Did you know that you waste much more water and energy washing your dishes by hand than using a good quality dishwasher? A good dishwasher is not only convenient; it also makes sense from an economic point of view and, if chosen right, helps you do your bit for the environment. Not to mention saving you from having to deal with those dirty dishes by hand, just imagine how many hours a year that will save you! However, it's true that a good dishwasher is an investment so it's important to take care when choosing the right one.
Size
The first thing you need to look at when choosing a dishwasher is what size and type suits you best. For a small kitchen a slimline dishwasher may be the best compromise between available space and the number of settings you can clean at a certain time. If you don't use your dishwasher very often because not many people use dishes at the house a table-top dishwasher may be all that you need. If you have the space and require washing large amounts of dishes, such as a shared flat or a family with children, you'll be better served by a full sized dishwasher, especially one that allows you to do only half loads in case you don't want to have dirty dishes inside until it's full.
Connections and Fittings
You'll need to decide whether you want a built-in dishwasher, or a freestanding one. The first time has a door fitted over the machine front so it looks like it is part of your kitchen cupboards, while a freestanding one is just slotted below the kitchen top and is often cheaper. Make sure you have access to the required drains and water connectors for the installation, as you may need to purchase additional tubes to be able to connect the dishwasher to the mains. Often the same shop that sells you the dishwasher may offer installing services, which unless you are good at DIY can be a real help. Having a misconnected tube leaking dirty water all over your kitchen is not fun.
Extra Features
Dishwashers can be noisy, so getting a good quality one that has a silent mode is perfect if your kitchen shares space with your dining room. Other things to look at are eco-friendly dishwashers that can be run on half loads and low energy programs, as that can mean big savings at the end of the year on your power and water bills.
Size
The first thing you need to look at when choosing a dishwasher is what size and type suits you best. For a small kitchen a slimline dishwasher may be the best compromise between available space and the number of settings you can clean at a certain time. If you don't use your dishwasher very often because not many people use dishes at the house a table-top dishwasher may be all that you need. If you have the space and require washing large amounts of dishes, such as a shared flat or a family with children, you'll be better served by a full sized dishwasher, especially one that allows you to do only half loads in case you don't want to have dirty dishes inside until it's full.
Connections and Fittings
You'll need to decide whether you want a built-in dishwasher, or a freestanding one. The first time has a door fitted over the machine front so it looks like it is part of your kitchen cupboards, while a freestanding one is just slotted below the kitchen top and is often cheaper. Make sure you have access to the required drains and water connectors for the installation, as you may need to purchase additional tubes to be able to connect the dishwasher to the mains. Often the same shop that sells you the dishwasher may offer installing services, which unless you are good at DIY can be a real help. Having a misconnected tube leaking dirty water all over your kitchen is not fun.
Extra Features
Dishwashers can be noisy, so getting a good quality one that has a silent mode is perfect if your kitchen shares space with your dining room. Other things to look at are eco-friendly dishwashers that can be run on half loads and low energy programs, as that can mean big savings at the end of the year on your power and water bills.
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