A shiny
new kitchen with all the bells and whistles can be one of the most attractive
parts of buying a new home. But picking which dishwasher you want to make your
glasses sparkle can leave you feeling a little, well, cloudy.
So
listen up and learn a bit about today’s quiet, energy-efficient dishwashers.
And when you’re ready to choose your kitchen appliance package, be sure to ask
your builder what options are available to you.
Quiet
comforts
If your
floor plan has an open-concept kitchen and family room, you might want to
consider a dishwasher whose noise level won’t interrupt homework or
television-watching.
“This
is something that’s fairly new — how quiet dishwashers are,” said Eric Cooper,
a sales representative for Whirlpool. “I always say the sweet spot where you
don’t have to pay an exorbitant amount is around 50 decibels. You can stand
three feet away from it and it’s not going to interfere in a conversation.”
Cooper
said an extra-quiet dishwasher can have a rating as low as 38 decibels. But if
your kitchen isn’t in a wide-open space, diverting your budget toward sound reduction
might not be necessary.
Cleaning
capabilities
While
dishwashers have gotten more efficient — a typical model might only use 3 to 7
gallons of water per load now — their cleaning abilities haven’t suffered. In
fact, they’ve gotten so good that the age-old ‘rinse the dishes before you wash
the dishes’ process isn’t necessary.
“Don’t
rinse them — you really don’t need to,” said Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy
home editor at Consumer Reports. “It wastes a huge amount of water to rinse
your dishes. We conduct tough tests — we call it our monster mash of difficult-
to-clean items — and we leave them overnight. We find that many dishwashers get
those dishes clean.”
Lehrman
also noted that washing cycles for full loads are getting longer. “It’s not
unusual to have a dishwasher that has a two-hour cycle,” she said. “If you’re
somebody who likes to unload the dishwasher in the evening, or if that long
cycle is a problem, you want to look for a dishwasher that has a quick cycle.”
Energy-saving
benefits
Manufacturers
provide estimates on how much an appliance will cost to run annually. Those
that are especially efficient are given an Energy Star designation by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so be sure that the appliance you have
your eye on has an Energy Star sticker affixed to it.
Why’s
that?
Lehrman
said that an Energy Star product uses less water and energy. “They’ll save you
about $40 a year on your utility bill and 1,300 gallons of water over its
lifetime, according to Energy Star,” she said.
Esthetics
While
stainless steel is a popular finish, it tends to show fingerprints easily.
“I’ve
seen a big trend change toward white and black with stainless steel accents,” Cooper
said. “Some people are getting away from stainless steel because of the
fingerprints and smudging.”
It’s
worth pointing out that most stainless steel dishwashers feature integrated
controls located on the top of the door. It gives a smooth look — one that’s
prone to smudging, yes — that also might prevent accidental washes.
“From the esthetic point of view, it looks a lot cleaner and more sleek than to have the controls on the front,” Cooper said. “And if you have children in the home, they want to push buttons. With the controls hidden on the top, you might not have the dishwasher accidentally running.”
No matter your preference, one thing is certain about a new dishwasher: It’ll save you one housework headache.
“Dishwashers
in that way are my favorite appliance,” Lehrman said. “Just put your dirty
dishes in the dishwasher. It takes you less work and by doing less work it’s
actually good for the environment and good for your wallet. It’s where being
lazy pays off!”
