Dishwashers Buying Guide

There are many benefits of using a dishwasher over hand washing:

- As it only takes about five minutes to load all your dirty dishes into a dishwasher you can save you a significant amount of time from you daily life. It has been stated that the average household can save around 300 hours over a year just not having to wash and dry up.

- Dishwasher can also provide you with far more clean and hygienic dishes as they are much more effective when compared to hand washing.

- Not only do they clean your plates and dishes better they also use less water and energy than washing by hand. Currently there are many energy efficient machines available in the market which use as little as 1.02kW of electricity and 12 litres of water to wash 12 times.

Because dishwashers are available in various styles and sizes it is important that you choose one based upon your specific requirements.

- Full-sized dishwashers: These are ideal for large families. They have 12 or 14 place settings and are 60cm wide. Due to the size you will need a big kitchen to use a full-sized dishwasher.

- Slimline models: These machines are smaller than the full-sized models. They are 45cm-wide and can hold around 8 or 9 place settings. These models are suitable for small families.

- Compact models: If you have limited space in your kitchen, compact dishwashers will suite your needs. These are ideal for a singles or couples.

- Integrated dishwashers: If you want to conceal your dishwasher behind the matching fascia, you can buy an integrated model to create a consistent look.

- Semi-integrated models: You can partially hide these models. Only the control panel is visible.

You should always bear in mind that not all types of items are safe to be washed in a dishwasher. Therefore, it is important to read the manufacturers' instruction to check if a certain item is dishwasher safe before putting it in. The following items are some examples that are not safe to be put in the dishwasher.

- Patterned or decorated fine china crockery: - Mainly because the print and the colour may wash out.

- Lead crystal glasses: - It is highly possible that these would break in a dishwasher.

- Cast iron cookware: - These items should not be put into a dishwasher as they might rust.

- Cutlery with wooden, plastic, bone or pearl handles: - These types of items may crack or loosen if washed in a machine.