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Personally, I just don't like dishwashers. They don't seem to save any work - I still basically have to clean the dishes in order to precondition them for the

Personally, I just don't like dishwashers. They don't seem to save any work - I still basically have to clean the dishes in order to precondition them for the dishwasher, and now they create this monumental chore (put everyone's dishes away) that all the dishwasher users are constantly trying to avoid and foist off on the other dishwasher users. No, thank you.

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
emddudley 14y ago
My dishwasher does not require any rinsing. It has a built-in grinder for larger food particles that get washed off.
- efa 14y ago
  My dishwasher also cleans beautifully with no rinsing (thought I usually rinse the big particles). Now drying is another thing all together. I usually have to hand dry dishes (especially plastic) when I take them out before putting them away.
  - simon 14y ago
    We get around that by opening the dishwasher a few inches as soon as it's finished its cycle. That way the steam escapes, and the heat in the unit finishes drying the dishes. Most of the water you see on the contents is steam that has re-condensed onto everything. Hope this helps. IIRC I saw an article on Popular Mechanics about this a few years ago and tried it and it works.
    - efa 14y ago
      Thanks, I'll give that a try!
    - tripzilch 14y ago
      I do this too. I kinda always thought it's just part of how you operate a dishwasher :) First time I opened it right after its cycle, a huge cloud escapes, so it figures that otherwise it would condense, no? Another tip then, I don't just open it a few inches but all the way and pull out both racks. That way all the steam escapes within a few seconds and you can close up the dishwasher again. You do need a bit of ventilation but I just open my balcony door. And then, there's a few cups or glasses that have concave bottoms so they gather a bit of water. If you blow hard on them while everything is still hot, the drops will fly somewhere (it's just water), and those glasses will become fully dry thanks to the last bits of heat. Another tip. If you wrap it up real good so no soap can get to it, you can easily cook a piece of salmon in your dishwasher. It's not a great way (cooks too hot, for too long), but it does work and that's awesome. Another tip. If you got a compartment for a "shining agent", you can put a mix of white vinegar and ethanol in it. It works. Both of the substances easily evaporate in the heat so you won't get a vinegar smell or anything (unless you use balsamic--good luck with that). An expensive commercial shining agent might work even better, I never tried them. Yet another tip. Maybe you have a built-in water-softener whose ion-exchanger needs recharging by pouring dishwasher salt into another compartment. The only difference between table salt and this stuff is that the granules are big so it dissolves slower. So, buy big granules table salt instead (the stuff used in table salt grinders), which is much cheaper. Another other tip. You'll probably still do some cleaning by hand, when you need a specific utensil or something. If you use a plastic dishwasher brush, you can put that one in the dishwasher as well to clean it. I'm unsure why, but I find brushes to last a lot longer when I occasionally clean them in the dishwasher. If you can trust your dishwasher to not leave weird residue on your stuff, you can also use this method to clean plastic hair-combs every once in a while. A dishwasher really is a magical device. You can even put some lines of source code in the cutlery rack, and they'll come out with less bugs. True fact.
- thechut 14y ago
  How about giving the brand and model a plug then?
  - foobarqux 14y ago
    Doesn't have a built-in grinder (whatever that is) but Fisher-Paykel dishwashers actually work. Before using a Fisher-Paykel I had same belief as OP: That dishwasher's just didn't work. Every dish washer I had used before was a piece of shit; ineffective and flimsy. F&P is built sturdy (e.g. feel difference in the rack). Unit is built as two drawers that are operated separately, so you can start the washer with smaller loads. No multi-level racks. Has 3-4 duration-of-wash settings (up to 2+ hours), but for normal dishes I never had to use anything but fast (20 min). They are pricey but in my opinion you should get a similar quality dishwasher or not get a dishwasher at all. http://www.fisherpaykel.com/product/dishwashing/ http://www.fisherpaykel.com/product/dishwashing/ Warning: website is terribly designed
JoeAltmaier 14y ago
Been there; done that. And once I bought a dishwasher, I lost all motivation to do it by hand. Scraping off stuck stuff, the whole process of cleaning the sink, plugging it and filling it with water, sorting dishes by category (do the glasses first! Pots last!), running out of room to put the dry dishes so dry hands and put some away, then back to washing. Its not unpleasant, but just lots of work and the dishwasher does a decent job with 60 seconds of effort (put dry clean dishes away; rack dirty dishes, push a button). I do it before leaving for work. Of course, now with the energy-star hoax I'm starting to regret buying a new dishwasher, but that's another discussion.
- aasarava 14y ago
  What do you mean by "the energy-star hoax"? (Curious.)
  - JoeAltmaier 14y ago
    To qualify for 'Energy Star' in the US, you have to use 10% less energy/resources (water) as last year. No standard; no other goal. Result: clothes washers that don't wash (my washer at least has a button to override Energy Star, obliquely named Extra Rinse or Heavy Duty), dishwashers that don't get dishes clean; water heaters that deliver luke-warm water. The goal cannot have been "Use less energy, even if it means sucking". The goal was actually "Get a sticker on your product, for marketing reasons." Thus, a hoax.
    - luser001 14y ago
      What clothes washer are you talking about? Do you have a top-load washer? Those are notorious water wasters that probably can't wash well without huge amounts of water. As a counter point, I have a front-load 2011 Samsung washer and dryer. I even got some money from the Big Evil Government water district for the washer and IIRC from the Big Evil Power Company for the dryer. I am 200% satisfied with the wash and drying quality. It will take quite a bit to convince me that energy efficiency requirements are causing problems.
napillo 14y ago
I never pre-clean dishes for the dishwasher. Just scrape the food off the plate into the rubbish bin and stick it in the dishwasher. No need to pre-clean anything. I don't get people who do. If you have to do that, then your dishwasher is worthless or you are using the wrong detergent. After you eat, you should save what food is worth saving, and scrape the rest of the stuff off into the trash (using your knife, fork, whatever) and immediately place the dish in the dishwasher. Don't stack up your dishes and let them dry out so that you have to soak them and scrub them, just scrape and shove. If you can't do that, then you need to make it a habit to put away all your dishes before you cook dinner. Having less dishes helps.
ollysb 14y ago
It seems to be a feature of kitchens in Spain that the cupboards for crockery double as drying racks. The shelves are racks and the cupboards have no bottom so that the water simply falls onto the counter. My cupboard is right next to the sink as well so that whole washing process is very efficient.
- jarek 14y ago
  This is apparently a thing in Scandinavia as well. I'm a little jealous. (I do my dishes by hand and use the dishwasher as a passive drying rack. Well, at least I'm using tools for one relatively simple purpose only.)

