Today's high-end dishwashers boast all kinds of splashy features, including multiple racks, countless cycles, special wash zones, and more. While the prices of these tricked-out appliances might shock you, don't be dazzled by their convenience claims.
Consumer Reports' tests have repeatedly shown, you can give up many of these fancy features without seeing any decline in a dishwasher’s primary function: cleaning. Here are five dishwasher features you can live without.
-Stainless-Steel Tub
Once available only on more expensive dishwashers, stainless-steel tubs come on models that cost as low as $400. Still, a stainless-steel tub is hardly a must-have. While stainless steel does tend to resist staining better than light-colored plastic, we've found that gray-speckled plastic tubs help camouflage stains, and some newer models have hybrid stainless/plastic tubs. Keep in mind that any tub, stainless steel or plastic, should last longer than most people keep a dishwasher.
-A Third Rack
A third rack, mounted high in the tub, lets you lay flat large utensils and short cups. But there’s a trade-off to this convenience: Dishwashers with a third rack give you less space to lower the middle rack to accommodate taller items. To fit them on the middle rack, you might need to remove the third rack, which defeats the purpose.
-Lighted Interior
Several dishwashers have a light that comes on when the door is opened. But unless you keep your kitchen dark while loading or unloading the dishwasher, you don’t need to light the interior.
A few Kenmore and KitchenAid models, including the KitchenAid KDTM804ESS, $1,800 (shown), have a window that lets you view the wash progress through a window. But, the light in those models switches on only when you open the door, when you likely don’t need it.
-Extra Wash Cycles
Most dishwashers come with at least three cycles: light, normal/regular, and heavy-duty (for pots and pans), and most of us typically use only the normal/regular mode.
Many newer models also include a quick or express cycle that cleans lightly soiled loads in as little as 20 minutes. Some dishwashers a range of other cycles, including single rack, pot scrubber, soak/scrub, steam clean, china/crystal, and sanitizing.
But you don't need all of those options. The three basic cycles should be enough for most chores, even for baked-on food. Moreover, the sanitizing cycle doesn't necessarily clean dishes better; it’s meant to disinfect the dishwasher interior.
-Special Wash Zones
Some models designate a certain part of the dishwasher for heavily soiled items that need extra attention. These zones don't necessarily run the whole time—with certain models, it cycles on for only a few minutes. In our dishwasher tests, heavy-duty mode work as promised. But there’s no saying those items wouldn’t get clean anyway, especially if you're someone who prerinses.