Looking for a new dishwasher deal this Black Friday? You might think they haven't changed much since you last bought one, but there are plenty of new features and things to consider.
Dishwashers today are smarter, more feature-packed, bigger and (slightly) more efficient than ever before.
Here's what to consider before you buy, so you don't get swayed by any flashy promises on Black Friday adverts.
See our round up of the best dishwashers.
1. How efficient is it?
The table shows the average star rating for the energy efficiency of the main program, for dishwashers we tested since 2019. It shows that dishwashers have got a little more efficient with energy over the past few years.
| Year | Average energy efficiency star rating (out of 5) |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4.4 |
| 2021 | 4.2 |
| 2022 | 4.5 |
The energy efficiency of dishwashers still varies wildly, so it's worth checking our dishwasher reviews before you buy to get an idea of running costs.
One of the most efficient full-sized dishwashers we've tested is the Bosch SMS8YCI03E (£959). Using the main program (with our testing load) five times a week would cost you £73 a year. This is 52% less than that of the Candy CF 6E5DFW (£300) that costs £124 a year to run.
Find out what are the most energy efficient dishwashers?
2. Do I need the fancy programs?
There are more programs than ever before on many new dishwashers, including:
- Silent or quiet - increasingly common in premium dishwashers, these programs claim to reduce the noises made during the filling and washing cycles, which is handy if you live in an open-plan home.
- Steam, hygiene or baby protect - an intensive wash combined with a rinse that includes a burst of higher temperature of up to 70°C. Or sometimes it's a higher-temperature short-burst rinse finishing off a normal program. These programs are often promoted as leaving dishes germ-free.
- Two-stage - two washes, one after the other, but in one program for an extra intense clean. Handy for very soiled dishes, such as a greasy baking tray after a roast.
- Two-zone - A gentle wash of the top rack - usually for glasses - combined with a more intense wash on the bottom rack, for pans and tough grime.
Read our glossary of dishwasher programs to find out more.
3. Is it wasting water?
The average water efficiency rating has gone up from 4.2 to 4.4 stars (out of five) in the last three years. This shows that, on average, dishwashers sold now use a little less water than older models.
A typical washing-up bowl holds nine litres of water. We estimate that you can wash around two standard meal sets with one washing-up bowl before needing to refill it.
A full-sized dishwasher can wash and rinse between 12 and 16 place settings using the same amount of water, so it's by far a more efficient way to wash your dishes.
To get the same water efficiency from washing up by hand, you'd need to clean at least a dozen plates, bowls, cups, mugs and tonnes of cutlery on a single washing-up bowl.
How much water does it take to wash two place settings?
| Method of washing | Best (litres) | Average (litres) | Worst (litres) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-sized dishwasher | 1 | 2.2 | 4.2 |
| Slimline dishwasher | 1.8 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Washing by hand | n/a | 9 | n/a |
4. Built-in dishwasher or not?
Built in, aka integrated dishwashers, are designed to be incorporated into built-in kitchens, so it completely blends into your kitchen, hidden behind a cabinet door.
This is great if you want your kitchen to look streamlined, but they're often more expensive than freestanding models.
The controls and display aren't visible at a glance, either, so you can't quickly look to see if your wash is almost finished. But some modern dishwashers, such as the Bosch SMV6ZCX01G, get around this by projecting the time straight onto the floor in front.
5. How many place settings do I need?
Dishwashers come with more place settings than ever before. Around 10 years ago, the biggest you could find was 14 place settings, but now you can find many that offer 16 place settings.
This doesn't necessarily make loading and unloading them any easier, though. In fact, our testing shows that to fill a 16 place setting dishwasher to max capacity, you have to really squeeze everything in. But having more spaces for plates, bowls, cups and mugs will be handy if you have lots of washing up, even if fitting them all in is a challenge.
For those who don't need so much space, there are still plenty of regular 12 and 13 place setting dishwasher available from the most popular brands.
A slimline dishwasher may also be worth considering if you don't have much space, or don't need to clean as much. But we've sometimes found them trickier to load, and our lab tests reveal they are, on average, less energy and water efficient than full-sized dishwashers.
6. Should I go smart or not?
Smart dishwashers connect to your home wi-fi network and pair with an app on your smartphone or tablet.
They started out pricier - usually more than £600 - but recently we've seen ones available for less than £300.
Most allow you to start your dishwasher from your phone, but some allow you to automatically order more detergent on a timer and download new programs. They can also let you monitor energy consumption and get troubleshooting diagnostics.
This should give you greater flexibility to operate your dishwasher, but it's not an absolute necessity.
If you forget to put your dishwasher on in the morning, being able to do it from your smartphone won't be of much use as there won't be any dishwasher detergent in there (unless your dishwasher has automatic detergent dosing). Plus, there are safety aspects to consider with running electrical appliances when you're not at home.
See all our smart dishwasher reviews.
7. Does it come in a different colour?
Black, silver, stainless steel, cream and even bright red dishwashers are available nowadays, but you could have to pay a premium to get the same dishwasher in something other than white.
If you want a different colour it will limit your choice, as many retailers will only sell one colour - either the white one or the black one usually.
Dishwashers with a stainless steel exterior will cost more because stainless steel is more expensive than the plastic many dishwashers are made of.
Compare our reviews of black dishwashers, silver dishwashers and stainless steel dishwashers.
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