Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Does anyone have 2 dishwashers? Does it work?

67 replies

BloooCowWonders · 06/01/2014 09:07

We'll be getting a new kitchen and I'm hoping to get 2 slimline dishwashers. Mainly to not have to keep emptying. We're a family of 5 and our current full size goes on 2 or 3 times every day.

Any thoughts? Thanks

OP posts:
justmuddlingalongsomehow · 08/01/2014 06:59

#firstworldproblems Shock

pictish · 08/01/2014 07:06

As a family of 5, we have one slimline dishwasher that goes on twice a day. Sometimes three times. Seems fine to me...we rarely have dirty dishes sitting around.
Having two dishwashers seems indulgent to me, but I suppose if funds allowed, it would be handy.

foofooyeah · 08/01/2014 07:11

Two dishwashers: cupboards that wash! genius.

Pumpkin567 · 08/01/2014 07:15

Karma, do you cook a lot from scratch? I use lots of pans, that's why an afternoon cycle is good, it clears the DW ready for the evening pans.

Last night we had soup, sautéed potatoes, pork in apple sauce, sweet corn and carrots. Five pans! That's half a DW.

MrsBennetsEldest · 08/01/2014 07:18

I have 2, one in the kitchen and one in the utility. It does work. I think the trick is to empty one as soon as it's finished and not use it as storage space IYKWIM. As others have said, go for two full size machines if you can fit them in.

trinitybleu · 08/01/2014 07:25

Kewcumber an upstairs washing machine is my dream! Swedish friend has it and it saves so much time ...

Artandco · 08/01/2014 07:27

Friends has x2 slim line and complain they are too small for large items ie oven dishes/ pans etc.. So they end up running both at the same time half the time which defeats the point. They say they wish they just go one extra large one

atthestrokeoftwelve · 08/01/2014 07:28

Not sure i would need one.
We are a family of 4 - I cook most things from scratch, but only need to run mine once or twice a day, it is a big dishwasher though.

I try to minimise equipment when I am cooking though- I will often use bowls and pots twice in the same preparation session. If a pot has just been used to cook chick peas for instance, I will just give it a quick rinse before using the same pot to then make a sauce. Same with bowls- one used for a quick defrost can be used again for something else. As long as hygienic.
That's not just about minimising dishwasher space- it's about cutting down handling and emptying dishwasher time too.

Kewcumber · 08/01/2014 09:25

justmuddling

#firstworldcountry=firstworldproblems

JWIM · 08/01/2014 21:54

We have two full size - designed in when we did the kitchen 5 years ago. Fill then run, and empty when cool and dry. Fill other while this happens. We bought Neff and use the 36 min cycle - does for all plates etc and pots/pans.

I would agree, though, very much a first world problem.

justmuddlingalongsomehow · 08/01/2014 22:41

kewcumber
= tragic that so much energy can be spent on discussing it when not two miles from my doorstep there are people living on the streets... Just my opinion.

BadRoly · 08/01/2014 22:44

We're like pictish - family of 6 with a slimline that runs 2-3 a day. Works for us which is just as well as we inherited it and there is no room for a full size

Sleepwhenidie · 08/01/2014 22:45

Well I sort of see your point muddling, but if you want to start down that road then you'd pretty much need to post your 'firstworldproblems' on about 90% of the threads on MN? FGS don't look at S&B board where they are currently discussing acquiring 2 Chanel handbags @ £2500ish each...

breatheslowly · 08/01/2014 22:56

This is enlightening. But does it only work if you only have 2 dishwasher loads of crockery, pots and pans etc in your kitchen? We have way more than that.

Kewcumber · 08/01/2014 23:25

what sleepwhenidie said.

I have my share of experiences that even you would deem tragic justmuddling, doesn't make me too pious to have an opinion on more minor issues. But as you say you're allowed your opinion.

PigletJohn · 09/01/2014 02:18

"But does it only work if you only have 2 dishwasher loads of crockery, pots and pans etc in your kitchen?"

no, it works if you have at least one dishwasher load plus one item.

I presume that at any one time, you do not usually have more than two dishwasher loads of dirty crocks and pots in your kitchen?

breatheslowly · 09/01/2014 18:47

But that does mean that you do have to unload your dishwasher and ut everything away still. It isn't acting like a cupboard when full of clean stuff.

Sleepwhenidie · 09/01/2014 18:50

no, but one is acting as a cupboard for the dirty stuff that you can't put in a dishwasher that's already full and running...that's the value in it for me.

PigletJohn · 09/01/2014 19:30

and the one that's full of clean stuff, you are treating as a cupboard and taking mugs and plates out as and when needed.

It never needs to go in or out of a cupboard.

justmuddlingalongsomehow · 09/01/2014 21:33

Pious???!? Just commenting on life and excesses. Some people just need to take a step back and look hard at reality that's all. No need for personal attacks. I'll back out. 2 washing machines anyone? Tv in every room of the house? Change of shoes for each day of the year or car for each season?

slalomsuki · 09/01/2014 21:42

We are a family of 5, cook most days and only have one dishwasher which until last week was fully loaded and on every second day or so except for Christmas etc when it's on more often. Last week we bought a new one after about 20 years and it has a quick cycle on it so we are now running it every day.

I agree however unloading the dishwasher is one of the worst task in the world but I am still not sure it would prompt the purchase of a second dishwasher.

Sleepwhenidie · 10/01/2014 07:53

In the scheme of things I don't think spending an extra -what, £500 - on a second dishwasher if it suits you and you feel it would make your life easier/better is really that excessive muddling. Work it out over the life of the kitchen - say 5-10 years, it's likely to be less than 20p a day Confused?

atthestrokeoftwelve · 10/01/2014 08:14

How do you keep track of where things are? THere are lots of bits of kitchen equipment I don't use every day- maybe just once a week, how can you remember whether it's in the dishwasher or the cupboard?
It seems a cumbersome way of doing things, and ther must be some bits that are still in the machine when you want to start filling it again.
I prefer to know where everything is in my kitchen without having to remember where things are. It speeds up cooking knowing exactly where an item is without having to rummage through a dishwasher.

notso · 10/01/2014 08:36

Why are you using so many dishes?
There are 6 of us and ours is only on once a day maximum.
Having said that I don't wash glasses or pans in it.

Sleepwhenidie · 10/01/2014 10:37

As I said upthread, I do unload ours once a cycle is finished. There are people in our house most of the day every day so we get through lots of crockery etc, it fills a d/w partway through the day so I run it and then start to fill the empty one. We have an open plan house and it means the kitchen is always tidy, or at least doesn't have dirty crockery waiting to be washed...