The dish on dishwashers

When it comes to getting our crockery, cutlery and cookware super-clean, handwashing with a scrubber and a splash of detergent has always gotten the job done. But lately, more and more of us are recognising the advantages of using a dishwasher.

Dishwashers aren’t a cheap investment but they are no longer only found in affluent households. And it’s easy to see why: Besides their obvious convenience (no more standing by the sink for ages washing your dishes one by one), dishwashers use less water – about 5.67 to 18.9 litres for the whole cycle compared to 8.3 litres per minute of handwashing – meaning you save more on your monthly water bill. The majority of dishwashers on the market are also designed to reduce energy consumption, so you save on electricity, too.

And you don’t have to wonder if dishwashers clean as well as handwashing. They do. In fact, they probably get your dishes cleaner. Designed with powerful water jets and rotating spray arms, they’re very effective at removing baked-on food, stains and greasy spots – and you don’t have to rinse or scrub your dishes beforehand.

Dishwashers also use high-temperature water and steam, which not only cleans deeply but also helps to remove disease-causing bacteria from your dishes.

Another great advantage of owning a dishwasher is that it keeps your kitchen clutter-free. No more messy pile-ups in and around the sink.

And finally, because you will no longer have to deal with harsh dishwashing detergents, owning a dishwasher translates to softer, smoother hands.

Here are four dishwashers worth investing in.

Sleek in silver

This 60cm freestanding dishwasher from Brandt (BDF54DXA) boasts 15 place settings (typically, one place setting equates to one small and one large plate, a bowl, a cup and cutlery), making it ideal for a three- or fourperson household. It also comes with eight washing programs – for example, Eco, Auto, Hygiene+, Glass, and Rinse. And with six washing temperatures to choose from, you can ensure that your dishes come out as clean as can be – for example, the highest temperature option (70°C) is great for cutting through greasy residue. Other worthy features include a powder detergent option and an extra drying function.

Need for speed

Can’t wait forever to get your dishes clean? Samsung’s freestanding dishwasher (DW60A8050FB/SP) in bold black frees up your time with a fast, 60-minute full wash and dry cycle, so it’s perfect for smaller loads of lightly soiled items that don’t need really intensive cleaning. And even the most hard-to-dry items are cupboard-ready at the end of the cycle, thanks to the Auto Door Open feature. Once the cycle has finished, the door opens automatically to let the steam escape, leaving everything perfectly dry.

Tough on even the dirtiest dishes

You can trust Whirlpool’s Freestanding Dishwashers to get your dishes sparkling clean. Both models employ 6th Sense technology, which automatically senses how dirty the dishes are and adapts the cycle time and water pressure accordingly. They also have a Power Clean Pro feature, which uses powerful water jets on the rear of the machine to deliver supreme cleaning results. For extra oomph, the Sanitization option eliminates 99.999% of bacteria for more hygienic dishes. Choose from a range of programs, depending on your cleaning needs. When a program is over, the door opens automatically to allow dishes to dry naturally.

A steamy affair
For sparkling dishes and less water spots, you can count on the TrueSteam feature in this LG dishwasher (DFB425FP), which ensures that boiling water reaches the entire surface of every dish inside the tub. The pure water particles of steam also help reduce water spots. Other highlights of this dishwasher are the Multi- Motion spray arms that rotate back and forth while spinning, and the high-pressure jets that power-clean dishes from multiple angles, so that your dishes always get clean the first time. The flexible and easyto- adjust racking system can accommodate any load.