If you’ve recently purchased a new home, are remodeling your kitchen or have outdated appliances, along with the standard appliances like ovens, refrigerators, and microwaves, you might be looking into buying a new dishwasher.

If this is your first dishwasher or it’s been awhile, aside from choosing the color, you may not know where to start. Often times, other buyer’s guides are biased and give recommendations based on company sponsorship.

Below is a completely unbiased and informative dishwasher buying guide to help you sift through all the features, bells and whistles in order to buy a dishwasher that meets all your needs.

Size

Size does matter, in more ways than one. Dishwashers typically come in two standard sizes, 24″ or 18″, which is the measurement of the width.

You may be restricted by the size of your kitchen, but you should also consider the size of your family too. Even if you have space, if there’s only two of you, you don’t need a large dishwasher that uses up more water and is rarely filled up.

Dishwasher capacity is measured by place settings and not people. However, you do need to know how many dishes a person uses.

An 18″ dishwasher holds up to 8 place settings. That’s enough for two or three people. A 24″ dishwasher can hold up to 14 place settings.

But a place setting is subjective. If you’re still unsure, think of it this way. If it’s just the two of you, if you eat out a lot, or if you live in an apartment, you only need the smaller size dishwasher. Anything more, or if you think your family will grow, then get a larger dishwasher.

Once you know what size you’ll need, you should also consider placement. There are three options as far as the type of dishwasher–built-in, portable and countertop.

Energy-Saving

You use less water with a dishwasher than washing dishes by hand. But there are also options that can further save the environment and save on your utility bills.

Many dishwashers already have energy-saving options, such as a low-water feature, which includes a sensor to use the least amount of water needed.

A delay start will run your dishwasher at a time when there is less electricity usage and it’s cheaper to run.

Cycle Options

Most dishwashers include three basic cycle types, quick wash, normal and heavy (or pots and pans).

Other cycle options may include delicate, which is great if you wash a lot of glassware. A top-shelf-only cycle is useful when your dishwasher isn’t full but needs to be run. And there’s also the energy-saving cycles already mentioned.

Special Features

Depending on your needs, you may want to include other dishwasher features. For instance, if you use a lot of pots and pans, having a dishwasher with a removable or adjustable rack or fold-down tongs might be something you want.

If a loud dishwasher is distracting, there are dishwashers that are built to run almost silently.

If you’re not one to rinse off your dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher, you’ll want to include a hard food disposal feature.

Dishwasher Buying Guide: Final Thoughts

All of the above features in this dishwasher buying guide are important things to consider when buying a dishwasher. However, these don’t take into account personal preferences.

If you’re a person who is particular about the use of your dishwasher, make a list of the essentials you need in a dishwasher before you get mesmerized by all the options.

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