy to get one almost, but I wouldn't be without it now. I like that it means that the kitchen doesn't have to be cluttered if I haven't had the chance to wash the dishes, I feel without it I would just be washing dishes continually.

As a child who did the family washing up a couple of times a week (which I despised) I vowed I would get a dishwasher when I had my own house

Short time without one then changed a cupboard into dishwasher. There is no way I could go back.

When we moved in, our small kitchen had a slimline dishwasher. We used it a couple of times, for the novelty value. For the subsequent 20 years we've just used it as an extra cupboard.

I suppose whether a dishwasher is useful depends on how you cook. A non-stick frying pan or a plate takes seconds to clean under a running tap. I'd rather not eat roasts than clean a roasting pan full of congealed fat.

We have just had a new kitchen with dishwasher. Previously we had a tiny kitchen without a dishwasher. Dishwasher is my fave thing about the new kitchen and has made life much easier. However, wouldn't have been possible in the old one and wasn't a massive trial. I would say if you can squeeze in a half size one do, but if it will drastically reduce cupboard size in a tiny kitchen then don't. It wouldn't put me off a house. Kids are 10 and 12.

There's no way I would fit a new kitchen without a dishwasher.
I load mine through the day and put it on in the evenings. Never dirty plates in the kitchen and never wash anything (other than oven trays and things like the lasagne dish that need to soak).

Love ours.

I do think it's an essential. Our is on at least twice a day - I can't imagine washing it all by hand!

Also, unless you wash up every cup and glass straight after use and put it away then you'll always have things in the sink or drainer - with a dishwasher even teaspoons can be put away out of sight so the counter tops/drainer and sink are always clear.

Cadent, I don't think people are meaning to be judgemental. They are being lighthearted and having a bit of a laugh about how crap life is without a dishwasher.

I agree with posters not understanding how it can take only a few minutes a day to wash dishes by hand. It takes me a fair while just to wash the dishes which can't go in the machine for one reason or another.

YABU. They’re mega.

I wouldn’t be without a dishwasher. Essential item to me, like a washing machine or fridge and freezer. Certainly wouldn’t buy a house without one, or the space for one.

I fill it throughout the day and put it on at bedtime. Empty it in the morning whilst I’m waiting for the kettle to boil, it takes minutes. I really don’t understand people who think it’s not a time saving device. Trust me, washing up, rinsing, drying and putting away takes a hell of a lot longer, especially after something like a roast dinner! And my draining dishrack isn’t big enough to leave it all to air dry.

You don’t need to pre rinse, and it cleans much better than hand washing as it can wash at higher temperatures if needed for really greasy things.

If mine isn’t full I’ll fill it up with things like the washing machine drawer, or the hob racks, or the oven shelves.

We met an odd older couple once who seemed to think not having a dishwasher made them somehow superior to us lazy dishwasher havers 😁. They ranted on about washing up being family time - weirdos.

I have a 8 and 6 year old. Please get the dishwasher!!

It was a 'must have space for a dishwasher' criteria when we were looking to buy a house.

@MsTSwift see upthread people who seem to think others are idiots for not having dishwashers.

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I simply don't believe that people take only 10 min a day to wash up all the dishes, dey them and put them away. Unless of course we talk just few cups, glasses, occasional plate.

^^ This.

We fill a dishwasher at least five times a week. There's no way on earth anybody can wash up a nearly full dishwasher, dry and put away in 10 minutes.

Plus the DW uses far less water and is more hygienic.

I wonder if there is a difference in how/what people cook that correlates to how much they love/hate dishwashers?!!!

I’m a cook and a baker, plus DD is veggie so have to make 2 versions of everything. So making tea often results in graters and several bowls I’ve used to mix stuff in, various utensils, knives, several pans, plus then if Ive baked something eg a cake or like last night garlic dough balls to go with tea then that’s the food mixer bowl and attachements, scales bowl etc too. It’s a load of washing up! Some of the pots etc get washed as I go along or washed by hand after dinner as too much to fit in dishwasher but I don’t want to be doing a whole dishwasher loads of dishes too! For one thing it wouldn’t all fit on the draining board (and constantly washing tea towels instead of letting air dry is bad for the environment)
I wonder if people who only wake 5 mo utes to wash up don’t corn from scratch and just Chuck stuff on baking trays or in a pan to heat up? My sister uses jars for everything so washing up a curry for her is on pan she’s chucked some chicken and jar sauce in and one pan for rice.

No, I cook from scratch most days and don’t have a dishwasher.

But thanks for the judgement.

To @BrieAndChilli