The dishwasher, one of the most complex appliances in your homes, has improved dramatically over the last decade, but manufacturers continue to pursue innovation. These nine caught our eye this year.
As water issues continue to loom over states in the West, water-conserving dishwashers will play a role, the Environmental Protection Agency says. Using water-saving techniques can save you money, and diverts less water from our rivers, bays, and estuaries which helps keep the environment healthy.
The manufacturer says the AquaBlast jets in its new dishwasher provide corner to corner coverage for superior cleaning. It operates at 39 decibels, has a flexible third rack that provides extra space to load silverware. At the end of a cycle, the door automatically opens to circulate air and improve drying performance, the company says.
“It's not just the dry western areas of the country which need to be concerned with water efficiency,” the agency says on its website. “As our population continues to grow, demands on precious water resources increase. There are many opportunities to use household water more efficiently without reducing services. Homes with high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and appliances save about 30 percent of indoor water use and yield substantial savings on water, sewer, and energy bills.”
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Dishwashers have a part to play in this effort, but they also are an essential part of the kitchen duties. Offering improved technology compared to 10 years ago, new Energy Star-certified models include innovations that reduce energy and water consumption and improve performance: Soil sensors that test how dirty dishes are throughout the wash and adjust the cycle to achieve optimum cleaning with minimum water and energy use; improved water filtration that removes food soils from the wash water allowing efficient use of detergent; and drying technology that reduces spots.
The manufacturer’s dishwasher sink is ideal for small spaces that cannot fit a built-in dishwasher or that have little counter space to spare. Top-mounted, the brushed stainless steel sink measures 35½ by 19¾ by 23¾ inches.
EPA says a standard-sized Energy Star-certified dishwasher costs about $35 per year and saves, on average, 3,870 gallons of water over its lifetime.
These days manufacturer are looking for ways to create even better product betters. Miele, for example, earlier this year unveiled a new ProfiLine unit that is the brand’s fastest to date: a 24-minute ProSpeed wash cycle.
The brand’s top-control tall tub dishwasher has a stainless steel interior, a Clean Water Wash that continuously cleans wash water, and a fan-enabled drying system that does not need a rinse aid. It operates at 43 decibels.
“The ProfiLine dishwasher is the perfect solution if you want to have all the convenient features of a residential Miele dishwasher, but with a much faster cycle time,” says Glenn M. Liacouras, professional regional director for the Americas. “The ProfiLine dishwasher is not only easy to use, but will clean your dishes in only 24 minutes.”
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This year at Design and Construction Week, Fotile introduced the Sink Dishwasher, an appliance that offers three functions in one. “Fotile sink dishwasher is an integration of dishwasher, sink, as well as fruit and vegetable cleaning appliance,” the company said at the announcement. “Engineered to maximize functionality without any sorts of waste, the dishwasher uses 1.6 gallons of water to clean and dry dishes for two to six people in 30 minutes.”
The brand’s 24-inch integrated dishwasher features AquaIntense technology, so the unit performs fives times better at overall dish cleaning, the company says. IonGuard helps further remove and neutralize odors, and Silent Tech suppresses noise. The smart unit includes a full-size third rack, and built-in WiFi Homewhiz app.
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When it’s time to help your clients choose a unit, keep these tips in mind:
Buy the best machine you can afford. The dishwasher has a difficult job to do, so choose a machine that has a good reputation for cleaning, water savings, and quiet performance.
- Think about the interior, Consumer Reports advises. Take a close look at how the dishwasher’s interior is configured—the spacing of tines, and the placement of the silverware baskets and racks. It has to work for how the client cooks and eats, the group says.
- Dishwashers overall are better than they used to be. Even on the lower and mid-priced categories, dishwashers now offer higher-end features—stainless steel interior, soil sensor, and adjustable racks.
- The high end has many options. Says Consumer Reports, the upper priced dishwashers offer quieter performance, superb cleaning, and convenient features that might make it worth spending a bit more, such as adjustable racks and flexible flatware slots, along with a stainless tub, and a soil sensor.
The Sink Dishwasher integrates a dishwasher; a sink; and a fruit, vegetable, and seafood cleaning machine. It removes more than 90 percent of harmful pesticides from your food, uses about 1.6 gallons of water, and finishes in just 30 minutes, the brand says. Its ergonomic design eliminates the need for users to bend down, the company adds.
ProfiLine offers a 24-minute ProSpeed wash cycle. In addition to its ultra-rapid cleaning and drying, the unit has an adjustable 3D+ Cutlery Tray to accommodate oversized cooking utensils, and a MaxiComfort Basket System that adjusts to hold hard-to-clean or fragile items. Additional features include an LED interior lighting and a drying system that automatically releases the dishwasher door when a cycle is complete, allowing air to escape and circulate.
The 400 series back-wall illuminated dishwasher has all of the design and functionality of the previous 400 series dishwasher but now features Zeolite drying technology, which enables all dishware to be fully dried. It also comes with Home Connect, giving users the option to use a remote control and seamless integration into home management systems.
An update to the original DishDrawer, the new dishwasher offers seven or 14 place settings, built-in water softener, extra height for taller dishes, and flexible racks that allow customers to customize internal shelves to suit their needs. It also offers Quick Wash, Sanitize, and Extra Dry options.
Operating at 39 decibels , the SCVi SF EcoFlex Lumen dishwasher has a stainless steel interior, LED interior, a water softener, and a high-intensity and temperature self-cleaning program to refresh the interior. It offers 12 wash cycles and five options.
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