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!

Also it depends how you cook and if you entertain or have visitors passing through in normal times. We do (for work and pleasure) and cooking is a hobby of my DH and a DW cuts out a lot of the drudgery. Even now under lockdown , I am batch cooking and baking , and making soup for the freezer. The DW allows you to do all of that without having to think about all the extra washing up involved.

Maybe I don't bake as we eat healthily.

Oooooh, get YOU with the virtue signalling, @CeeceeBloomingdale. It is possible to bake healthy food, you know. And a big part of our "It's Nith's holiday too" practice in holiday cottages is to have loads of takeaway ready-made salads, so feel free to keep your "full of lard" assumptions.

We’ve never had one. When we stay at relatives’ who do it seems like much more of a hassle than just washing up! at the thought that they’re ‘essential’.

I’m not sure about the environmental aspect either; comments about water usage aren’t taking into account the manufacturing involved and power usage of the machines.

Dishwashers aren't an essential for me, unless you don't have a sink or have mobility problems. In a kitchen with limited cupboard space a dishwasher would put me off, I'd rather have the extra cupboard.

We're a family of 6 and have never had a dishwasher. We have a tiny kitchen with very limited cupboard space meaning we also have the minimum crockery and glassware. To fit a dishwasher we'd end up in a catch 22 situation of having to lose a cupboard and need to buy more plates, which we'd then have no space to store, or we'd just end up having to wash a plate by hand as the dishwasher wouldn't be full enough to run.

It takes less than 10 minutes a day to do the dishes by hand and leave them on the drainer to dry, except on a Sunday which takes an extra 5 minutes. I do a lot of baking, we rarely have takeaways and the only time I wish we had a dishwasher is at Christmas when we have an extra few people and I'd rather be sat on the sofa playing monopoly than doing dishes.

@Nith

Maybe I don't bake as we eat healthily.

Oooooh, get YOU with the virtue signalling, @CeeceeBloomingdale. It is possible to bake healthy food, you know. And a big part of our "It's Nith's holiday too" practice in holiday cottages is to have loads of takeaway ready-made salads, so feel free to keep your "full of lard" assumptions.

Buy some Fairy Liquid, you'll love it! Get marigolds, I don't know now you don't have any, they'll change your life! The point I'm making is noone without a dishwasher is saying the above to persuade others to get rid of theirs rather than just accept their choice is different. Quite the opposite from the dishwasher owners who appear to be all sponsored by Hotpoint and Bosch.

Why are you trying to tell people they are wrong and trying to convert them? Implying I'm just ignorant as haven't had the benefit of one at home and couldn't possibly use my imagination to see how it would translate when using one on holiday.

Several other people have implied those without DW eat crap and don't cook properly, don't have enough children to warrant it, live on take away or ready meals, are stuck in the dark ages (yes I have replied to them too). I'm not sure what you consider heavy duty cooking at home, you've rightly deduced I probably wouldn't do it at home or on holiday, I prefer quick and easy to prepare meals rather than using 4 or 5 pots or dishes which may affect my judgement. Can you not see some people may be different to you?

UK holidays are always a cheap thing for us, we do 2 or 3 a year but our main holiday is usually abroad. Therefore we don't budget for meals out in the UK and save our spending money for the main holiday so do prepare most of meals at the cottage. Abroad I wouldn't prepare more than breakfast or a sandwich.

To be perfectly honest I don't bake as it bores me and I don't need the extra calories from cakes or scones. I'm not keen on pasty so don't make it. I'm sure there are healthy baking recipes but I'm not interested in baking, that type of food is unnecessary to me. On the rare occasion I want baked goods I just buy them from the bakery. I cook meals including sometimes more than one meal due to shifts etc, that's enough for me, cooking is not a hobby or an interest to me.

I'm amazed at all the people insisting a dishwasher is ESSENTIAL and they couldn't possibly live without one where millions to (through choice or circumstances). It's not essential, it's simply a nice to have, no one died from dish washing however much you all clutch your pearls.

I don’t have any issues with people simply not wanting a dish washer for whatever reason.

What I find strange are the posts arguing that they’re actually huge hassle and don’t save any time in washing up, as that just doesn’t stack up (lol) at all to me.

As for ‘essential’ it’s a hard one to define, but for me they’re less essential than a washing machine, but more than a tumble drier. My mother would disagree on the latter though.

It takes less than 10 minutes a day to do the dishes by hand and leave them on the drainer to dry

I have washed up by hand and there is only 4 of us and it takes a lot longer than 10 minutes. (Airbnb without a dishwasher and it took 20 minutes to just do the breakfast items)
10 minutes per day is 3 minutes 20 seconds per meal. Forgive me if I call BS
Also you still have everything out on the side, not dry and not put away.

I am struggling to think of what I am missing with loading and unloading my dishwasher that takes so long that it is quicker to wash up.

