Best Countertop Dishwashers to Buy in 2023 – Reviews & Buying Guide
Cooking is a leisure pursuit for many but it’s about time someone addressed the elephant in the room. We’re only fond of cooking until we’re left with a pile of dirty dishes. We are often compelled to reconsider cooking as our hobby when we are faced with those stubborn curry stains.
Thankfully, we live in the 21st century, where automation of laborious tasks is a significant aspect of technology. Consequently, we are privileged to lend a helping hand in our kitchen from resourceful dishwashers. Owing to the wide variety in dishwasher sizes and options for all budget segments, a dishwasher can be found in almost all American homes at present. While Standard Built-in dishwashers are the most prominent choice for new households, we’ll today be discussing about their cost-effective counterparts that are best suited to small apartments. With this review, we aim to help you find the Best Countertop dishwashers for your money in 2023. These are also referred to as portable dishwashers, owing to their compact built.
Tested and Approved Budget Dishwashers for your Home
Although high-end dishwashers manufactured by established brands deliver exceptional performances, not everyone can afford them. Fortunately, we have reliable brands that engineer budget compact dishwashers at affordable prices without compromising on the features.
For compiling the following list of the best countertop dishwashers, we’ve tested 18 models for their performance and claimed features in our lab. The cumulative test time being over 50 hours, we are certain that the following list displays the ultimate performers in our ‘best countertop dishwasher’ category.
Best Countertop Dishwashers Reviews in 2023
- hOmeLabs HME010033N Countertop Dishwasher – Best Overall
- Danby DDW621WDB Countertop Dishwasher – Most Powerful
- SPT SD-2224DS Countertop Dishwasher– Best Budget
- EdgeStar DWP62WH Countertop Dishwasher – Best High-end
- DELLA 032-DW-909BK Countertop Dishwasher – Most Versatile
1. hOmeLabs HME010033N Countertop Dishwasher
This compact dishwasher from homeLabs is the perfect pick for people that want their dishes to be squeaky clean without splurging a lot of water. The hOmeLabs compact countertop dishwasher uses significantly less water as compared to the subsequent table top dishwashers. Precisely, the machine uses anywhere between 1.2 to 3.3 litres (0.3 to 0.9 gallons) of water per cycle depending on the mode of cleaning employed.
Measuring 17.2 x 19.6 x 21.6 inches, this compact dishwasher is way more efficient than some of the overpriced full-sized models. The thoughtful design of this dishwasher renders it to fit on a countertop or even under a cabinet. Indeed, ideal for small kitchens. Restricted kitchen space would no more compel you to manually scrub your pots and pans all day.
Talking of pot and pans, the dishwasher has a dedicated cycle for those grungy utensils. To our surprise, this cycle setting in particular worked exceptionally well. Such performance from a tiny and a reasonably priced dishwasher is a steal. Moreover, 6 discrete wash cycle settings provide adequate means to cater all your dishwashing needs.
2. Danby DDW621WDB Countertop Dishwasher
This table top dishwasher from Danby has an edge over our other picks for multiple reasons. The manufacturers must have realised the importance of quietude while the appliance is in operation. Consequently, Danby DDW621WDB is one the quietest portable dishwashers on this list. The difference was quite noteworthy and deserves a mention.
Also, this is the only model out of all our picks in the ‘best countertop dishwasher’ category that heats the water to a noticeable extent. There is nothing specifically mentioned on the website about the temperature up to which the dishwasher heats the water. However, it came out to be just over 160 degrees Fahrenheit in the testing bout.
Furthermore, this dishwasher has a clear advantage in the cleaning process owing to the built-in heating element. The dishes after being through a wash cycle at the ‘normal’ setting did not hold on to any stickiness from the oily food served earlier. Also, the ‘intensive’ wash cycle cleans off persistent remains from pots easily. This dishwasher features a 6-place setting wash capacity fairly sufficient for moderate sized families.
3. SPT SD-2224DS Countertop Dishwasher
This dishwasher from SPT has an intricate and sleek design. The dishwasher’s front panel displays a very minimal layout. The dishwasher is white on the exterior while the interior has a stainless-steel finish. A noteworthy feature of this dishwasher is the extremely simple user interface. Very few buttons on the front panel make it one of the most convenient models on this list.
The SPT SD-2224DS is a yet another compact dishwasher ideal for countertops in small kitchens. Owing to the relatively small size, it can easily fit on a countertop or under a cabinet. Despite having a compact build, the dishwasher features an appreciable 6-place settings wash capacity. To give you a fair idea of the capacity, you won’t be needing to wash the crockery and utensils in separate cycles after a complete family meal.
Also, the SPT SD-2224DS easily cleans off pretty soiled pots and pans in the ‘heavy’ wash cycle. Contrasting to the belief of smaller dishwashers not being powerful enough, this one outperforms many prevalent models. All features aside, this dishwasher is not the most efficient model in the league when it comes down to water consumption.
4. EdgeStar DWP62WH Countertop Dishwasher
The EdgeStar DWP62WH is loved by its users and for all good reasons. Designed to cater the dishwashing needs of small kitchens, it one of the most powerful and energy efficient portable dishwashers. With a height of just over 17”, it can conveniently be stacked over the countertop, on a table top or on the island eliminating the need of a dedicated installation.
