Essential Reports

Choosing a

Dishwasher

Which should you choose? Get the best from your machine Best Buy detergents
INDEPENDENT EXPERT ADVICE YOU CAN TRUST

BEST B UYS

TESTED

Inside

Letter from the editor
Welcome to the Which? guide to choosing a dishwasher. Finding the best dishwasher for your kitchen, and your lifestyle, can be difficult theres a confusing number of models on the market, each promising the earth in terms of sparkling dinnerware. To help you select the right machine and detergent for your needs, weve tested 93 dishwashers and 27 cleaning products in the lab. Whether its giving advice on taking photos or choosing the right washing machine, Which? gives you all the facts you need to make the decision thats best for you. We test more products more rigorously and in greater depth than anyone else, so you can be sure that youre getting the best information available. And we cut through the techno-babble to give you clear, no-nonsense advice thats easy to understand. But the most important thing about us is that we are totally independent. Nobody pays us we take no advertising or freebies, and we buy all our products at full price, just like you. Were funded by consumers, for consumers. So we can tell it like it is and give you the straight facts good or bad. Neil Fowler Editor, Which?

Contents

03 Which should you choose? 04 How to buy
Helpful advice and pointers on how to select the right dishwasher for your kitchen What to look out for when youre in the store Nine of our 93 dishwashers made it into the Which? Best Buy hall of fame Test scores and guide prices for all the dishwashers weve tested We tell you which button does what Putting the machines through their paces

13 Which program?

Select the right program for the job So many dishes so little time. Your frequently asked questions are answered Seven Best Buy dishwasher detergents
14 Your questions answered
05 Which? Best Buy dishwashers 09 Every dishwasher tested 10 Features explained
16 Which? Best Buy detergents 18 Detergent features explained
We disperse the jargon around detergents
19 How we test detergents
How dirty dishes get the Which? treatment in order to bring you our Best Buys Commonly asked detergent questions
12 How we test dishwashers
20 Your questions answered

About Which?

Which? is a non-profit-making organisation that aims to make consumers as powerful as the organisations they deal with in their daily lives. Which? campaigns to get a fairer deal for all consumers on a wide range of issues, tests more than 2,000 products a year and publishes the results of this rigorous testing and expertise in a wide range of magazines and books, and through an online subscription service and new digital store. Which? is entirely independent we take no ads or freebies and pay full price for everything we test. As a result, Which? is the number one independent source
Independent expert advice you can trust
of buying advice in the UK, with more than one million customers. services that achieve the highest results after rigorous testing by Which?.
WHICH? DONT Dont Buys BUY These are products

Best Buys

Which? aims to help you choose the best goods and services. The nationally WHICH? BEST recognised Which? BUY Best Buy is awarded only to products or
that perform extremely poorly in one or more of our key tests, or that achieve very low test scores.
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Which should you choose?

Buy a dishwasher and you can throw away the rubber gloves for ever
Regardless of the size of your kitchen, a dishwasher can save you time, effort and water, so its hardly surprising that theyre more popular than ever. But before splashing out several hundred pounds, you need to consider what kind of machine is right for your needs. With this in mind, we tackle some critical buying questions in this report. These include whether its worth paying extra to get a machine with fancy features, such as half-load and extra drying, and the potentially tricky problem of washing delicate glassware. Weve tested 96 full-sized, slimline and built-in machines costing between 170 and 730, and found nine Best Buys, with Miele claiming top spot. Its not possible for us to test every dishwasher that you might find in the shops many models on sale are, in any case, very similar to those we test, with the difference often as little as a change of colour. In this report, weve provided you with the details youll need to buy one of those family models that we are confident will be as good as those weve tested. To find out more on this subject, see Family matters, p13. And of course, no dishwasher will work without detergent we have tested 17 combination and ten detergent-only tablets to bring you seven Best Buys. Take a look at p16 for the results and more information.
Sizing up the competition
Here are our tips on choosing a dishwasher
I THE RIGHT SIZE A full-sized machine suits an average family. It can take 12 place settings, including cutlery. Slimlines are more suited to small kitchens or couples, holding eight to ten settings,. Compacts (four to six settings) are more suitable for a single person in a small flat. See Tpes of dishwasher, p12. I YOUR LIFESTYLE Different machines suit different lifestyles. For example, if you use lots of pans, look for a model with a prewash or soak option. Programs vary slightly among models, but many people use just the main program (65C) and the eco program (50C), so you dont have to buy a complex machine. Some will include programs for glass and combination tablets. I EFFICIENCY All models are graded A to G for energy efficiency, with A being most efficient. I ONLINE You may save money by buying a dishwasher online. For example, the AEG-Electrolux Favorit F860700VI starts from 485 online but is around 720 on the high street.
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Full dishwasher test results
The table shows the price and the percentage rating the product received when tested
Price () Score Price () Score Price () Score

