Dishwashers: How to buy the best dishwasher Dishwasher types, sizes and prices
Before you hit the high-street or search online to buy a new dishwasher - whether full-sized, slimline or compact - make sure the appliance you choose is right for you and your kitchen.
Check out the 130 Which? dishwasher reviews for the latest Best Buys.
Full-sized dishwashers
Full-sized dishwashers can accommodate more than 120 pots, pans, plates and pieces of cutlery, and with the biggest dishwashers you’ll be able to squeeze in more than 150 items. So they’re well capable of coping with washing up after the largest of dinner-parties.
If you have a lot of washing up to do and have the space for one, a full-sized dishwasher will be your best option. Full-sized dishwashers are 60cm wide and are the most energy and water efficient.
Full-sized dishwashers can be freestanding or built-in. Built-in dishwashers fall in to two categories, fully integrated where the entire front panel of the dishwasher is hidden behind a kitchen-cabinet door or semi-integrated where most of the front panel is covered but the control panel is left visible at the top.
Size and capacity
Width 60cm Capacity 120-150 items
Price
From £160 for an own-brand model from a high-street store, to £800 for a top-of-the-range machine from a leading brand. Which? Best Buy full-sized dishwashers start from £279.
Pros
Full-sized dishwashers can wash well over 120 items at once, best for water and energy efficiency
Cons
If you have a small kitchen, a full-sized machine might be too big.
Slimline dishwashers
When space is tight in your kitchen, a slimline dishwasher would be a good option. At 45cm wide they’re 15cm slimmer than full-sized machines but are still capable of washing almost 100 items at once.
Slimline dishwashers can be freestanding or built-in. Built-in dishwashers fall in to two categories, fully integrated where the entire front panel of the dishwasher is hidden behind a kitchen-cabinet door or semi-integrated where most of the front panel is covered but the control panel is left visible at the top.
Size and capacity
Width 45cm Capacity 90-100 items
Price
From £160 for an own-brand model from a high-street store to more than £500 for a top-of-the-range built-in machine from a leading brand. Which? Best Buy slimline dishwashers start from £275.
Pros
A great option if kitchen-space is at a premium, can wash around 100 items at once.
Cons
For the amount of dishes washed, a large machine will be more energy and water efficient.
Compact dishwashers
Compact or counter-top dishwashers sit on top of kitchen counters and are a good choice if you want a dishwasher but have no available cupboard space to squeeze a full-sized or slimline one in.
They are a little bit bigger than a very large microwave oven, and have a very small capacity of around 50 items, so you won’t be able to wash too many dishes at once. Compact dishwashers use more water and energy per item than slimline and full-sized machines.
Size and capacity
Width 56cm Capacity 40-50 item
Price
From £100 for an own-brand model from a high-street store, to £300 for a top-of-the-range machine from a leading brand. Which? Best Buy compact dishwashers start from £300.
Pros
A good option if you don’t do too much washing up or prefer not to have to bend down to load the dishwasher.
Cons
Small capacity, hard to fit in some very large items.
- Watch our video to find out what makes a Best Buy Dishwasher
- Learn how to repair your dishwasher with our dishwasher repairs tool
- Find out which dishwashers are the best in our dishwasher reviews