Come and talk to me about your dishwashers please! Before I spend any money on one!

[Flibbertyjibbet]

So, we will be moving soon to a house with small kitchen and DP says he will install kitchen with a dishwasher, yay!
But as the kitchen is small he says a slimline dishwasher it will have to be.
Just been to see a friend's new house, she has an inbuilt dishwasher and asked me if I want to buy her 1 year old dishwasher from her old house (and mentioned a v good price).
I said dp says we will need a slimline one, she said 'oh I'm not just trying to sell you mine but to be honest I don't think slimline ones are enough for a family of 4'. Had a look at hers and tbh I can't imagine something smaller doing for us all.
So, ignoring the fact that I have been offered a cheap 1 year old dishwasher, can I have your comments please on slimline or normal width dishwashers please.
We are family of 4, 2 small boys, do baking, cooking from scratch etc.
Are the slimline ones only intended for singlies/couples with no kids?
Oh and we are not on a water meter

[Nagapie]

Space is a big issue in our kitchen and when we had a refit I insisted on a dishwasher...

We are a small family of two children and, although we don't use it every day, it does take quite a bit and don't mind washing the odd dish that doesn't fit...

With a slimline dishwasher - I think you still get the depth in the drawers, but lose about 15 cm on the width... (??)

[Flibbertyjibbet]

Hmm, I know what the dimensions are but am wondering if anyone with children has bought slimline then decided its too small. I'd rather re-jig the kitchen design to fit a larger one than decide after its all fitted that a slimline one isn't big enough!
I have a friend who only puts hers on every 4 days but we would never have enough dishes to keep us going till the next wash!

[Love2bake]

We've had a 'normal' size DW for 10 years and really need a new one soon. I was actually thinking of getting a slim-line one to make more room in the kitchen.

I find that I don't have enough stuff to put it on every day. Then I am forever getting dirty stuff out because I need it and then have to hand-wash anyway.

I would prefer a smaller one that goes on everyday.

Family of 4 - BTW.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

My friend said that she puts hers on every other day - but even if we were in a water meter area I think I'd put it on every day anyway as we use most pans and utensils every meal. I don't want to get a dishwasher then end up washing knives and pans by hand each evening to 'save putting the dishwasher on every day' like another friend does!
My plan is to eat breakfast, put breakfast stuff in dishwasher. Eat daytime stuff/evening meal and put things in dishwasher. Switch it on late evening each day.
I can't bear the thought of rummaging round in it for something I need that is dirty!

[maidamess]

I have an indesit full size one and its VERY quiet. Bear that in mind when you choose!

[traceukw1]

This article may be of use to you

www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=261

HTH

[Flibbertyjibbet]

Thanks for the link but it doesn't answer my question of:
Is a slimline dishwasher practical and big enough for a family of 4 who do baking and cook from scratch every day?

[Smileymoo]

No way will it be big enough. I've a slimline one but it's just hubby and me and it's just about the right size for us. Luckily we don't do much cooking 'cos you'll only fit one big saucepan in there along with one small one. If there's 4 of you and you do a lot of cooking, you'll definitely, absolutely, unquestionably need a full-size machine.

[JennsterSlugSlayer]

We have a full size dishwasher and cook everything from scrach, but it's so rubbish, you can't put pans in. Plates nearly always come out dirty as stuff has dried on during the day. Dh ends up putting it on half empty to make sure stuff gets clean.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

Thanks smileymoo. DP came home an hour ago and I said 'oh I think we need a full sized dishwasher' but he is adamant that we need to get a slimline.
I can't really argue with him as he fits kitchens and bathrooms for a living and all his customers say he is really good at arranging the cupboards and appliances etc to make best use of the space!
He also tells me that his friends who have three children think their slimline is great and put it on every day. Grrr.
I am going to convince myself that as long as it will manage all the bowls, plates and utensils.... then I'll bung it on again for the pans!

[JennsterSlugSlayer]

Oh and next door also a family of four have a slimline, also don't put pots in and put it on once a day.

[WideWebWitch]

Oh hang on, was a liong thread, I bought a Miele on recommendation, am VERY happy with it

[WideWebWitch]

here you go

[BettySpaghetti]

DP and I had a slimline one which was fine for the 2 of us but as soon as we had DD we realised that it was too small so upgraded.

