Dishwasher yes or no ?

[Pickpick101]

Looking at redoing the kitchen but I'm not sure if we should add a dishwasher. We have never had one before so never missed one. I'm not sure if it's worth adding ? The people who I know have them don't seem to use them much . Seemed like abit if a faf to me but thought it's worth getting some ideas .

Glad you've decided to go for it.
I'd live without an oven for a lot longer than I'd live without a dishwasher. Wouldn't choose to buy a house that didn't have space for a dishwasher.

It depends if the cost, maintenance etc is worth it.

@top

Contrary to what some people believe, they do not fill to the very top with water

Please tell me that you're joking that anyone actually thinks that???
There was a thread on here a couple of years ago about adding stuff to the dishwasher once the programme was started

A number of posters expressed amazement that this was possible because surely if you opened it then this massive amount of water would fall out and flood the whole kitchen floor. They seemed genuinely perplexed that the water was only in the base of the machine

@Topseyt
I missed that thread or I'd still be laughing.

I really shouldn't be surprised though...

Absolutely yes.

Could not live without a dishwasher.

@BackforGood

Glad you've decided to go for it. I'd live without an oven for a lot longer than I'd live without a dishwasher. Wouldn't choose to buy a house that didn't have space for a dishwasher.

Just looking at my kitchen you'd assume there was space for a dishwasher. It's not until you get to the nitty gritty of gas meter (thousands to move) waste water pipes (thousands to move & nowhere to actually move the soak pipe to) water IN pipes (can't be moved or recessed) etc. It leaves me one space for a slimline DW (unless I lose the washing machine - nowhere to move it to! And that's definitely not happening!!!)

So if it's a MUST, people need to really investigate if there's not already one there/been there.

Fortunately I'm not too fussed & currently undecided as I said earlier

We only have room for a slim-line, which is a slight pest, I need to do some by hand or run it twice if I have family around for Sunday lunch (can't wait for lockdowns etc to be over so I can do this again!).

Beware of tomatoes and tupperware, tomato sauce covered plates and pans will permanently dye translucent plastic boxes orange. Quick squirt under the tap will prevent this.

Maintenance - I check the rotor arms when I unload, in case a fragment of rice or pasta has got stuck. Easy to deal with if it has happened, and training people to PROPERLY clear plates into the food waste bin has helped this problem anyway. Other than that, empty out filter once a month and send a cleaner tablet around.

Yes. We put one into our last house small kitchen had a slimline one. Helped sell the house when we moved.

I love my dishwasher. Didn't have one when renting and just got sick of washing up every day. Had one in my first owned property and it was fab. Moved in with partner and had to make do without one for 3.5 years.
I've got a Bosch. They seemed to be reliable and good at cleaning for a reasonable price. I also looked at water and electricity usage, plus noise. Mine has a delay function, plus you can shorten your chosen cycle if necessary.
I live in a hard water area so use salt and rinse aid alongside all in 1 tablets.

There's 5 of us at the moment but even when it's just me and DH I wouldn't be without one.

God yes. I never had one until 2 years ago and my god I never knew what I was missing!

Absolutely worth it. I have a slimline one and it's not a faff at all. I keep the cutlery caddy in the sink and that collects things all day. Dishes go in as and when we eat, it's usually full every day or every other day.

There's still stuff to wash by hand, like special cups or giant soup pots.

DP hates it though and I don't know why. He says it's "easier" to wash things by hand, but he would let the dishes pile up, which looks and smells gross.

The only downside is your don't have any binding moments with 2 people washing and drying and chatting.

@thebabewiththepower

I always say I'd rather hand wash clothes than dishes. I would rather go without most appliances than a dishwasher. They clean better, use less water and electricity and prevent so many arguments. EVERYTHING goes in ours, I don't hand wash anything at all. Most things that say hand wash only are fine in a dishwasher. Only thing I've ever destroyed are some of the kids' water bottles than have melted slightly. I would never live in a house without one. I only book holiday places that have one. I use them to clean all sorts of manky things, brushes, bin lids, kids' plastic toys. The best invention EVER.

Same, I'd rather my washing machine broke and have to use the launderette rather than the dishwasher.

A few years ago it broke and the part was going to take three days. I've never meal planned so carefully so as to avoid making as few dishes as possible as I did for those three days!

