The Best Dishwashers of 2023
When you buy a new dishwasher, you want the best. Fortunately, we’ve made a selection of the best dishwashers of 2023 for that purpose. We looked at several features such as build quality, energy consumption, the amount of dirty dishes you can fit in and any extra features that increase convenience.
The most important feature is of course the price/quality ratio, so we avoid having only the most expensive dishwashers in the top 5.
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Find your new dishwasher
Are you looking for the best freestanding dishwasher or the most energy-efficient dishwasher?
What to look for when buying a dishwasher?
When buying a dishwasher, you naturally have a number of requirements in mind. Not only should your dishes come out clean and dry, you also want a good dishwasher that doesn’t use too much water and energy. Here you will find all the features to look out for when buying a new dishwasher, so you can be sure you haven’t forgotten anything! If you have a smaller kitchen, we recommend you look at a compact dishwasher or a mini dishwasher.
The Connections
A dishwasher uses water and electricity, so you need to make sure your kitchen has the right connections. If there aren’t any, you can sometimes use PVC pipes to make a branch, so you’re not immediately lost if the connections aren’t there yet.
It may also mean that a built-in dishwasher isn’t an option in your kitchen, and that you should still look for the best freestanding dishwasher. Always find out before you begin your search.
Position of control panel
With a built-in dishwasher, the control panel is often on the inside of the dishwasher, so you can only operate the appliance when you open the door. If the control panel is on the outside, remember that you can see the dishwasher. It will not blend in with the design of the rest of your kitchen. Sometimes there is a light on the bottom that projects this information onto the floor, but it is not easy to see on every floor type.
The number of place settings
On average, a dishwasher can hold between 10 and 12 place settings, which means there is room for that many plates, glasses and cutlery sets. For large households, the best dishwasher is equipped with enough place settings to fit all the dishes.
The opposite is also true, a narrow dishwasher or a compact model is just right for small households that don’t have as many dirty dishes. The best dishwasher has plenty of features that make it easier for you to get your dirty dishes clean. For example, a dishwasher with a delayed start option is very handy if you want your dishwasher to start running when you’re not home. Other options such as an eco program or a special program that lets you wash fragile glasses or large pans are also worth looking into.
Cutlery Placement
When it comes to your cutlery, it can be placed in the dishwasher in two ways. Either in a separate cutlery drawer at the top of the unit, or in a cutlery basket in the bottom drawer.
The first option requires less bending and leaves more room for other dishes in the bottom drawer. A cutlery basket washes your cutlery upright and when you remove the basket from the drawer you can easily put your clean cutlery back away.
Frequently asked questions about dishwashers
Despite the fact that a large number of households in the Netherlands have a dishwasher in their home, there are still many questions about the appliance. We’ve listed the most frequently asked questions here.
What makes a good freestanding dishwasher?
The best freestanding dishwashers fit right into your kitchen. Unlike built-in dishwashers, this model stands freely in your kitchen, so there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Firstly, the dishwasher must not be in the way – you still need to be able to get round it easily if you have a hot pan of food in your hands, for example.
Also, there must be enough space around the dishwasher. At the front, make sure the dishwasher door can open all the way, without banging into anything else. There are several different drying methods that are used to get your dirty dishes dry again. New dishwashers often have a zeolite drying technique, where there are grains on the bottom of the unit that convert the moisture into heat. This makes your dishes extra dry, including plastic containers and glassware. Zeolite also makes it an energy-efficient dishwasher, as no extra energy is used to dry your dishes.
Another quick and energy-efficient technique is ventilation. This involves opening the door of the dishwasher after the wash cycle has finished, so the hot air goes out of the dishwasher and cold air comes in to dry your clean dishes.
Most standard dishwashers often still have the old-fashioned condenser drying technique, where your clean dishes are rinsed dry with cold water. This takes the longest of all the techniques and also requires a lot more energy.
Which dishwasher will last the longest?
The average life of a dishwasher is 11.5 years, which can also be expressed in 2500 to 5000 washes. So if you don’t use the dishwasher that often, you can extend its lifespan. Many people think that a built-in dishwasher won’t last as long as a freestanding one, or vice versa, but that hasn’t been proven.
You can get the most out of your dishwasher by regularly cleaning the inside with vinegar and baking soda to remove any caked on food. Also, replace the drain hose once every five years to prevent it from clogging up. Finally, rather than running a half-full dishwasher too often, wait until you have more dishes to wash.
Which dishwasher is the best?
What the best dishwasher is depends on your personal preferences. If you want your dishwasher to blend in with the design of your kitchen, a built-in or under-counter dishwasher is best.
Do you have a spacious kitchen, on the other hand? Then a free-standing dishwasher might be a better idea. The best undercounter dishwasher for a small kitchen is a narrow dishwasher. There are also undercounter dishwashers that are 40cm wide, which will fit into a narrow niche.