Tabletop dishwashers: selection criteria, expert advice, review of the best models

The times when only the working hands of housewives were used to wash dirty dishes are not so far gone from us. At catering establishments, there was even such a profession as “dishwasher” for these purposes. Global technological progress has made great strides not only in industry, but also in the everyday life of ordinary people, significantly facilitating and completely automating many labor-intensive harmful processes.

The first mechanical semi-automatic dishwashers appeared at large catering establishments in the second half of the last century. At the beginning of this century, the first examples of imported kitchen dishwashing equipment began to appear in our country, which was still far from perfect, bulky, noisy and completely uneconomical.

Not much more than ten years have passed, and now it is impossible to surprise anyone with the huge variety of household dishwashers of different performance and layout. A separate category of devices includes compact tabletop dishwashers.A brief overview of tabletop dishwashers is presented in this article.

What are countertop dishwashers?

To save limited space in small apartments, people have come up with separately installed small dishwashers. Moreover, these devices are endowed with the same consumer properties as their full-size counterparts. The device can also quickly and efficiently clean dirty dishes without taking up extra space in the kitchen. In terms of functionality, mini dishwashers are practically no different from full-size machines. Such a home assistant is mobile and easy to use and is very popular among owners of small-sized homes.

The range of these devices is very wide and today is designed to suit the needs of almost any person. Depending on the functionality, design and workmanship, compact dishwashers can have different prices, while meeting the tastes of both the most demanding and not very picky consumers.

Tabletop dishwashers are characterized by sufficient mobility and small size, combined with the ability to install them both on a table and on any other relatively durable horizontal surface. They are indispensable assistants in kitchens, cottages, recreation centers, hotel rooms, etc.

The most popular are devices with small overall dimensions in width, depth and height, ranging from 45-50 cm. They are ideally suited to the needs of small modern families of 2-3 people.

Countertop dishwashers are always very economical to operate, have low water and energy consumption, while maintaining the highest quality of washing.

Advantages and disadvantages of countertop dishwashers

Compared to full-sized units, tabletop dishwashers have a number of advantages, including the following:

• efficiency;
• quality of work;
• ergonomics;
• low noise level;
• nice design;
• ease of installation;
• mobility;
• relatively low cost;
• small overall dimensions.

Due to their compactness and low power, countertop dishwashers are champions in terms of efficiency. They consume 2-3 times less water and electricity compared to full-size models, and almost always have energy consumption classes A, A+, A++.

Initially, many tabletop models are designed without the possibility of internal integration into kitchen units, so their external design is always worked out in detail, distinguished by sophistication and sophistication of elements, combined with high ergonomics of control and maintenance. Along with this, models of compact dishwashers built into kitchen furniture are produced.

The relatively low power of the components used contributes to the creation of models with the lowest noise level among similar devices.

Small-sized devices are easy to install, which you can almost always do yourself without inviting a qualified specialist.

The most important quality of devices is their mobility. The machine can always be easily dismantled, taken with you to the dacha, or loaned to relatives or friends for a while to service an upcoming celebration or party.

With all the above qualities, desktop machines are always significantly cheaper than their full-size counterparts (1.5-2 times) and are available for purchase to a wide range of consumers.

Modest dimensions allow you to install the product in a kitchen of any size, allowing you to use the space in the most optimal way.

The main disadvantages of countertop dishwashers are:

• inability to wash large dishes such as pans, bulky pots, trays, etc.;
• small capacity of the chamber (maximum for 6, rarely 8 conventional sets of dishes);
• the advisability of using special concentrated detergents recommended by the device manufacturer;
• limited, but in most cases quite sufficient functionality.

What to look for when buying a countertop dishwasher

In order not to be disappointed in choosing a dishwasher, before purchasing you should thoroughly study all its capabilities, whether the appearance and workmanship meet the expectations and tastes of a particular buyer. Fortunately, now it’s very easy to do this, both directly in the store and via the Internet. You should not hope that when purchasing, the manager will offer the most optimal option that will satisfy your needs in every way.

When comparing options, it is first recommended to pay special attention to the following qualities:

• water and electricity consumption;
• availability of protection systems against leaks and overflows;
• loading space volume;
• operating noise level;
• sufficiency of functionality for the established set of executable programs.

The efficiency indicator is of paramount importance when choosing a countertop dishwasher. A small machine uses much less water and electricity than large stationary machines, and is always more economical than washing dishes by hand. The machine spends no more than 6-8 liters of water per operating cycle. The cost of detergents is incomparably lower than when washing dishes by hand.

The volume of electricity consumption depends mainly on the method of heating water. There is a flow heating method and a heating method. With the flow-through method, water is heated at the moment it is drawn into the machine, and immediately to operating temperature, instantly entering the washing chamber. This solution allows you to significantly reduce the cycle time, but significantly increases the power of the heating system. Accordingly, the apartment requires powerful electrical wiring with wires of a larger cross-section. With heating element heating, water enters a tank located at the bottom of the machine and is heated there gradually to operating temperature. Then the hot water is pumped into the working chamber. This scheme is more economical in terms of energy consumption, but longer in time.