What are people doing or am I abusing my dishwasher by failing to follow some vital steps when I load, pop the tablet in and press the button and shut the door

@TheKeatingFive

I don’t have any issues with people simply not wanting a dish washer for whatever reason.

What I find strange are the posts arguing that they’re actually huge hassle and don’t save any time in washing up, as that just doesn’t stack up (lol) at all to me.

That's your opinion. Mine is they are a huge hassle and don't save any time.

I find it strange that you think anyone having a view different to yours is "arguing" and not just stating their opinion in the same way you are but without the need to try and change the other person's view to your own. You do you, no need to pity the lowly dishwashers we are quite happy in our marigolds.

I’m happy without one. In fact until 3 weeks ago we didn’t have one. We only have one now because it came with the house.

As long as you have someone who enjoys washing up, I don’t see the problem.

It's not essential for me, it's a luxury item.

Have always just handwashed dishes and pans, and as a single parent of three young children.

Now it's just DD2 and me at home, we've moved into a smaller house, our kitchen is tiny, but adequate, wouldn't even think of getting one. I'd much rather have an extra cupboard than a dishwasher.

If I was in a position to buy a house, or even this house it wouldn't cross my mind to even think of having one.

Two houses, one with dishwasher and one without. We are getting rid of the dishwasher in the one house that has it. I hate needing a certain pan and having to take it out of the dishwasher to wash by hand. With a dishwasher we need three times the amount of crockery, I hate loading and unloading, and I find washing up satisfying.

Everyone is different though, my mum loves hers.

I used the word essential above. It was hyperbole. I prefer to have a dishwasher than not , I would hate to have to manage without a washing machine but have never had a tumble dryer and have only very occasionally briefly understood the justification for one.

You do you, no need to pity the lowly dishwashers we are quite happy in our marigolds.

I’m not pitying anyone, when have I said anything remotely like that?

Mine is they are a huge hassle and don't save any time

I just don’t think this stands up to any scrutiny. But knock yourself out. Your choice.

@CherryCherries

To me a dishwasher would seem more of a hindrance than anything. The reality would be, it would need to be loaded, meaning pre rinsed and stacked properly and be full to be switched on. Then great, it cleans it for you. But then it would need to be emptied and put away. Meanwhile more piles up to be put in the dishwasher.. Much quicker to just wash up, no need to make sure it's stacked properly etc and you can do smaller amounts as you go..

I think this too. I know not everybody is the same, but I found a dishwasher more of a nuisance, and an inconvenience. It was much easier to just quickly rinse and wash the dishes by hand. (Sometimes dry them after, sometimes leave them to dry...)

There was only ever 3 of us though, and DH and DD used to wash and dry up sometimes, as it was usually me who cooked dinner. We only ever had sandwiches or soup or something light and snack-ish at lunchtime. (Especially as we were not always all together at lunchtime. Sometimes DD was at school or with friends, and sometimes DH and myself were with individual friends, or at work.)

But yeah, we had a dishwasher for a couple of years (some 17-18 years ago,) and I found it more of a hindrance than a help. It died a death when it was 25 months old (hilariously, 3 weeks after the guarantee expired!) We never got it repaired (as it was going to cost almost half the price of a new one at the time,) and we never replaced it.

Never wanted once since - ever.

@TheKeatingFive

What I find strange are the posts arguing that they’re actually huge hassle and don’t save any time in washing up, as that just doesn’t stack up to me.

People are saying they don't want one and it's more trouble than it's worth, because that's what they think, based on their experience. A differing opinion to yours isn't wrong you know. I have never found a dishwasher anything but a waste of space. As I said though, I get that people are different. No-one is wrong about this. An opinion can't be wrong!

These snooty 'why don't you get a dishwasher, how CAN you survive without one?' type comments, often come from the same people who can't fathom how anyone can possibly live in a rented house, or a semi-detached house, or a house with only ONE bathroom. The faux shock comes out in their posts... They find it so bizarre that someone would DARE to have a different opinion to them! And have different PRIORITIES to them!!!

A differing opinion to yours isn't wrong you know.

Well there’s opinion and fact. I don’t really get how factually, dishwashers are huge hassle and as time consuming as washing up.

I do, however, understand people not wanting one/not minding the time and effort washing dishes takes/not wanting an extra machine in their kitchen.

Its never been something on my radar to have. I wash up as I go if I'm baking/cooking a roast and it doesn't feel like it takes long. It's not something I would look for when buying a house. I have reduced the number of cups and glasses we have which stops an excessive amount being used and therefore it piling up. We do have one it work and it might be a rubbish one but it seems to take ages compared to washing up.

A tumble drier on the other hand is an absolute essential.

@TheKeatingFive

A differing opinion to yours isn't wrong you know.

Well there’s opinion and fact. I don’t really get how factually, dishwashers are huge hassle and as time consuming as washing up.

I do, however, understand people not wanting one/not minding the time and effort washing dishes takes/not wanting an extra machine in their kitchen.