The dishwasher exhibits a sleek built inside out. Available in three colours viz. Black, Silver and White; the brand allows you to choose according to your kitchen’s colour scheme. Despite a compact built, the EdgeStar DWP62WH has a capacity of 6-palce settings ideal for moderate sized families.
This dishwasher from EdgeStar in an efficient one concerning to both energy consumption as well as water consumption. It uses around 2.8 gallons of water to clean the dishes per cycle on the ‘normal’ wash cycle setting. Furthermore 7 different wash cycles ranging form a quick rinse to intense cleaning render the user with enough options for all their dishwashing needs.
5. DELLA 032-DW-909BK Countertop Dishwasher
Della being a fairly new appliance brand has limited recognition. Consequently, dishwashers from Della have fewer consumer reviews on online retail platforms. DELLA 032-DW-909BK in particular was first made public through online stores in the August of 2018. We considered this model for our review because of the appealing claims the brand made.
To our surprise, this dishwasher from Della performs beyond par in each trial. Being priced fairly low, DELLA 032-DW-909BK is a yet another reliable countertop dishwasher you can consider investing into. This dishwasher is thoughtfully designed to suit dishwashing requirements of small kitchens.
With a capacity of 6-place settings, this compact machine has enough room for all the crockery after a complete family meal. Also, different wash cycles work pretty well. The ‘intensive’ cycle in particular takes the cake. The runtime of this cycle being approximately 100 minutes, it leaves your pots spotless. Another highlight we’d like to mention is the functional heating element in this model.
Is a Dishwasher worth buying?
The answer to this question is relative. For some, it might prove to be the best investment they’ve made in a while. On the other hand, it might not be too resourceful for others.
To elaborate, if you live alone or have a small family of 2-3 members, you might not be eligible to own a dishwasher just yet. Alternatively, if you have a bigger family that loves home-cooked meals, you need the best budget dishwasher right away.
Comprehensively, if your sink is piled up with dirty dishes every now and then and you struggle with space management, it would be a smart move to order yourself a compact countertop dishwasher.
If you classify in the latter category, there should be enough reasons for you to consider the investment. Read along and unravel the lesser discussed benefits of owning a dishwasher.
Why Should You Consider Investing in a Countertop Dishwasher?
The mere thought of spending hours in the kitchen washing and rinsing dishes drains the excitement out of trying new stuff in the kitchen. Well, if you truly want to feel the joy of cooking, there mustn’t be such formidable tasks involved.
Getting yourself the best budget dishwasher eliminates the tiresome process of cleaning the dishes after you’re done feasting. Also, it’ll take care of the aftermath followed by a failed attempt at trying something for the first time! That sounds reliable, doesn’t it?
Following are a few rational benefits of investing in an affordable table top dishwasher.
1. Uses less water
Although it might not seem the case, but the best countertop dishwasher uses significantly lesser amount of water to clean dishes. We are confident in asserting this statement owing to multiple tests performed on 18 proficient dishwashers in our lab. Consider the following outcomes to put things in perspective.
The most efficient model on the subsequent list uses less than a gallon of water per wash cycle. Contrary to which, manually washing an equivalent number of dishes in the sink required 23 litres (6 gallons) of water. The difference was quite notable and deserved a highlight.
2. Better sanitation
Stacked up dirty dishes in the sink is the perfect breeding spot for germs and bacteria to proliferate. Manually washing the dishes with an anti-bacterial dish soap doesn’t entirely wipe them out. To ensure complete elimination, you need to up the temperature.
Consequently, most dishwashers inherently have a heating element that heats the water to 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit and ensures zero survival of disease-causing pathogens. The combination of anti-bacterial detergent and hot water works better than other cleaning techniques.
3. Saves time and energy
Doing the dishes after a heavy meal preparation is arguably one of the most time-consuming and gruelling aspects of cooking. In fact, it is the prime reason as to why some individuals prefer ordering food from outside.
An electric dishwasher on the other hand enables you to save up on the time and effort. Loading and unloading the dishwasher is pretty much all the effort it takes to completely sterilize the dishes after a complete meal. You could utilize the time for something more productive
4. Saves your skin
Washing dishes over and over with strong dish soaps renders your hands rough and dry. Furthermore, it can lead to nail disorders like onychomycosis (a common fungal infection). So, if your schedule involves washing a lot of dishes by hand, you might want to consider investing in the a portable dishwasher.
5. Adds value to your home
Installing a major home appliance adds to the overall value of the apartment. Such additions will work in your favor if you’re planning on selling or renting out the property. Moreover, a top-rated compact dishwasher will add aesthetic value to your kitchen.
Conclusion
Cleaning the dishes is hands down of the most unpleasant activities associated with cooking. Consequently, dishwashers became a thing. But, the advent of this resourceful appliance was only beneficial for spacious kitchens back in time. Further along, compact countertop dishwashers came into being to lend a hand in small kitchens.
Out of the many notable benefits, reduced space occupancy is the most vital one. Restricted kitchen space is no more a reason to not own ta dishwasher. So, if you’ve personally related through the text, I hope you extracted some value out of it!
