Dish Drawers...

[KauaiMark]

Our dishwasher is on its last legs and the Household CEO wants to replace it with "Dish Drawers"?

Evidentially two half sized dishwashers stacked on top of each other.

I checked the web and there seems to be only one mfg (Fisher and Paykel) of these things. Not much to compare with.

These things cost about 2x-3x a normal sized washer so I want as much info and justification possible to make the "CEO" happy.

Anyone have these things?
Do they clean as well as a full sized dishwasher?
Does it require "double plumbing" or other "gotcha" installation surprises?

All comments and testimonies welcome...

 

[Dave M]

Consumer Reports gives this product a reasonable rating (about in the middle of products tested), but notes that it is the most repair-prone of all of the brands tested. The product apparently doesn't have a heating drying cycle. Also, likely in part because the price is about $1,200, it doesn't get a "Best Buy" rating.

If you subscribe online, you can see the relatively skimpy Consumer Reports comments for this product.

 

[Malibu Sky]

I was considering purchasing on but the sales person talked me out of it, he said that a few people whom purchased them were not happy. I was told that they were designed for "european" dishes that are generally smaller than ours and that the "clearance" for larger items like platters and large plates do not fit in the drawer. I would suggest you take a few of the large items you wash in a dishwasher and take it to the store, put them in...and see if they fit. I decided on a regular Kitchen-Aid

 

[mayson12]

Just got them myself...

During an extensive remodel, I got the KitchenAid Dishwashing drawers. So far I love them, because I tend to go through lots of dishes, tupperware-type things that are "top dishwasher rack safe" only. I used to either run the dishwasher half-empty or wait until it was full enough to justify running a load, in which case I usually had to take some of the kids' dishes out to wash separately.

Now I can wash a small load with no guilty conscience, and voila! the whole thing is top-dishwasher rack ok. The units are very quiet. So quiet that my husband thought I'd left the TV in the next room on, because he couldn't figure out what that little noise was. True, the largest stuff doesn't fit, but I also got a huge one-bowl stainless steel sink, so the large stuff I can easily hand-wash. I guess it's a lifestyle choice. I washed a smallish stainless-steel bowl fine, but oversized platters were a no-go.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[debraxh]

I agree with your CEO -- my friends have one I think it's really cool. I will probably get one when my current DW needs to be replaced, because we rarely have a full load to run and it's much more energy efficient to just run one-half. We don't have many oversize dishes (we wash large pots/pans by hand anyway) so that's not a concern.

They had a friend install it in the space previously occupied by a regular DW and they didn't mention any problems, although I'm not aware of all the details.

As mentioned by mayson12, Kitchenaid has them too, but I really like the FP one. I'm sure other manufacturers will start making them as well as popularity increases and hopefully prices will come down before too long. I think I'd be willing to pay up to 2x more than a regular model, since it's sort of like getting two units anyway.

Good luck.

 

[charford]

I bought the KitchenAid version back in January. I love it. Instead of waiting for a full dishwasher, I can now run a half dishwasher and still have another dishwasher available for loading dishes. I used to always have dirty dishes in the sink and on the counter waiting for their turn to go into the dishwasher. You know how it is, before a meal, you only have 1/3 of a dishwasher full, then after the meal, all the dirty dishes won't fit, so they have to wait. Now my sink and counter are clear. Also, since I have young children, I don't have to empty the dishwasher completely before I put in dirty dishes, so the dishwasher can get a cycle in even if I have to run.

The one thing that I wish was different with the KitchenAid is that the interior is plastic as opposed to stainless. I haven't had problems with staining of the interior, but I am expecting them. Also, the filter is a manual clean - icck. Some of the controls, eg adjusting the amount of JetClean that is added, are electronically controlled and not intuitive, so I have to bring out the manual to determine the combination of buttons to push.

In summary, I give the concept a 10 out of 10 and the KitchenAid a 8 out of 10. In retrospect, I should have checked out the Fisher and Paykel to see if that one has a self-cleaning filter, stainless interior etc. Previously, I was considering renovating to get two dishwashers in my kitchen. Now, I don't feel the need to renovate at all.

 

[DebBrown]

I don't have one but I fell in love with it when we started planning a kitchen remodel. (We're still in the planning stages.) I read alot online and evidently the install is tricky. Most installers don't want to read the directions and think they know how to do it but it is a bit different from a regular dw.

Neighbors do have one and love it.

Deb

 

[stmartinfan]

I have relatives who have one - the KitchenAid, I believe. They love it. They have two teenage boys, and it seems that one is always full and ready to run. They laugh that the dishes never even manage to get put into the cupboards before they are used again!