PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PURCHASING A DISHWASHER
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Are you done being the one stuck washing dishes by hand? Are you in the market for a dishwasher but don’t know where to start? There are so many brands with so many features and one dishwasher look better than the next, sometimes they look the same, so where do you start? What do you look for?
First things first, congratulations, you doing the adult things or maybe it’s that you finally saved enough for a dishwasher. Either way, you are in the market for a new dishwasher and there are a few things you should like to know before purchasing. Here are a few helpful hints about what you are supposed to be looking for to help narrow down some choices for you before purchasing:
Before you start going to the shops or browsing through different brand catalogues have a look at your household and the space in your house. Think of the place where the dishwasher will be housed – will it be under a counter, next to another appliance or do you have a perfect corner designated for your new appliance? Dishwashers can be free-standing or built-in and where you place yours definitely will influence your purchase. Built-in dishwashers will be fixed in one area and attached to all its required plumbing. A free-standing dishwasher will be able to be shifted and moved around in your space. Dishwashers also come in different sizes but most generally most are 85cm high and about 60cm wide. Before you purchase look at your space and find out if you have sufficient space for a standard-sized dishwasher or if should you look for one that is specific to your space requirements.
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When you consider the physical size of a dishwasher, in addition, you need to take into consideration the size of the interior of a dishwasher. Dishwashers are available in various sizes and they are classified in the number of place settings that they can accommodate. The place settings of dishwashers vary from 6-place settings right up to 16-place settings. When considering a dishwasher, think about how often your dishwasher will be used and by whom, will it be used by just your household members or do you host parties and have guests over regularly? The bigger the household, the more likely the larger your dishwasher will need to be. As a rule of thumb, larger households could go for a 12-16 place setting and on the other hand a smaller family of say 4 members could opt for a 6-8 place setting dishwasher.
The next point to look out for in your search for the perfect dishwasher for your household is the energy efficiency of your appliance. The higher your appliance’s energy efficiency rating the more environmentally friendly and energy efficient it is. By ensuring you purchase the most energy-efficient model of the dishwasher; you can cut down on electricity bills, they might be pricier at purchase than lower energy-efficient options but they will save you electricity costs in the long run.
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Once the above is settled in your mind you should start looking at the programs and features of the actual appliance and what it can do for you – most dishwashers have typical features that are standard like an Automatic program, a Quick Load program and a setting for delicate items like glassware. When opting for a dishwasher look at your kitchen habits, if you hate washing pots and pans, you could opt for a dishwasher that has special functioning in that regard.
Do you want your dishes to be done in the least amount of time possible including cleaning and drying, then remember to check for the functionality. Lastly, if you entertain friends over often for liquid parties then dishwashers with special accommodation for glasses will be high on your list to look out for. Other programmes that could benefit you are multiple cycle washes, delay start and child lock, especially if you have toddlers in your home.
As much as programmes are important so are the physical components of the dishwasher – Components like baskets, cutlery trays, cutlery drawers and glass trays are important to consider. The component like baskets house your dishes whilst they are being cleaned. In some brands, baskets are adjustable and in other brands they are not, some dishwashers come with cutlery trays and others with specialized baskets for your glassware and all these attachments make it easy to pack your dishes so that you can fit all your dishes in one cycle. If you often use serving dishes and larger casserole dishes you might opt for adjustable baskets and if your wine glasses are your favourite kitchen item you will look for a dishwasher with a special attachment for wine glasses.
Whether you live in a flat, a house or a separate entrance you should keep in mind the noise levels that the dishwasher will emit. If you are a midnight owl that prefers to do dishes at night or you live in an apartment with thin walls. It helps to look at a machine that is softer, the lower the decibel output, the softer your dishwasher operates. Typically, most dishwashers fall in the mid-40 range of noise output and most brands list the output on their listed features.
Technology has developed and so has your dishwasher; some brands have synced capabilities that can allow you to run your dishwasher remotely via your smart device. You could even pack your dishwasher and have it run an hour or two before you arrive home all from your smart device from work or even your pre-selected instruction on the device.
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Finally, you know everything you need to know practically before you make the final purchase. You know the size and capacity of your dishwasher as well as which cleaning performance are you looking at and the energy efficiency. The last things you should consider are Brands, the market is not short of options and certainly, each one will claim to be the best but look at reviews and listen to experts and factor that into your decision. Lastly, your budget should be considered. Brands have different options across many different price ranges, once you ticked all your requirements look for an option within your budget.
At Tafelberg Furnishers we have a wide range of dishwashers available, to fit budgets, small to large households and varying energy efficiencies. We house a range of dishwashers from all the best brands. Hopefully, this list helps you make a decision more easily.