It is NOT fact, it is YOUR opinion. You have no idea how long it takes me to do dishes. I am very efficient and often multi task and do it as I'm cooking so it's not taking extra time up.

@danadas

Its never been something on my radar to have. I wash up as I go if I'm baking/cooking a roast and it doesn't feel like it takes long. It's not something I would look for when buying a house. I have reduced the number of cups and glasses we have which stops an excessive amount being used and therefore it piling up. We do have one it work and it might be a rubbish one but it seems to take ages compared to washing up.

A tumble drier on the other hand is an absolute essential.

It really isn't, never had a tumbler either!

@CeeceeBloomingdale

It is NOT fact, it is YOUR opinion. You have no idea how long it takes me to do dishes. I am very efficient and often multi task and do it as I'm cooking so it's not taking extra time up.

This. It's bonkers to assume that anyone doing the washing up by hand is going to take longer than it would be to use the dishwasher. I have had both, and I DEFINITELY found having a dishwasher more of a hassle than washing and drying by hand. AND it was quicker doing it by hand (for me!) I find it not bizarre that people are assuming their truth is gospel, and anything anyone else says is 'WRONG.^

@danadas

A tumble drier is absolutely essential!

@ceeceebloomingdale

It really isn't. I have never had a tumbler either.

A tumble drier isn't essential to me either. Like the dishwasher, I found it pretty pointless. AND it took much time to dry too little. I had one for 8-9 months (some 12-13 years ago,) and found it so useless and pointless that I sold it.

Amazes me how many people - on mumsnet - AND a few in real life, can't fathom anyone doing anything different to them, and anyone who is doing anything different to them is wrong. They are so small-minded and arrogant.

I remember one woman (in the late 1990s,) who had an endowment mortgage, and me and DH had a repayment one. She crowed and blathered on about how soooooo much better her endowment mortgage was, and what a fool I was to not have one.

She claimed she would have enough (in 13 years time,) from her endowment policy, to pay off the mortgage, AND have a £50,000 pot of cash that the policy would give her.

I did try not to laugh when she got a letter a year or so later, telling her she needs to put her payments up from £525 a month to £600, as the projection was showing the current amount she was paying would not give her enough to cover the mortgage owing at the end. And there was certainly not going to be any £50,000 pot of cash either.

I am pretty sure that endowment mortgages lost their shine pretty soon after this, for most people! Hilariously, she changed hers to a repayment mortgage a few months after the letter telling her she needs to pay more now, and when she realised there would NOT be a big £50,000 cash sum at the end of the term!

Sorry, I went off on a tangent there! Just illustrating how arrogant some people are!

A tumble drier on the other hand is an absolute essential.-

It really isn't, never had a tumbler either!-

^^

I didn't have a tumble dryer for 20
Years.
Used ti dry clothes on radiators if necessary.
But when we moved to a house with storage heaters, and having 4 adults the first winter I had 4 metal 3 tier air dryers around the house. For Days!!!!
Night mare.
So got a tumble dryer.
Wet clothes in - 2 hours later , all out dry and ready to go away.
I wouldn't get that without a tumble dryer.
However I could still wash a pot without a dish washer.

I actually timed myself this morning ti see how long it would take to wash up the breakfast pots and put them away -

Result 5 minutes.

The 2 plates and 2 cups we use at lunch will sit in the sink and then I will wash, as I go along, while cooking tea. It will probably take 10 minutes.
And bending to load and under load a dish washer for me wouldn't be great.

I'd rather wash pots than cook, but until they invent a machine who can make a tasty Sunday lunch like the ones I do cook. (I'd get that item and call it essential) I'll carry on cooking.

I am very efficient and often multi task and do it as I'm cooking so it's not taking extra time up

I bow to your superior dishwashing abilities then

[quote CeeceeBloomingdale]@Nith For YOU. Maybe I don't bake as we eat healthily. Maybe we can't afford to eat out a lot or have takeaways which are full of lard anyway. Maybe we do behave similarly on holiday as at home. Maybe not everyone is like you

It's perfectly quick and easy to hand wash, especially if you don't leave things for hours to go hard. I wash up as I cook so nothing is welded on, then it's only the plates and cutlery to take care of after the meal. Fuck knows what you all are eating if it needs sandblasting off. I'm bored of the too posh to wash attitude.[/quote]
Yes, poke bowls and sugar free, gluten free cakes made with things like courgette are known for being massively unhealthy, you're not wrong there.

What do you do if you have a dinner party though? You can't really wash up as you go when there's guests waiting for their meals and cocktails.
I remember having one with just one other couple before I got a dishwasher and stood there for 1 hour+ at 3 am after they left, slightly drunk and cursing my stupid kitchen with no room for a dishwasher. Thank God we moved not much later!

I’ve never had a tumble dryer and won’t have one as they are abysmal for the environment. They are not essential at all. To me I will not get rid of my dishwasher though.