Dishwashers
Whilst many still regard a dishwasher as a luxury kitchen appliance, we are seeing more customers viewing it as an essential item. Dishwashers are mainly thought of as time savers, but they are also more economical than washing by hand because they use less water and therefore use less energy.
Dishwashers can use as little as 6 litres of water to wash the equivalent of 12 place settings, where hand washing would take 20 litres or more and require almost twice as much electricity. Dishwashers wash at a higher temperature leaving cleaner and more hygienic dishes.
Standard 60cm wide dishwashers take on average 12 place settings, but some will take up to 15. Each place setting consists of ten items including pots, pans, crockery and cutlery. They are most economical on water and electricity if washing a full load. A half load uses only a quarter less electricity and water so you are better off waiting to wash a full load if possible. Freestanding dishwashers are available in white, silver and black. Integrated dishwashers are either fully integrated which has your kitchen unit covering the whole of the door and the control panel is hidden inside, or semi-integrated which has the control panel exposed at the top.
All dishwashers offer a variety of programmes, from a quick wash which is ideal if you are in the middle of entertaining as it can be finished in 30 minutes, to an intensive wash that can blast off stubborn burnt-on food residue.
Fitting the large spray head is useful for dirty items as it concentrates the water jet in one direction. Having fold-down prongs on the lower rack means you can easily reconfigure the rack to fit in pans or plates. An adjustable top rack will allow you to either lower the top rack to fit in tall glasses, or raise it to give you space to fit large pans on the bottom rack.
Dishwashers are very quiet nowadays so they shouldn’t keep you up at night. You can always set them off with a delayed start so that they finish at a more convenient time. They are also more flexible in allowing you to open the door mid wash to add in the cup that you forgot to bring in from the other room!
When loading, remember to scrape off as much food from your plates as possible. Place larger and dirtier items on the bottom rack. Most materials can be washed in a dishwasher, but watch out for lead crystal glasses, cast iron and wooden or bone handled items, which should all be washed by hand. Keep steel and silver cutlery separated, and place dishwasher safe plastics on the top rack away from the heating element.
Sometimes it can take too long to fill a standard dishwasher if there’s only one or two of you, so you may be better going for a slimline dishwasher. These are around 45 to 50cm wide and will take about 9 place settings. They are also great to fit in smaller gaps.
Dishwashers are prone to a build up of grease and limescale. Clean your machine about once a month. Always use granular salt in the salt reservoir as this keeps the built in resin-based water softener working optimally. Limescale build up can block the pipes and coat the heating element reducing efficiency. Remember to clean the filters at the bottom of the machine as these will trap any food residue that hasn’t been dissolved.
Dishwashers are not just time savers but water and electricity savers too. We have a variety of full size and slimline dishwashers in store at Tylers that will suit your particular needs.
Martin
Tylers Gas & Electrical
August 2016