Making House Episode 5: Dishwashers

Dishwashers may be the most underrated of all kitchen appliances. A functioning dishwasher saves a normal couple (i.e, my wife and I) at least 15 to 20 minutes per day, and much more come party time. Further, they typically clean better than hand-washing, use less water, and require no counter space for drying.

The addition of a dishwasher was definitely my favorite part of my last kitchen renovation. Before that, it was scrub, scrub, scrub, rinse, rinse, rinse. Ack. I had enough of that back when I was a professional - no need to do it by hand anymore. Now, only large pots and crystal glasses get my personal care and attention in the sink.

A dishwasher is pretty easy to fit into a kitchen, fitting in a 2 foot opening, under the counter. Any dishwasher requires water access, so it is easiest from a plumbing perspective to place next to the sink - which is handy from a usage standpoint as well. Dishwashers come in plenty of colors and styles as well, and tend to disappear pretty easily. Some people even replace the facing with materials to match their cabinetry. Personally I think that's overkill, but people aren't known for practicing restraint when renovating their kitchens.

Most dishwashers have the same goal - clean dishes. However there are a couple features that define the price ranges. The most basic is the ability to delay the cycle, allowing one to "do the dishes" but not have the washing noise start until everyone has left the house or gone to bed as the case may be. A more mechanical difference is the ability to dispose of small bits of food - a sort of garbage disposal. This feature obviates the need to wash the dishes of nearly all food particles before putting them in the washer, and I find it to be worthwhile.

The delay and food disposal features are my cut-off, and I've never had a dishwasher with more features. I've investigated, but the additional features and characteristics don't seem to justify the additional price. For example, a stainless steel interior looks kind of nice, but my dishwasher is usually closed. I suppose it may extend the length of the machine, but they last pretty long anyway. Also, load-specific washing instructions, such as "pot scrubber", don't seem necessary - my current washer (Maytag) cleans everything I put in there using the Normal setting.

One note regarding general use - I don't recommend using the dry feature. First, the heating element is what usually damages items that are not "dishwasher safe", melting them with the high heat. The drying cycle also uses a lot of power compared to the wash cycle. A load of dishes washed at night will be 95% dry by morning, so there is little use in actively drying the dishes unless they are needed soon (for an impending dinner perhaps). I can't recall ever needing speed-dried dishes in the two years since I installed ours.

Ah yes, installation. Dishwashers are heavy but otherwise easy to install. A little plumbers' (teflon) tape, a wrench, some screws, and you're good to go. I would pay maybe $30 just to avoid checking for leaks for half an hour, but otherwise it is an easy procedure. A little more is required if there is not already a dishwasher line at the pipes under the kitchen sink - it's worth paying for installation on a truly new (not a replacement) dishwasher.

In our new kitchen we're going with Maytag again, as our current washer has gone 2+ years with nary a hiccup. Stainless steel this time, to match the other appliances - $449 at Home Depot.

Final peevish note - if you have a dishwasher, there is little excuse for using paper plates. Not only are they wasteful, treekiller, but they are beneath you. They are. Get some cheap "mass serving" plates at Walmart if you have to, but paper is for picnics and children's birthday parties.