Choosing the Right Dishwasher for You

When it comes to choosing appliances for your kitchen, nothing has larger differences than those found in dishwashers. Before heading out to your nearest Appliance retailer or ordering one online, you need to ask yourself a few questions to ensure to make the right choice for you and your family.

• Do you pre-wash your dishes?

If you do, then features such as hard food disposers may not be a worthwhile feature.

• Do you run your dishwasher at all times of the day?

If your answer is yes, then look for a unit with a decibel rating below 50db. This will allow you to have a conversation in the same room as your dishwasher and it won’t interrupt your rousing anecdote.

• Do you use a rinse agent such as Finish or Jet Dry?

This is important as not all dishwashers have a heated dry feature. Condensation dry units require a rinse agent to effectively remove spots and allow the water to sheet off your flatware and cups. In addition, heated dry units will dry considerably faster, but at a cost in terms of energy consumption.

• How big are your plates?

I always encourage clients to bring in plates  or tall glasses and test them in a perspective dishwasher. Not all racks are the same, and nothing will frustrate you more than installing something that doesn’t accommodate your dishes.

If you can answer all these questions, your dishwasher buying experience will go much smoother, and ultimately you will be happier with your purchase.