If you end your long day up to your elbows in dishwater or shouting over the roar of an old dishwasher, it might be time to shop for a new dishwasher. Fortunately, the new models have lots of innovative features, so it’s easy to upgrade to a quieter and more efficient model.
Noise reduction in new dishwashers
If you have to turn up the TV volume when your noisy dishwasher starts, upgrading to a quiet model will likely be your highest priority. Newly built home often come with inexpensive dishwashers that don’t have much sound insulation or quieting features. When it’s time to upgrade that noisy builder’s model, pay close attention to sound reduction traits as you shop.
Even if your dishwasher doesn’t make an ear-splitting racket, if you can hear it running in the next room, it still might be time for a quieter model.
Dishwasher loudness is given in decibels. Below are the decibel ranges into which dishwashers fall.
- 60 decibels or more. Older dishwashers and inexpensive dishwashers installed in newly constructed subdivisions are the loudest. When a dishwasher in this range is running, you might have to raise your voice to be heard over the din. These basic entry-level dishwashers don’t have any sophisticated noise-reduction features.
- 50 to 55 decibels. You can hear a dishwasher in this range across the kitchen. It’s about as loud as a quiet conversation.
- 45 to 50 decibels. In this range, you can hear the dishwasher quietly running. These dishwashers often have stainless-steel tubs and a mastic sound-reduction barrier over the tub. They also have quiet pump motors and insulated toe panels that further reduce noise.
- Less than 45 decibels. You’ll hardly hear the dishwasher running when you’re standing in front of it. Manufacturers specifically design components such as pump motors, tubs and insulation to virtually silence all dishwasher noise. Ultra-quiet dishwashers typically use nearly silent DC pump motors and stainless-steel tubs to minimize noise. These dishwashers also have a lot of sound insulation around the tub and below the door.
A really quiet dishwasher costs more, but the solitude you enjoy with a nearly silent dishwasher may be worth the investment.
Cycles and settings to look for when buying a dishwasher
You have so many options for cycles and settings — look for ones that meet your needs. These options and cycles are available on many brands of dishwashers.
- Sanitize heats the water to the NSF standard of at least 150°F and runs a longer cycle, killing 99.9 percent of bacteria.
- Rinse Only quickly rinses food particles from a partial load of dishes, so dishes don’t get smelly and crusty until you have a full load. You can also use the Rinse Only cycle to rinse dust from stored dishes before use.
- 1-Hour Wash cleans your dishes in less time than normal wash cycles, so you can wrap up kitchen chores sooner. The 1-Hour Wash cycle uses more water and energy than cycles that sense food particles in the water, which often run more than 2 hours.
- Start Button Memory remembers the cycle and options you used the last time you ran a complete cycle, so you just have to push one button.
- Delay lets you postpone the start time in 1-hour increments, so the dishwasher starts when it’s convenient for you. For example, you might set the dishwasher to start after the washing machine finishes, or when you’re done showering.
- Child Lock keep the dishwasher from being started by little ones who like to press buttons.
Popular features of the best dishwashers to buy
If you’re in the market for a dishwasher that’s a few notches above basic, you might like these features.
ENERGY STAR® dishwashers use at least 41 percent less energy than the federal minimum standard. They also use much less hot water, saving as much as 3,500 gallons of water over the dishwasher’s lifespan. ENERGY STAR dishwashers use soil sensors, advanced water filtration, improved water jets and innovative rack designs to improve efficiency and reduce the amount of hot water used.
Wash sensors sense the number of food particles in the water and adjust the number of fills, wash times and temperatures accordingly. Wash times are shorter when dishes aren’t terribly dirty, and soiled dishes get a thorough scrubbing when they need it.
Adjustable-height dishracks have levers on the sides you use to raise and lower the rack, to make room for large dishes that you would otherwise have to hand wash. For example, you can raise the rack to accommodate cookie sheets on the lower rack, or lower the top rack to make room for long-stemmed wine glasses.
For even more dish-loading flexibility, choose a dishwasher with an adjustable and removable third dishrack.
A stainless steel dishwasher tub does several things better than a plastic tub:
- Suppresses noise
- Resists stain and odor
- Dries dishes (because the tub radiates heat)
- Saves energy
Advanced filtration in high-end dishwashers removes food debris from wash water for better cleaning. Dishwashers with advanced filtration systems have fine mesh screens that keep debris from being deposited on dishes. They also have removable debris filters, so you can more easily remove food debris and broken glass from the dishwasher.
High-performance spray systems help clean tough deposits off pots and pans. Special spray arms or jets aim water streams at cookware surfaces that are difficult to clean with standard spray arms. The best spray systems strategically blast dishes with water streams from all angles for the best cleaning.
Fashion choices to consider when buying a new dishwasher
Given that the dishwasher is ever-present in your kitchen, features that enhance the dishwasher’s appearance are nice to have if aesthetics matter to you.
Hidden dishwasher control panel
Choose a dishwasher with a hidden control panel to upgrade the look of your dishwasher. Controls on top of the door panel disappear when you close the door to start the cycle.
Dishwasher fashion colors
Gone are the days of choosing among 4 dishwasher colors: stainless, white, black or beige. Manufacturers introduce new fashion colors almost every year. Recent fashion colors include black stainless, bronze and slate.
Panel-ready design
Select a panel-ready design to hide your dishwasher behind a cabinet panel that matches the rest of your kitchen cabinetry. Panel-ready dishwashers have hidden control panels to provide a seamless look.
Smart dishwasher controls
Buy a smart dishwasher to control and monitor the dishwasher through an app on your smart phone. You’ll be interested in this feature if you have other appliances and devices connected to your home’s smart hub.
With smart dishwasher controls, you can remotely keep track of cycle progress and see the cycle time remaining. A rinse aid monitor alerts you when you need to refill the dispenser. Many smart controls notify you when the dishwasher is done and alert you to any problems while the dishwasher is running. Some smart dishwashers can automatically reorder detergent for you.
Look for these enhanced features to upgrade the performance, convenience, fashion and efficiency of your next dishwasher.