Types of Dishwasher

There are several types of dishwasher out there, mainly different by size and outer design. Let’s go over each one briefly.

Portable Dishwasher

Dishwasher on wheels! If you live in a rented place and cannot remodel your kitchen, or you want to bring your dishwasher away next time you move, portable dishwasher is one of your best choices. It is not fixed into your kitchen cabinets like the built-in or integrated dishwashers, so you can roll it out of sight when you need the space. Or you can use it as an extra cabinet for your dishes, and the top of it as an extra countertop space. Some of these are convertible into built-in dishwasher so that you can fix them into your kitchen cabinets next time you remodel your kitchen. If you ask me, Danby Portable Dishwasher is the one I like.

Countertop Dishwasher

The name says it. This dishwasher is small and sits on your countertop like a microwave oven. It’s smaller than the portable dishwasher and is perfect for couples without kids, or people who rarely cook at all. This costs less than full-size dishwashers and save you water and energy costs ONLY if you fit into the description above. That’s because if you have plenty of dishes to wash, you can get a full-size dishwasher for just a bit more in the price. EdgeStar Countertop Dishwasher is the best countertop dishwasher I recommend.

Slimline Dishwasher

This slimline dishwasher comes in both portable and built-in versions. It is only 18 inches wide, good for those who don’t have much space left in their kitchen.

Built-in Dishwasher

The standard 24-inch wide full size dishwasher. The built-in dishwasher is fixed into your kitchen under the countertop and all the connections to power and plumbing is invisible to the eye. Built-in dishwashers are always quieter than non-built-in ones. The best quiet dishwasher I found is the Bosch SHX98M09UC Integra 800 Series. Some of these dishwashers are designed to blend in with the kitchen theme. That means the controls are kept out of sight and you won’t realize the dishwasher is there if you didn’t know it already. Whirlpool GU2475XTVY has the best value among these integrated dishwashers.

Drawer Dishwasher

The drawer dishwasher is different from any other dishwasher in its design. For this one, you load from the top, like putting dishes into a drawer. The good thing is, you get two drawers for one dishwasher, and you can set them going separately. What’s the benefit of this? Why, you can save water and energy costs when you have only half load, and yet be able to wash all dishes at the same time when you have a full load! What’s more, you can run the two loads with different wash cycles, separating them one for china and one for pots, for instance. I recommend: KitchenAid Architect Series II KUDH03DTSS Fully Integrated Double Drawer Dishwasher.

Still not sure how to buy a dishwasher? Check out my guide post on How to Choose the Best Dishwasher, where I’ve explained more about this, or read up on More Dishwasher Features to decide which features you want for your dishwasher. Go back to my Best Dishwasher main page here.