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Best and worst dishwasher tablets
In this article
- The best dishwasher tablets
- The dishwasher tablets we tested
- How we test dishwasher tablets
- Don’t Buy dishwasher tablets
- Dishwasher tablet mistakes to avoid
- Can you just throw a dishwasher tablet in the dishwasher?
- How eco-friendly are your dishwasher tablets?
- 5 surprising uses for dishwasher tablets
The best dishwasher tablets will shift even the toughest food and drink stains from your plates and glasses, keeping them clear, shiny and free of water marks – even after multiple washes.
We've tested big-brand dishwasher tablets including Fairy and Finish, plus supermarket own-brands from the likes of Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose.
Our unique testing found big differences between the best dishwasher tablets and the worst. So if you often put tea-stained mugs or pasta-encrusted bowls in the dishwasher, Which? test results will help you make the smartest choice.
How our tests find you the best
Stain removal
We don't do things in half measures. We pit each dishwasher tablet against the toughest stains, including grease, tea, spaghetti, egg yolk and dried-on milk.
Preventing cloudiness
Cloudy glasses can look dirty. We'll tell you if the tablet you regularly use risks permanently turning your wine glasses streaky or cloudy.
Environmental impact
We'll help you work out which tablets are truly kind to the environment and which ones could do better in terms of sustainability.
We also test...
How well it prevents water marks and if it will keep your dishes and cutlery shiny, or lead to marks and discolouration over time.
The best dishwasher tablets
Only logged-in Which? members can view the dishwasher tablets test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| Dishwasher tablets | Price | Score | Overall cleaning | Preventing cloudiness in glasses | Preventing water marks | Sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations. Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time Already a member? Log in | 77% | |||||
| 63% | ||||||
| 60% | ||||||
| 58% | ||||||
| 60% | ||||||
| 55% | ||||||
| 55% | ||||||
| 54% | ||||||
| 52% | ||||||
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| 50% |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations.
Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time
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Date tested: May 2025. Page last checked: May 2025. Overall cleaning: How well it removes tea, milk, egg yolk, grease and spaghetti starch. Preventing filming and cloudiness: How well it prevents streaks and residue over multiple washes. Preventing water marks: How well the detergent prevents water marks and droplets. Sustainability: Assessment of the chemicals it contains and packaging. We are not able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available.
The dishwasher tablets we tested
All the dishwasher tablets we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best dishwasher tablets from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
Aldi Magnum Premium All In One Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
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Available from Aldi (£3.29)
Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 40 washes
Cost per wash 8p
Asda Ultimate All in One Citrus Dishwasher Tablets
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Available from Asda (£7)
Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 50 washes
Cost per wash 14p
Co-op Ultimate All in One Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
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Available from Co-op (£3.25)
Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 30 washes
Cost per wash 11p
Fairy Platinum Plus Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
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Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 42 washes
Cost per wash 29p
Finish Powerball Ultimate Plus Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
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Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 48 washes
Cost per wash 23p
What about when you're doing your dishes by hand? Discover the best washing-up liquids according to our rigorous tests
Lidl W5 All In One Fresh Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
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Available from Lidl (£4.09)
Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 40 washes
Cost per wash 10p
Morrisons All In One Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
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Available from Morrisons £3
Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 30 washes
Cost per wash 10p
Ocean Saver Plastic Free Eco Dishwasher Tablets
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Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 30 washes
Cost per wash 28p
Sainsbury's Advanced Ultimate All In One Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
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Available from Sainsbury's (£6.25)
Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 50 washes
Cost per wash 13p
Tesco Ultra Lemon Dishwasher Tablets
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Available from Tesco (£5)
Most recently tested May 2025
Pack size 40 washes
Cost per wash 13p
Waitrose Optimum Lemon Dishwasher Capsules
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Available from Waitrose (£4.50)
Most recently tested May 2024
Pack size 44 washes
Cost per wash 10p
How we test dishwasher tablets
We put dishwasher tablets through rigorous tests that reflect the tough demands required of them in your kitchen.
How well does it remove different food and drink stains?
In our dishwasher tablet tests, we use a range of foods and drinks to represent the toughest types of residue you'd expect to wash off in the dishwasher. These include tea, starch (spaghetti), egg yolk, dried-on milk and tough grease.
In our lab, we use cups, glasses, plates and baking sheets covered in carefully measured amounts of these substances. After washing them at 45°C, we measure how much residue remains.
Will it stop my glasses going cloudy?
We check glasses after five washes and then again after 30 washes to see whether residue, streaks or cloudy or coloured film starts to build up on them over time.
How well does it prevent water marks?
Our experts check whether water marks appear on crockery after multiple washes. This indicates how good the rinse aid element of the all-in-one dishwasher tablets is and whether it enables dishes to dry without leaving visible outlines of water spots.
Will it keep my dishes and cutlery shiny?
