Dishwashers come two sizes, standard 24 inches wide, and a smaller 18 inch wide version. Most dishwashers are the larger 24 inch size. See the link on the left, *Compact* for more information on the 18 inch units. See the link on the left *Portables* for more information on those.

Most dishwashers are built in under the counter. White, black, bisque, and stainless steel are the common colors, although a few brands are now offering other colors, from cleansteel, to silver metalic paint, to cobalt blue.

There are alot choices, that from the outside don't look very different. On the inside you can see the different racks, wash arms, and tub materials, but for the best washing performance some of the most important features are things you cannot see.

There are alot of features that together will make a dishwasher wash well. High Temperature boost, Wash levels, Hard food disposal, and the Filtration system are some of the first features to look for. Most dishwashers ask for the water to come in at 120 degrees. With the High Temperature Boost, the water will be heated to 140 degrees or higher. The hotter the water is, the quicker the soils will come off the dishes. We used to talk about 2 or 3 wash levels, but now many dishwashers will have 5 wash levels. The bottom spray arm sprays down, as well as up. The middle spray arm sprays down as well as up, and the top wash level sprays down. That's alot more cleaning than most old dishwashers. Hard food disposals are typically stainless steel blades that can chew up things like unpopped popcorn kernals. Food particles that the filter cannot process are now reduced to sizes that the filter can handle. The filtration system is important to prevent food particles from being recycled back onto the glasses and dishware. Some machines have as many as 6 filter layers with various types of filter screens to catch virtually all food particles.

More advanced cleaning features will include wash sensors, high rinse water boosting, and deluxe cycles. More deluxe dishwashers can look at the amount of soil in the water, or at the particles trapped by the filters. Sometimes flushing the filter, sometimes bringing in more clean water, sometimes extending the cycle to make sure everything gets clean. By boosting the temperature of the rinse water, often to about 160 degrees, further ensures clean dishes. This is often called sani-boost, sani-rinse, or simply sanitize option. Some deluxe cycles will spray soapy water on the dishes and then pause letting the detergent do it's job. Some add extra fills, some add water temperature boosting to more fills, some specify the water temperature for certain lengths of time. Such as the water temp must be 150 degrees for 3 minutes, not just hitting the desired temperature for a few seconds.

Those are some of the things you might want for wash performance.

Energy Efficiency is often a concern for many consumers. Many dishwashers are now ENERGY STAR rated, so they will use less water and energy than older units. A few years ago Tall Tub dishwashers were introduced and most are ENERGY STAR rated. These units still fit in the same size cabinet opening as older units, but have larger interiors, often 3 or more inches in interior height. They also have sleeker appearances on the exterior with a single panel door, versus the older 2 panel dishwashers.

Sound insulation, tub material, rack flexibility, material, and layout are also things to be considered. Sound insulation continues to be a focus for the industry, and most brands offer some very quiet models. Often the more you spend, the quieter the dishwasher will be, but you don't have to spend a fortune to get a nice quiet machine. Delay timers are available on many units so that you can set it to start later, and thus really don't have to hear the wash cycle. Dishwasher tubs are now constructed or plastic or stainless steel. Plastic is the more common material, stainless steel is found on the more deluxe models. The plastics used have been formulated to resist stains, but they do tend to show thier age over the years moreso than the stainless steel. When you open the door after a wash cycle, an eight year old stainless machine will look much newer than one with a plastic tub. However this does not have much effect on washability, it's mostly an aesthetic issue.

All brands that offer a deluxe model, offer Nylon coated racks for their best models. Nylon usually holds up better than the more basic vynil/pvc coatings, and often have a 5 year part warranty. Deluxe racks offer alot more flexibilty. Height adjustment on the upper rack, more fold down times. More cupholders, stemware holders, and baskets to provide more loading options. Some models let you remove the entire upper rack for extra large pots.

Often many people choose exterior color, interior material, and then how much flexibility they want on the inside. But choosing the brand and model they want, is based upon how the racks are laid out. Some like Whirlpool and Amana offer the silverware racks on the door. Other models have the silverware basket in the front center of the lower rack. Some others have the silverware basket along the edge of the lower rack. How the racks are laid out, often is the deciding factor on which brand and model that people want.

Some models offer trim kits so that wood panels can be installed on the front. Others have fully hidden controls that give the front an exciting look. Most models have standard control panels and are available in white, black, bisque, or stainless steel.

Although there are slight variations in height, virtually all the installation instructions ask for an opening that is 24" wide, 24" deep, and 34 1/2" high. The most common problem with installation sizes is when a new floor has been laid down on top of an old floor, thus increasing the floor height, and decreasing the cabinet opening height. If the cabinet opening is less than 34 1/4", you should write the height down, and let the salesperson know. Some brands will still fit into holes less than 34".

There are not nearly as many choices in compact dishwashers as there is in the standard 24 inch size. If you have the option of choosing between 18 or 24 inches for your dishwasher, the larger 24 inch size will provide more choices and options.

Portables as well as built in units are available in the 18 inch width.

Portables are actually about 19 inches wide when you add the cabinet around the dishwasher. Often called convertibles, and the top, cabinet, and wheels can be removed and the unit can be installed under the counter when an adapter kit is used.

Also in the compact category, there is a countertop dishwasher. With one rack it is compact, but in there a few applications, where this dishwaher is well suited.

Portable dishwashers are available in 18 inch or 24 inch sizes, although the actual dimension is about an inch wider, so 19 or 25 inches wide.

The 24 inch width is the more common size. Although portable dishwashers are not offered with all the features of built in units, you can still get a model with a delay timer, high temperature boost, three level wash system, good filtration system, and hard food disposal.

All portables come with an adapter that installs on your sink faucet. This allows the fill/drain coupling to be easily and quickly connected or disconnected. Usually the hoses are 3 to 4 feet in legth. The power cord is retractable. All portable dishwashers include caster wheels. The tops often look like butcherblock, but are normally a formica type material that cleans better than butcherblock.