With 2 children and cooking from scratch our full-size one goes on once a day

[SaintGeorge]

A slimline one would not be big enough for me (2 adults, 2 kids).

I cook from scratch but don't bake. My pans do go in the dishwasher though.
Averages out that I do a load every day and a half or so.

Is there not a cupboard that he can slim down somewhere to give you room? Maybe change a standard 600 cupboard for a 500, or even a 300 and a filler gap (winerack maybe? )

[Sidge]

We are a family of 4 or 5, I cook from scratch and put my full size dishwasher on every night. It's rarely less than full and if there is room left in it I shove in the draining rack, hob racks etc to fill it up.

I can't imagine a slimline one being big enough, you'd probably be able to fit the plates in but not the pots and pans.

I bought mine from John Lewis and it's fab.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

Thanks WWW!
Have read that thread. I had been looking already and (before my friend tried to persuade me otherwise) had decided on the bosch slimline.
I have a bosch washing machine and its brilliant.
My friends dishwasher that she is trying to sell me is an indesit.....
My last washing machine was an indesit and the bastard thing packed in at 366 days old, just out of guarantee grr. And just as I had no money being on maternity leave, and with a stack of washable nappies!

So I think I'm looking at a Bosch slimline then and put it on extra for pans....

Or send dp out for takeaway every night.... The kitchen at this other house is seriously small and I maybe need to compromise on the dishwasher as I need cupboard space for breadmaker and baking equipment.

[Nighbynight]

Get teh biggest dishwasher you can! you will need it, there is always more washing up than you think.

I also have a small kitchen, and it only had room for a slimline one.
I took the end section + door off my under the sink cupboard. Then I sliced around 15 cm off the floor and back of the cupboard, and the door. then I screwed the side section back on again.

Result - my under-sink cupboard was shorter, and I got a full size dishwasher.

I am a single mother to 4 and I have NO TIME for washing up, also no dh to tell me that the kitchen is too small!!

[FAQ]

We had a slimline with a family of 4 (plus baby) - I'd still have it now if it hadn't packed up before Christmas.

I now have a lovely (full size) Bosch which I love to bits. Only advantage is I can be a lazy cow and put the fit the grill pan in instead of scrubbing it

[SkirtingBored]

We got a slimline when we were a couple plus a baby. Now we are a family of 5 and WE NEED A FULL SIZE ONE! DP says we can get one when this one breaks - but it is a bosch and is showing no signs of failure yet alas.

Go for the biger one would be my advice, whatever the size of your kitchen

[QuintessentialShadows]

Go for the slimline. You wouldnt be able to fit pots and baking items into a regular dishwasher together with plates and cups and cutlery etc, too.

I bake and cook from scratch, and I wash most of the baking stuff by hand. For "regular" items, a slimline would be enough. I put pots etc in if by any chance I have enough space, but I have a regular.

[QuintessentialShadows]

See, lots of conflicting advise to help you!

[nkf]

No. It's not big enough. Your husband may fit the things but if you do the housework.... Need I say more?

[Marina]

We have a slimline Siemens from John Lewis, a recent purchase to replace our valiant 11 year old Ariston. We cook from scratch but have never put pans in the dishwasher - do people honestly put Le Creuset, roasting dishes etc and the like in their full-size ones? No-one I know puts pots and pans in theirs regardless of size.
The Siemens is brilliant. It may still be slimline but will take eight place settings - so plates for two family meals at weekends plus breakfast items and all mugs and cutlery. It cleans perfectly, is very quiet and is A for energy efficiency.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

Ah yes but the dp telling me the kitchen is too small is also the carpenter that will be making the bespoke solid wood kitchen. So if I kick up too much of a fuss I might end up with some b&q flatpack kitchen

I think by the time I've got larder fridge, washing machine and a slimline dishwasher in, there will be room for only one double cupboard.

Currently we have huge kitchen but no dining room and just a box room for the two ds's.

I am beginning to think that a slimline dishwasher in a little kitchen is a decent trade off for a separate dining room and a massive 2nd bedroom that will fit both ds's and all their toys..... and I could train them to wash up??????