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

emddudley 14y ago

My dishwasher does not require any rinsing. It has a built-in grinder for larger food particles that get washed off.

efa 14y ago
My dishwasher also cleans beautifully with no rinsing (thought I usually rinse the big particles). Now drying is another thing all together. I usually have to hand dry dishes (especially plastic) when I take them out before putting them away.
- simon 14y ago
  We get around that by opening the dishwasher a few inches as soon as it's finished its cycle. That way the steam escapes, and the heat in the unit finishes drying the dishes. Most of the water you see on the contents is steam that has re-condensed onto everything. Hope this helps. IIRC I saw an article on Popular Mechanics about this a few years ago and tried it and it works.
  - efa 14y ago
    Thanks, I'll give that a try!
  - tripzilch 14y ago
    I do this too. I kinda always thought it's just part of how you operate a dishwasher :) First time I opened it right after its cycle, a huge cloud escapes, so it figures that otherwise it would condense, no? Another tip then, I don't just open it a few inches but all the way and pull out both racks. That way all the steam escapes within a few seconds and you can close up the dishwasher again. You do need a bit of ventilation but I just open my balcony door. And then, there's a few cups or glasses that have concave bottoms so they gather a bit of water. If you blow hard on them while everything is still hot, the drops will fly somewhere (it's just water), and those glasses will become fully dry thanks to the last bits of heat. Another tip. If you wrap it up real good so no soap can get to it, you can easily cook a piece of salmon in your dishwasher. It's not a great way (cooks too hot, for too long), but it does work and that's awesome. Another tip. If you got a compartment for a "shining agent", you can put a mix of white vinegar and ethanol in it. It works. Both of the substances easily evaporate in the heat so you won't get a vinegar smell or anything (unless you use balsamic--good luck with that). An expensive commercial shining agent might work even better, I never tried them. Yet another tip. Maybe you have a built-in water-softener whose ion-exchanger needs recharging by pouring dishwasher salt into another compartment. The only difference between table salt and this stuff is that the granules are big so it dissolves slower. So, buy big granules table salt instead (the stuff used in table salt grinders), which is much cheaper. Another other tip. You'll probably still do some cleaning by hand, when you need a specific utensil or something. If you use a plastic dishwasher brush, you can put that one in the dishwasher as well to clean it. I'm unsure why, but I find brushes to last a lot longer when I occasionally clean them in the dishwasher. If you can trust your dishwasher to not leave weird residue on your stuff, you can also use this method to clean plastic hair-combs every once in a while. A dishwasher really is a magical device. You can even put some lines of source code in the cutlery rack, and they'll come out with less bugs. True fact.
thechut 14y ago
How about giving the brand and model a plug then?
- foobarqux 14y ago
  Doesn't have a built-in grinder (whatever that is) but Fisher-Paykel dishwashers actually work. Before using a Fisher-Paykel I had same belief as OP: That dishwasher's just didn't work. Every dish washer I had used before was a piece of shit; ineffective and flimsy. F&P is built sturdy (e.g. feel difference in the rack). Unit is built as two drawers that are operated separately, so you can start the washer with smaller loads. No multi-level racks. Has 3-4 duration-of-wash settings (up to 2+ hours), but for normal dishes I never had to use anything but fast (20 min). They are pricey but in my opinion you should get a similar quality dishwasher or not get a dishwasher at all. http://www.fisherpaykel.com/product/dishwashing/ http://www.fisherpaykel.com/product/dishwashing/ Warning: website is terribly designed