Sorry to go against the flow - for me, it's undeniably, categorically and absolutely NO! I had a complete brand new kitchen installed last year by John Lewis and I was asked at least 3 times in the planning stages about a dishwasher and I said NO! NO! and NO!

Do I regret it? Absolutely not! In fact, I was just telling my other half last week how much I enjoy hand washing the dishes, pots etc. It's clean, quick and easy with both running hot and cold water nearby - no stains and hardened mash potato leftovers etc. on plates and dishes. Not to mention an extra storage cupboard under the worktop which is a blessing.

@peteneras

Sorry to go against the flow - for me, it's undeniably, categorically and absolutely NO! I had a complete brand new kitchen installed last year by John Lewis and I was asked at least 3 times in the planning stages about a dishwasher and I said NO! NO! and NO!

Do I regret it? Absolutely not! In fact, I was just telling my other half last week how much I enjoy hand washing the dishes, pots etc. It's clean, quick and easy with both running hot and cold water nearby - no stains and hardened mash potato leftovers etc. on plates and dishes. Not to mention an extra storage cupboard under the worktop which is a blessing.

Each to their own but your argument is completely wrong, it’s not quicker, cleaner or easier to hand wash stuff than bung in a dishwasher. Items come out far cleaner in a dishwasher with no stains, shiny cutlery and glasses and most definitely no leftovers on the plates, if it’s leaving stains or leftovers, your dishwasher is broken!

To me, asking if you need a dishwasher in a house is like asking if you need a toilet 🙃 not optional as far as I'm concerned, of equal importance to oven, fridge etc!

@peteneras

Sorry to go against the flow - for me, it's undeniably, categorically and absolutely NO! I had a complete brand new kitchen installed last year by John Lewis and I was asked at least 3 times in the planning stages about a dishwasher and I said NO! NO! and NO!

Do I regret it? Absolutely not! In fact, I was just telling my other half last week how much I enjoy hand washing the dishes, pots etc. It's clean, quick and easy with both running hot and cold water nearby - no stains and hardened mash potato leftovers etc. on plates and dishes. Not to mention an extra storage cupboard under the worktop which is a blessing.

It's not cleaner or more cost effective to wash by hand, sorry but it just isn't. You can't really "clean" dishes by hand washing them because you'd scald your hands. That's where a dishwasher is best.

They need their filters cleaning occasionally, and they need feeding with salt and rinse aid every now and then. I thought they were a waste of space, but caved in to XH's pressure when the DC were younger. I have never looked back. It was on twice a day when they were at home during lockdown. I put absolutely everything in it, including all the stuff you're not supposed to put in it (wooden handles etc).

Yes! I was 36 when I got my first dishwasher and wasn't convinced about them but I would never go back.... just not having a pile of skanky dishes on the side is reason enough.
I'll never be convinced about a washer/dryer but yes to the dishwasher!

@IRunLikeJoeBiden

We have a Bosch that is good, I always Bosch is a good mid price brand.

I've got a couple of Bosch dishwashers, having had them previously. I am not entirely impressed (though was very impressed by their ancient predecessors). I think they're better when they're run on 'intensive' rather than 'Eco'. Eco takes forever and doesn't seem to clean anything much.

That said, I can't afford a Miele, so if I have to buy another one, I dare say it'd be another Bosch.

The cheapest Bosch is probably a good shout.
I didn't have a dishwasher for years. Looking back, it was ridiculous. All that time wasted manually washing everything, dry hands, cluttered draining board.
No-one hand washes clothes in a bucket & dries them with a mangle, & in 2020, no'one should put up with having to manually wash up!

God yes!

Yes, most definitely. We have a Bosch.

We completely refitted our small (2.5m by 3.5m, galley with door at each end) kitchen this summer and were offered a free dishwasher. Couldnt figure out how to fit it in but it was too good a bargain to miss so somehow managed it. Game changer!! I wouldn't be without it again, tis wonderful! Kitchen looks and feels much larger without pile of dirty/cleaned dishes all over the worktops; dishes are properly cleaned; hardly any washing up is sooo much less hassle.

All the yes. I would cry if mine broke and it was more than a day to get a replacement

A big YES! I wouldn't be without one now. I have eczema on my hands and washing up makes it worse, even using gloves and hand creams.