Best Dishwashers for Full-Size, Slimline and Tabletop Spaces

A lower basket with room for everyday plates and pans makes this a practical budget choice. If you regularly wash tall glasses and big plates together, move the upper basket before loading both levels. The two-basket layout leaves less scope to keep utensils separate than a machine with a dedicated top tray.

The lower purchase price comes with a 47 dB rating and 93 kWh per 100 Eco cycles. Those figures make the Bosch Series 4 SMS4EMI06G the stronger choice near an open living room or where you run many loads a week and value quieter operation. The Hisense makes more sense when the lower initial cost matters more.

The adjustable middle basket and roomy lower level are the reasons to choose this over the cheaper Indesit DIO 3T131 FE UK. It handles a mixed load well, and the zoned wash gives stubborn dishes a stronger option. That stronger setting uses more electricity, so keep the everyday load on Eco when you can.

The door opens near the end to release moisture. The 39 dB energy label is useful if your kitchen is next to a living room. The cabinet still needs a suitable panel, plinth clearance and a 560 mm-deep niche, even though the stated appliance depth is 555 mm. If you routinely fill all three levels and need still more capacity, the Hisense HV693A60UVADUK gives you 16 settings.

The extra rack is helpful for utensils, but the middle basket’s fixed tines limit what you can slot in. Lowering that basket gives taller items space on top and takes it away underneath. Check how your biggest plates and glasses fit together before deciding that 14 settings means the same usable space as the Hotpoint Hydroforce H8I HT59 LS UK.

The Eco programme takes 3 hours 10 minutes and suits much of the daily washing up. Dried-on egg can need the stronger programme, which uses more energy. The Push&Go option helps when you prefer a simple everyday setting, while the separate intensive cycle is useful after cooking. Budget for a fitted door and verify the 560 mm niche depth.

Automatic dosing makes most sense if you run the machine often and want to stop measuring liquid detergent for every load. Intensive can tackle stubborn stains with the targeted spray and UV options switched on. The shortest cycles are better suited to lightly soiled items; keep them for cups and plates rather than the roasting tray.

The door can open to let moisture escape, and the display information on the machine is less comprehensive than the app. Some spray settings need the app, and the manual could explain them better. Eco takes 4 hours 40 minutes. Check the minimum opening of 820 × 600 × 555 mm (H × W × D). The Hotpoint Hydroforce H8I HT59 LS UK costs less to buy if 14 place settings and a flexible top rack are enough.

The 14-place capacity is only part of the story. Fold the lower rack prongs to make space for a bulky dish and put utensils on the separate rack with its own spray. Eco can cope with everyday marks, including dried macaroni and cheese. For baked-on egg, the Intensive programme does a better job.

A stronger spray area below the bottom rack helps on heavy loads, but you cannot select that boost on its own. Eco takes nearly four hours, and its 44 dB label is higher than the Bosch Series 4 SMS4EMI06G’s 42 dB. Choose the Haier when the flexible interior and heavy-load cleaning justify the extra cost.

A narrow machine asks you to be more deliberate about the load. Moving the upper basket to clear dinner plates can reduce the room for tall glasses and cutlery. The straightforward controls and half-load option suit everyday use, but the short cycle is a better choice for lightly soiled dishes than for a greasy pan.

Drying can be uneven, so allow time to air-dry any damp items. Check depth as well as width: the appliance is 600 mm deep before allowing for hoses and opening the door.

The best reason to spend more than on a basic built-in slimline machine is the combination of loading options, a B energy rating and automatic door opening. The 44 dB rating is helpful if the kitchen opens onto the living room. A narrow basket will still fill quickly with pans, particularly if you use the top level for cutlery.

Check the fitting drawing against the cabinet door and plinth. This model does not have a sliding hinge. Eco lasts almost four hours, so use the Express programme when you're short on time and the dishes suit it. Go full-size if you can free up the space and often wash large loads.

The extra capacity does not mean every dinner plate fits. Look at the height of your tallest plates and the arrangement of the single rack before you commit; bowls, mugs and pots can take up the space in very different ways. The machine weighs 23 kg, so choose a sensible place to leave it connected.

There is a half-load option and a delay timer, but no automatic door opening at the end. If a suitable inlet connection isn't available, the COMFEE Mini Plus CDWMT305W-UK gives up some capacity in exchange for manual filling.

The three-place rating suits small everyday loads of cups, plates and cutlery. It is a poor choice if you expect to put large pans in with dinner plates or build up a full day’s washing for a family. At 420 mm wide it is narrower than the Candy Rapidò CP 6E51LW-80, but it needs 780 mm of total depth with the door open.

Automatic door opening can help moisture escape after a wash. The manual’s rapid programme skips its drying phase, so allow time to air-dry when you use it. The 58 dB rating is also higher than the full-size picks; choose a spot where a wash won’t intrude on conversations.

Think in two six-place loads rather than one 12-place cavity. Each drawer takes round plates up to 280 mm, but a broad roasting tray or tall pot needs to fit a shallower space. The Eco water figure is 7.8 litres per drawer. Both drawers use water and electricity when run, so compare the per-drawer figures with the number of drawers you normally need.

This is a costly choice if you only need a quiet fitted dishwasher. A conventional 14- or 16-place model gives bigger cookware a single large lower rack. Buy the drawer model for its loading arrangement and the ability to run separate small loads, after measuring the space for both drawers to pull out.