Anyone with the TV turned on lately (ahem, I don’t deny couch potato-ing during The Bachelor) may have come across the recent Finish Australia ad, which goes a little something like this:
“Breakfast: dishes. Dinner: dishes. Marriage: dishes. Divorce: dishes. Sleeping: dishes. Not sleeping: dishes. Life: dishes. Death: dishes. Existence: dishes, dishes, dishes.”
Morale of the story: life is a huge load of dishes, and dishwashers are the solution to making life a little easier.
One of my biggest pet hates is seeing pans, plates, mugs and cutlery pile up higher than the pyramids of Giza. Invest in a dishwasher, and all that dish caused stress disappears (unless you’re stuck with awfully lazy roommates – as far as I’m aware they haven’t invented a self-loading dishwasher yet).
Buying a dishwasher is all well and good, but choosing the right one for your lifestyle and needs might require some research. Luckily, The Good Guys Dishwasher experts have pulled together a few tips to make the choice easier:
1. Size Have your measuring tape handy because you need to buy a dishwasher that fits perfectly into the space you have set aside. The guessing game is not fun when you end up with a dishwasher two centimetres too wide, so make sure you get your calculations correct from the start.
2. Capacity An average family usually requires a dishwasher that has a 12-place setting capacity. This means it has room for 12 dinner plates, 12 soup plates, 12 tea cups and saucers, 12 dessert plates, 12 tumblers, 12 individual knives, forks, soup spoons, teaspoons and dessert spoons. If you’re a smaller household (or have a grandmother who insists on washing dishes by hand) you probably won’t need something that big.
3. Type and Style The size of your dishwasher depends on the type of dishwasher you chose and there are three main options:
– Full sized, which fits 12 to 14 place settings, is great for those with a large family or for those you just love to throw a large dinner party every now and again
– Slimline, will fit 9 to 10 place settings, with space left over for a pot and pan
– Compact, fits 6 or less place settings and is best for any singles living the life
Aside from the size, you should also consider between a freestanding (suitable for kitchens with already available spaces) or built-in style (usually fitted with a unit door that blends in with the rest of the décor).
4. Energy efficiency Dishwashers come with both energy and water ratings. Obviously, the more stars, the more energy efficient the appliance is. Some believe that hand-washing dishes saves water, but in most cases dishwashers actually use less water (ahem, grandma!).
5. Features Dishwashers come with a range of features, including:
– Wash cycles, with regular dishwashers having normal, delicate and heavy cycles. Some have additional programs, such as extra-hot washes for added hygiene or high-speed settings that get small loads finished fast.
– Drying cycle, because who wants to dry the dishes themselves?
– Delayed start is an energy-saving feature that can have your dishwasher start the cycle only during off-peak times.
– Self-cleaning filters are my personal favourite. Just as the name suggests, some higher end dishwashers clean themselves. Although pricier, it saves you the hassle of manually emptying out the filter.
If you’ve suddenly developed an itch for a new dishwasher, check out The Good Guys for more information.
