The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Dishwasher

Buying a new appliance is always exciting. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your dishwasher or you’re installing one in your home for the first time, the right dishwasher can really streamline your clean up time and make life a lot easier.

Even so, there’s a lot more to take into consideration when purchasing this appliance than you probably think. You should seriously think about how energy and water-efficient your dishwasher is as well as the correct load capacity for your needs. This guide will help you break down everything you need to know to make an educated and successful purchase.

Energy is everything.

Dishwashers are the stars of the cleanup process; however, some dishwashers have more stars than others. The energy rating on your dishwasher will be represented by stars, giving you a great idea of what you’re getting into. The more stars, the better! New models are said to use about forty percent less energy than those from the ’90s, so you could end up saving yourself a good chunk of money on your energy bill every month by switching to a new, energy-efficient dishwasher.

While you’re thinking about energy efficiency, do yourself a favor and compare electricity providers with iSelect. As energy efficient as your dishwasher is, if your provider isn’t giving you the best, most competitive prices, then you’re losing money needlessly. You might be surprised to find that there’s a better provider than your current electricity company that you didn’t even know about. By taking the time to actually compare electricity providers, you can use all the money you save on more important matters, such as other home improvement projects. 

What can your kitchen support?

As tempting as a huge dishwasher is, especially around holidays, it’s very important to make sure that your kitchen can support the size you’re looking for. Although there are many moments in life where you can approximate, when you’re looking for a dishwasher, you need to be as accurate as possible. You should actually measure the space with a tape measure. Make sure you always check the sizing. Don’t forget you’ll need to tack on a little extra space for the ventilation at the back and remember to pick a space where your water supply can reach.

Load it up!

One of the most important dishwasher terms to understand is “load capacity.” The number indicating capacity is expressing how many full place settings you can pack into the dishwasher. For example, a household that contains just two people will most likely need a dishwasher than can hold six to nine full settings when you consider having dishes from breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner to clean up every day.

What’s your type?

Just like everyone has a “type” in love, you’ll also have a “type” of dishwasher that’s perfect for everything you need. There are four kinds to choose from: freestanding, built-in, integrated, and dish drawer. Freestanding dishwashers aren’t integrated into your counters; they stand on their own. They come in a bunch of styles and sizes, and can be put anywhere in your kitchen. You’re probably more familiar with integrated dishwashers that are seamlessly part of the counters. With an integrated dishwasher, you can actually “hide it,” and only display the controls at the top (those can even be hidden in some new models). Finally, dish drawer style dishwashers open and close like a drawer and are easier on your back, because you don’t need to bend down to load and unload.

“These are a few of my favorite things.”

Some dishwashers come with the finer things in life, like water efficiency, a delayed start feature, a self-cleaning filter, and much more! Consider all of the gadgets and gizmos listed above before making your final decision. With careful research, your new dishwasher is sure to become one of your new favorite things.