JoeAltmaier 14y ago

Been there; done that. And once I bought a dishwasher, I lost all motivation to do it by hand. Scraping off stuck stuff, the whole process of cleaning the sink, plugging it and filling it with water, sorting dishes by category (do the glasses first! Pots last!), running out of room to put the dry dishes so dry hands and put some away, then back to washing. Its not unpleasant, but just lots of work and the dishwasher does a decent job with 60 seconds of effort (put dry clean dishes away; rack dirty dishes, push a button). I do it before leaving for work. Of course, now with the energy-star hoax I'm starting to regret buying a new dishwasher, but that's another discussion.

aasarava 14y ago
What do you mean by "the energy-star hoax"? (Curious.)
- JoeAltmaier 14y ago
  To qualify for 'Energy Star' in the US, you have to use 10% less energy/resources (water) as last year. No standard; no other goal. Result: clothes washers that don't wash (my washer at least has a button to override Energy Star, obliquely named Extra Rinse or Heavy Duty), dishwashers that don't get dishes clean; water heaters that deliver luke-warm water. The goal cannot have been "Use less energy, even if it means sucking". The goal was actually "Get a sticker on your product, for marketing reasons." Thus, a hoax.
  - luser001 14y ago
    What clothes washer are you talking about? Do you have a top-load washer? Those are notorious water wasters that probably can't wash well without huge amounts of water. As a counter point, I have a front-load 2011 Samsung washer and dryer. I even got some money from the Big Evil Government water district for the washer and IIRC from the Big Evil Power Company for the dryer. I am 200% satisfied with the wash and drying quality. It will take quite a bit to convince me that energy efficiency requirements are causing problems.

napillo 14y ago

I never pre-clean dishes for the dishwasher. Just scrape the food off the plate into the rubbish bin and stick it in the dishwasher. No need to pre-clean anything. I don't get people who do. If you have to do that, then your dishwasher is worthless or you are using the wrong detergent. After you eat, you should save what food is worth saving, and scrape the rest of the stuff off into the trash (using your knife, fork, whatever) and immediately place the dish in the dishwasher. Don't stack up your dishes and let them dry out so that you have to soak them and scrub them, just scrape and shove. If you can't do that, then you need to make it a habit to put away all your dishes before you cook dinner. Having less dishes helps.

ollysb 14y ago

It seems to be a feature of kitchens in Spain that the cupboards for crockery double as drying racks. The shelves are racks and the cupboards have no bottom so that the water simply falls onto the counter. My cupboard is right next to the sink as well so that whole washing process is very efficient.

jarek 14y ago
This is apparently a thing in Scandinavia as well. I'm a little jealous. (I do my dishes by hand and use the dishwasher as a passive drying rack. Well, at least I'm using tools for one relatively simple purpose only.)