Any dishwasher consumes water from the kitchen water supply and is constantly connected to it, being under pressure of up to 5 atmospheres or more around the clock. In this case, under certain circumstances, there is a risk of water leakage through the sealing elements of the system. To prevent such risks, many modern devices are equipped with Aquastop complete leak protection systems.

The system was developed by Bosch specialists, and the right to use it was purchased by many global companies producing washing equipment.

Depending on the dimensions, tabletop devices come with working chambers with a capacity of 4.6 and less often for eight sets of dishes. You need to make a choice based on your real needs, while remembering that excessive and systematically unused volume entails additional energy and water costs.

Today there are devices with very low noise levels of 45 dB and lower, but noisier models with values ​​of 50 dB and higher are still found.

The set of basic programs is almost constant for all dishwashers and is characterized by the presence of the following modes:

• everyday washing - used for processing lightly soiled dishes at temperatures up to +65 degrees;
• intensive - serves to remove heavy contaminants with temperatures up to +70 degrees;
• economical - removes light dirt at temperatures up to +55 degrees and saves up to 30% of water and electricity;
• express process – accelerated washing of lightly soiled dishes.

The basic set can be expanded with some additional functionality:

• pre-soaking;
• bioprocessing;
• rinsing;
• delicate processing.

Top 10 Best Countertop Dishwashers

For each price segment, from budget to high, according to expert ratings, popular models of desktop dishwashers can be arranged as follows:

Expert advice on choosing a countertop dishwasher

Choosing a suitable copy of complex household appliances today is not very easy, since the range is wide and varied in many respects. In order not to be disappointed in the purchase, you need to take into account the entire set of technical parameters of the machines.

Tabletop versions of dishwashers are not purchased very often and only when it is not possible to install a full-size model. Not all countertop dishwashers are of high quality and reliable. Therefore, experts most often advise looking towards famous brands. But even in this case, you should never rush to make a choice.

You should always select a PMM based on your needs and preferences, without overpaying for functionality that is of little demand later or for a too loud brand. You should always remember that the wider the functionality of the machine, the more expensive it will be.

Many buyers, after purchasing a dishwasher, are disappointed in its capabilities, and all only because, without studying the instruction manual, they began to make childish mistakes that do not allow the device to fully perform the tasks assigned to it. The most common mistakes are:

• incorrect and excessively dense loading of dishes into the washing chamber;
• unacceptable types of products for washing;
• types of detergents that do not comply with the manufacturer’s recommendations;
• incorrect choice of washing mode;
• placing dishes with large or dried residues of dirt;
• the water in the system is too hard, operating the device without adding special salt components to soften the water.

Different machines may have different dish drying systems. The most popular and economical are products with condensation drying systems. The process does not require electricity, but is very effective, although time-consuming. It is based on the principle of evaporation of moisture from the surface of hot dishes and subsequent condensation of steam on the cold metal walls of the washing chamber. The condensed moisture flows into the pan and is discharged into the sewer. But during operation, there are situations when light items made of nylon or plastic are placed in the chamber together with glass or ceramic dishes. Due to their low heat capacity, such dishes cool down very quickly, preventing the moisture from completely evaporating. You should not be surprised when in such a situation, after the cycle has completed, wet dishes are discovered. All such nuances are described in the operating manuals and are not signs of a device malfunction.

Before purchasing, you should think about the installation location of the device and the availability of necessary communications. Near the installation site there should be: an electrical outlet with a grounding wire, a plumbing drain or sink, a water supply with a tap for connection. Modern machines can be connected to both cold and hot water supply systems.When connected to hot water, you can significantly save on electricity, but the quality of such water almost everywhere does not correspond to the operating conditions of the machines.

To prevent the noise of a running unit from irritating your ears, you should choose machines with a sound pressure level of no more than 45 dB.

During operation, it is necessary to periodically clean the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher. If you forget about this, then waste water with impurities will linger in the chamber, causing a deterioration in the quality of washing.

In terms of energy consumption class and amount of water consumed, the best are devices with the A++ index.

Machines with a remote display look very aesthetically pleasing, and at the same time they are very convenient to use, but the cost will always be somewhat more expensive than their faceless counterparts.

It’s good when the camera has a backlight when the door is opened, but this is not a very relevant option for desktop-type machines.

If you have children in the family, you should pay attention to washing mashines with a function for locking the door and external controls.

With regard to brands that use the most advanced technologies and ensure long-term operation, we can especially highlight the following: AEG, Siemens, Bosch, Electrolux. The domestic brand Midea is gaining popularity. Products from Beko, Hotpoint-Ariston, Gorenje, Hansa have the optimal combination of price and quality.

The price certainly reflects the quality of the washing mashines, but not always. Sometimes even luxury products do not differ in quality and functionality. The most optimal choice is often the choice of products from the middle price segment.

Conclusion

Of all the existing variety of types of household appliances, dishwashers entered our everyday life relatively recently, but have already firmly gained a reputation as the most necessary home assistants, along with washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators. Everyone needs this technique for constant and daily use. Accordingly, reliability and durability parameters are built into these devices based on the requirements of such conditions.

You can almost always choose the right device, but you just need to decide in advance on the main selection criteria. Only in this case will you receive a copy that meets all your personal needs and expectations.