DISHWASHERS

AEG-ELECTROLUX F50870 AEG-ELECTROLUX F50870M AEG-ELECTROLUX F54750 AEG-ELECTROLUX F60870 AEG-ELECTROLUX Favorit F35085VI AEG-ELECTROLUX Favorit F86070VI BAUMATIC BFD64SS BEKO DE2431FS BEKO DWD4310S BEKO DWD4310W BEKO DWD5410 BEKO DWD8650X BOSCH SGS45C02GB BOSCH SGS56E12GB BOSCH SGV46M43GB BOSCH SHV55M03 BOSCH SKT5102 Classixx BOSCH SRS 43C22 Classixx BOSCH SRS45E22 Exxcel BOSCH SRS45E32GB CANDY CDS 220 X-80 CANDY CFD612 CANDY CFD612S CANDY CSD68 CANDY CSD68S ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOTPOINT FDW70 HOTPOINT FDW75A HOTPOINT FDW80 HOTPOINT SDW60 HOTPOINT SDW80 HOTPOINT SDW85A INDESIT DI 620 INDESIT IDE 1000 Evolution INDESIT IDE 44 INDESIT IDE1005S INDESIT IDL 40 INDESIT IDL 530 INDESIT IDL730 INDESIT IDL735S JOHN LEWIS JLBIDW1200 JOHN LEWIS JLBIDW901 KENWOOD KDW12SL3A KENWOOD KDW12ST3A KENWOOD KDW4TTSL MATSUI MF2W MATSUI MF2W/A MATSUI MS2W/A MAYTAG MSE661FARS MAYTAG MSE661FARW MAYTAG MSE760FARS MIELE G 1142 SC MIELE G1202 SC MIELE G1102SC MIELE G1222SC MIELE G1232SC NEFF S5453X1GB/74 PROLINE DWF1250P PROLINE PDW041 PROLINE PDW080 SIEMENS SE25M575GB SMEG DF614S SMEG DF6FABAZ TRICITY BENDIX TDF200 TRICITY BENDIX TDF221 WHIRLPOOL ADG 550
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WHIRLPOOL ADG 7560 WHIRLPOOL ADG1900-DRAWERx1 WHIRLPOOL ADP 4601 WHIRLPOOL ADP 8000 WHIRLPOOL ADP4501/5WH WHIRLPOOL ADP5406 ZANUSSI-ELECTROLUX ZDF231 ZANUSSI-ELECTROLUX ZDF231S ZANUSSI-ELECTROLUX ZDF501 ZANUSSI-ELECTROLUX ZDF601K ZANUSSI-ELECTROLUX ZDT5053 ZANUSSI-ELECTROLUX ZDT6053 ZANUSSI-ELECTROLUX ZSF 2400 ZANUSSI-ELECTROLUX ZSF4126
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Despite scoring highly, some machines dont achieve Best Buy status because their brand is unreliable, or we dont yet have data on reliability (see opposite)

Dont Buys

WHICH?
PROLINE DWF1250P Of all of the models tested, this Proline was the worst at washing, and its one of the noisiest, too. It also left watermarks, but its energy-save program is OK.

