Types Of Dishwashers
When it comes to choosing a dishwasher, the first question is: freestanding or built-in? The right choice will suit your daily dishwashing habits, kitchen design, and style preference. If all goes well, your days of furious pot-scrubbing will be far behind you.
Freestanding Dishwashers
“For renters or frequent house flippers, freestanding dishwashers make a lot of sense because they are portable,” says Geraldine Gillespie, Cooking, Dishwashers, and Kitchenware Buyer at The Good Guys. “They are also easy to install and can be positioned anywhere in the kitchen as long as it’s near a water connection and drainage point.” Unlike built-in dishwashers, they are not designed to fit under a bench and come with sides and a top cover. Choose from full-size, slimline, and compact models.
Built-in Dishwashers
A more seamless option, built-in dishwashers are built into your kitchen cabinets – just as the name implies. They fit snugly under the bench and you can choose a finish that best suits your kitchen style. “Alternatively, you can choose a model without a front cover so you can match it to your cabinetry for an integrated look. Your cabinetmaker is the person to call for that,” says Geraldine Gillespie. Choose from fully integrated, with the control panel fully concealed behind the door, or semi-integrated, with the control panel visible at the top of the door.
Dishdrawers
Easy on your back and on the eye, dishdrawers are built into the kitchen bench at waist height and slide out like a drawer. “Tall people or those with bad backs love dishdrawers, because the ergonomic design means no more bending over to stack and unload dishes,” says Geraldine Gillespie. You can opt for a single-drawer unit or a full-sized double-drawer. The drawers operate independently, which means no more turning on a half-empty dishwasher to do the breakfast dishes – and greater energy efficiency as a result. As a bonus, dishdrawers are also super-quiet – at or below 45dB, which equates to the hushed tones of a public library.