We inspect plates to see if they have been dulled through washing – we call this loss of brilliance. Dishes that once were bright and glossy start to appear duller and less shiny.
What is its environmental impact?
The chemicals used within the product and their environmental impact are taken into consideration. This includes whether they are biodegradable, harmful to aquatic life or persistent, which means that the chemicals could linger and accumulate in ecosystems. In addition, we consider the packaging, how easy it is to recycle and whether that's made clear. We also see whether the packaging itself is made from recycled material, whether refills are available and whether the packaging is under-filled.
We regularly revisit the dishwasher tablets on sale to see if there are any more popular brands that need testing, and when we find them, we do.
Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent
Don’t Buy dishwasher tablets
Our tests uncover the best and the worst. If a product performs so poorly that we think you should avoid it, we call it a Don't Buy.
Don't Buy dishwasher tablets either struggle with several areas of cleaning or are truly shocking at one or two. They might give you below-par cleaning results and make our test cutlery and pans lose their colour and go dull. Or, they might be poor at removing egg yolk and struggle to cut through grease.
Sign up to Which? to unlock the results and find out whether any of the dishwasher tablets tested this year are Don't Buys, plus which tablets are worthy of our Best Buy and Great Value recommendations.
Dishwasher tablet mistakes to avoid
- You might need to add dishwasher salt to a load even if you use an all-in-one dishwasher tablet, but this will depend on how hard the water is in your area.
- If you use your dishwasher on a low-temperature cycle, check the packaging of tablets before you buy – some are only designed to be used at 50ºC to 60ºC or above.
- To prevent spots appearing on your glassware or a soapy film on your plates, run your dishwasher's hot water cycle once a month.
For more tips to help you get the most out of your dishwasher tablets, read our expert guide on how to load your dishwasher.
Can you just throw a dishwasher tablet in the dishwasher?
Although popping the tablet somewhere at the bottom of the dishwasher should be adequate to get your plates and cutlery clean, it's worth taking the extra time to put it in the dedicated dispenser. That way, you can be sure that the dishwasher disperses the ingredients at the optimal time during the cleaning program.
Just be sure that there's nothing blocking the dispenser. If there is, you'll likely find that the cleaning cycle doesn't complete properly and your dishwasher tablet won't dissolve.
How eco-friendly are your dishwasher tablets?
There are two main elements to think about when considering the impact your dishwasher tablets will have on the environment: packaging and ingredients.
Ideally, your dishwasher tablets should come in refillable or recyclable packaging, with the recycling symbol clearly displayed and information on how and where to recycle it (at home or a supermarket). The worst example we tested displayed no recycling information at all, and its dishwasher tablets were individually encased in non-recyclable wrappers that needed to be removed before use.
Some dishwasher tablets are biodegradable, while others contain ingredients that are classed as PBT – persistent (resist environmental degrading), bioaccumulative (build up and become more concentrated as they go higher up the food chain) or toxic. You have to be careful here, as we've seen brands that advertise their tablets as being environmentally friendly when they actually contain ingredients that have poor biodegradability, adverse long-term effects on aquatic organisms and are toxic to the environment.
We've summarised our findings in our dishwasher tablet reviews above, so you can check these to pick one that combines reasonable cleaning with ingredients that cause less pollution.
5 surprising uses for dishwasher tablets
We tried out a number of so-called dishwasher tablet 'hacks' to see which ones worked well and which ones didn't:
- Cleaning a burnt saucepan Using a dishwasher tablet to remove burnt-on food from pans really works. Simply fill your saucepan with water, pop a dishwasher tablet in, put it on a medium heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. This will loosen the remnants so it's easy to wipe them off. Just make sure to check the manufacturer's instructions for your saucepan before you do this, though, especially if you have a non-stick saucepan and don't want to damage the coating.
- Cleaning an oven Our tests had mixed results here. The tablets were most effective at cleaning the racks, rather than the oven doors or walls. The best way to do this is by leaving the racks to soak in a tub of hot water with a tablet for a few hours – but make sure to cushion the racks with towels or a mat to avoid scratching your bathtub.
- Cleaning clothes We're not suggesting chucking a dishwasher tablet in your washing machine if you've run out of laundry detergent, but they are useful for tackling stubborn stains. Leave your soiled clothing in hot water with a tablet overnight before putting it through the wash, and it should come out spotless. Make sure you only do this with white clothing, though, or you could bleach colours out.
- Cleaning walls: From food splashes to crayon marks, your walls can get dirty in many ways. Could a dishwasher tablet be the answer for removing unsightly marks? Cleaning crayon marks from a wall using warm water with a dissolved tablet did work, but we think using washing-up liquid is a better option.
- Cleaning fridges and garden furniture Similarly to cleaning walls, a dissolved dishwasher tablet will also suffice for cleaning the inside of your fridge and garden furniture. Again, however, we found it easier, cheaper and quicker to use washing-up liquid.