DONT BUY

COOKWORKS WQP8-9239 (480/9984) --DE DIETRICH DVY430J ELECTROLUX ESF46010 ELECTROLUX ESF6146 (VISI) ELECTROLUX ESL6115 ELECTROLUX ESL63010 HOOVER HED6612 HOOVER HEDS668-80 HOOVER HOD7715-80 HOTPOINT BCI450 HOTPOINT BFI620 HOTPOINT FDW20 HOTPOINT FDW60 HOTPOINT FDW65A ---------------------------
KENWOOD KDW12SL3A This very noisy Kenwood has no energysaving program. The main program (at 2 hours 35 minutes) washes OK, but drying left too many watermarks on the crockery, cutlery and glassware. MATSUI MS2W/A Although this noisy Matsui washes and dries acceptably, we were disappointed with the extent of watermarks left on pots and cutlery. It also lacks an energysave program. PROLINE PDW041 This compact Prolines main program lasts just 60 minutes the shortest for the compacts we tested. But it washes indifferently and its one of the worst on test for drying. We also found this model very noisy.
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Features explained

Some models come with an array of extra features or options our handy guide will help you make the right choice
Types of dishwasher Compact or table top

Dishwasher type Dimensions (HxWxD) Place settings Best for
Standard or full sized 85x60x61cm 12 to 15 A large family or if you entertain On machines with 15 place settings items are crammed in, which can affect cleaning
Slimline 85x45x61cm 8 to 10 Smaller households where space is limited Can be noisier than full-sized models 45x56x46cm 4 to 6 Occasional use, if you live alone, or prefer not to bend down Difficult to fit in large items

Drawbacks

Built-in or semiintegrated models
Most dishwashers are freestanding, so if you want one that matches your kitchen cabinets, you can buy a built-in model (with concealed controls on the top of the door), or a semi-integrated one (where just the control panel is visible) both these types have a decorative panel mounted on the front of the door.
Few models have childsafety locks
your dishwasher, youll need to adjust the setting for water hardness, depending on the hardness of the water in your area take a look at www.dwi.gov.uk for more information, or contact your local water board.

Useful features

I CHILD-SAFETY LOCK Dishwashers use strong chemical detergents and extremely hot water, yet few models have child-safety locks to stop the door being opened while the machine is cleaning. I DELAYED START Many models have a function that lets you delay the program start. This is useful if you have a timed energy tariff such as Economy 7. Models that dont have a delayed start option can achive the same result with an ordinary 13-amp timer plug. I MOVEABLE BASKETS The more advanced models have adjustable or removable lower baskets and a height-adjustable upper basket. This lets you fit large plates or

Indicator lights

Dishwashers need rinse aid to speed up drying and prevent water marks, and dishwasher salt to soften hard water. Without both of these, you could risk damaging the machine. However, you dont need to use them every time, so its useful if your dishwasher has lights to warn you when the rinse aid or salt needs topping up. Normally these lights are positioned on the outside of the machine (or the top rim of the door for built-in models). When you install
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saucepans in the lower basket, for example, at the expense of space in the upper one. On the other hand, you could put tall glasses in the top basket, and lose some of the space below. Some models have tilting upper baskets, designed to make it easier to make the most of the available space. And many provide a removable top for the cutlery basket this has holes in it to keep individual pieces of cutlery separate. If items dont touch, it helps cleaning, but it can take longer to load the dishwasher.

Types of control

I HIDDEN CONTROLS Built-in models have controls that sit along the inside top of the door (see Built-in or semi-integrated models, above). These are hidden when the door is closed, but they are usually considerably smaller than standard controls, so can be difficult to use. I FRONT-FACING CONTROLS Front-facing control panels also come in different designs. Buttons may be

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