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!

@HeronLanyon

Although I am a convert I also have always felt they aren’t partic clean. When I’ve used one I’ve hated that smell as you open it - kind of stale steam - this with new and cleaned machines. And not when left for ages before unloading. That’s actually my main reason for not ever having wanted one. In the past.

I get what you mean, don’t worry!

If you don’t wash at the altar of dishwashers on MN, you are treated like a pariah.

I’m surprised at the strength of feeling here, I’ve lived on and off with or without and dishwasher and it’s not life changing. At the moment I’ve been without for a few years and could replace it easily if I was inclined, I haven’t because I haven’t been that bothered.
Large family, cook big meals... seems fine though.

One thing I didn’t like is the saving a job for lately, after dinner the kitchen is sorted and forgotten. I hate them getting to the unloading after I’ve relaxed for the evening.

Why not leave it till the morning?

I've had one in a couple of places I lived, we don't now and there's no space for one. Hasn't made a bit of difference to my life, I was genuinely surprised to see the answers here and that people consider them an essential! But we don't have kids so imagine that makes a difference.

100% essential and you'll notice how much it is when you try to resell.

We empty ours in the morning. We use it every day...only 2 of us. All the pans go in too.

My dishwasher died a few years back and we haven't replaced, it still kills me
We bought a place recently and a dishwasher was a must, I can't wait till we move and I have one again

Essential!

See, theres always people on the dishwasher threads who have convinced themselves that loading a dishwasher is harder work than washing up. Its not.

You don't need to pre wash plates, you just scrap off the food, which is the same as before washing up - then stack them directly into the dishwasher- which is the same as putting the plates in a pile next to the sink. Except at that point you switch it on and walk away. You do then have to put the dishes away, exactly as you would after drying dishes you'd washed yourself. But that's it.

Most have half full options so you don't have to wait for them to be full.

I wouldn't want a house that didn't have space for a dishwasher. In my mind it's like saying how easy it is to hand-wash clothes and while the washing machine can reduce the life span of some clothes, it's therefore better to hand-wash everything.

Oh and the time thing - while washing up by hand might be quicker than the quick wash cycle on the dishwasher (mine has a 30 min one), that's my time, not the machines.

Loading the plates directly into the machine when you bring them in from the dining table takes no extra time than stacking next to the sink. Unloading the dishwasher takes the same time as putting away the plates after washing up. The actual washing is done by something else.

And mine can fit breakfast and lunch plates in so can just run it twice a day, not washing up 3 times plus all the cups and glasses in the day.

But some people really don't value their own time and will argue if they can do something themselves quicker than someone/something else, then that's better for the family. Its a very sad way of looking at your own value.

My new kitchen has one, only cat and I , it’s a tiny kitchen, on every other day roughly.
Hated all those dishes, needed like a washing machine

I chose not to have one. The family couldn't get to grips with stacking right and I come back to dirty water in bowls and cups put the wrong way up and baked on yeuk. There is cupboard space if someone wants one in the future which I use for loads of carrier bags

It’s a bit weird to conflate dishwashers with self-worth, that you must value your time enough to pay for it.
It’s ok to just be neutral. I’m not bothered by washing up, dh isn’t and the older kids aren’t. Sometimes I do it, sometimes someone else does. I’m not angry or sad doing it, often the radio is on or I’m chatting to others at the same time and physically present anyway. Just a continuation of conversation from the table. It’s just not a big deal.

I wouldnt be without my dishwasher,
Mines all numerous times a day because everyone is at home.I couldnt imagine washing up that many times in a day.

Load it, press a button unload it. Simple as that.

It’s a bit weird to conflate dishwashers with self-worth
My self worth is totally wrapped around my dishwasher. I couldn't go on living without it. :)

I don’t get the whole “wouldn’t buy a house without one” thing. Surely if you loved you house but it didn’t have a dishwasher, you’d just buy the house and fit one if you felt that strongly? It’s an appliance. I feel it’s a bit like me saying I wouldn’t buy a house unless it has a washer dryer. It’s weird to me (but I’m putting my hard hat on in case this is a controversial opinion 😂)

@AmandaHugenkiss I’d buy a house without an integrated dishwasher but not a house that didn’t have space for a dishwasher without ripping out a cupboard. Same as a washing machine!

@AmandaHugenkiss I would have been disappointed to view a house with a newish kitchen that didn't include space for a dishwasher, it would make me think that it might not have been planned out well. It's potentially a lot of hassle getting a plumber out to put in a water supply and an electrician to put in a socket in the right place and if a kitchen is new it seems like a shame to rip part of it out. Also I bought near the top of my budget so I didn't want any additional expenses right away.
It wouldn't have been a dealbreaker but it was a real plus to have the plumbing and power already installed.

Fair points both. I can see the inconvenience and cost would be a bit off putting.

My issue is if you have a small kitchen how can you afford the space on the work surface for a draining board.

If you are standing at the worktop in our kitchen you have 1.2m of work surface available (a bit extra as the work surface goes into the corner but only 1.2m to actually stand in front of IYSWIM) if I had a draining board I would reduce it to 60cm which isn’t enough.
We have the dishwasher to gain work top space (and because it is convenient and I hate washing up as we all eat at different times)

I worship my dishwasher.

HTH!

I have one and it barely gets used. I make the kids do the washing up.

Nah, we bought a house with a dishwasher. Getting rid of it

We did without a dishwasher for a few months when the old one died and we were planning to get a new kitchen anyway, so we were waiting to sort it all out at once. We don't go in for cooking with loads of pots and pans but we still seemed to be spending inordinate amounts of time tied to the sink. When we finally had a dishwasher again it was bliss.