Are Dishwashers Worth the Investment?
Listened to a podcast about dishwashers. Here’s the summary.
If you’re going to install one, just go big from the start—especially if your household has a lot of pots and pans. A smaller capacity won’t handle larger groups, meaning you’ll end up running multiple cycles and wasting time anyway. Also, you’ll need to plan for it before renovating, since built-in models are the norm; freestanding units are mostly compact. Running a cycle costs roughly 1–3 RMB, covering electricity, water, and detergent.
Dishwasher technology is fairly mature now and works well for Chinese kitchens. Compared to hand-washing, they genuinely clean better.
Before loading dishes, you’ll almost certainly need to scrape off food residue. Most dishwashers also require you to arrange items in a specific, optimal way for best results.
You usually don’t need a separate disinfection cabinet if you have a dishwasher. (And if you’re getting an integrated stove, skip the disinfection compartment—dishwashers use high-temperature washing anyway.)
If you’ve already finished renovating, retrofitting is tricky because it involves modifying water lines, drainage, and power. Unless you’re willing to redo the renovation, your only option is a freestanding, countertop model, which comes in a smaller capacity and takes up more space.
Always go for the largest capacity you can fit—the bigger, the better. If the machine isn’t big enough to fully load, you lose the main advantage. Large pots require a spacious rack; if you can’t fit everything in, you’ll end up running extra cycles or hand-washing some items, which makes the dishwasher feel like a waste since you’re doing the dishes by hand anyway.
As for buying one:
For families of four or fewer, a 6–8 place setting model is usually sufficient (unless you don’t mind scrubbing pots by hand).
If you want to skip hand-scrubbing pots entirely, go for 13 place settings or more.
For the best value, consider Hisense’s sub-brand Wahin—it’s not a premium experience, but it’s solid and delivers good bang for your buck. Check out Wahin here (Wahin and Midea share a lot of technology).
If you prioritize a better experience, look into Panasonic models. For Panasonic, go straight for the 13-place-setting self-cleaning model—it’s a great value at around ¥3,300.