How to choose a dishwasher

Full-size, slimline or countertop: which one fits?

For most households with a 60 cm space, a full-size machine is the most practical and economical choice; slimline and countertop models make sense where space, not running cost, is the constraint.

A place setting is one person’s set of crockery, cutlery and glasses, not counting pans and serving dishes. Count what piles up in a day or two, add the pots you cook in, and choose a capacity you will fill before it starts to smell. The table shows the typical yearly cost per type and capacity on the EU register; the dishwasher overview links each cell to its ranking.

Does a slimline dishwasher save electricity?

Per cycle a little, per place setting usually not, and its energy class is calculated against a different reference than a 60 cm machine.

The EU formula for the reference consumption has one line for machines with ten or more place settings and a width above 50 cm, and another for narrower or smaller ones. So a B-rated slimline and a B-rated full-size machine are not equally efficient; compare kWh, not letters, if you are weighing the two.

The benchmarks the Commission published with the rules show why: the best 10-place-setting machine then on the market used 0.66 kWh per eco cycle, the best 14-place-setting machine 0.67 kWh. Nearly the same energy cleaned 40 % more crockery. If a full-size machine would let you run fewer cycles, it is usually the cheaper one to own.

What does the dishwasher label tell you?

Every value on the label comes from the eco programme at full load, so it compares machines fairly but describes only that one programme.

Since March 2024, new machines with ten or more place settings must reach an efficiency index that puts them in class E or better; smaller ones have a looser limit. Our dishwasher label explainer covers every field; the chart shows the current spread of classes.

Why does the eco programme take so long, and should you use it?

Eco saves energy by washing at a lower temperature and letting the dishes soak longer, and for normally soiled loads it is the programme to use.

EU rules make eco the default programme or one you can select directly, reserve the name “eco” for it, and ban programme names such as “normal”, “daily” or “standard” that used to suggest an everyday alternative. The manual has to state that eco is the most efficient programme in terms of combined energy and water use. Quick programmes heat the water more and usually use noticeably more energy per load.

Run times of three hours or more are normal. In the Commission’s benchmarks, the best models of the time ran eco for between 3 h 15 min and 3 h 45 min, and a 13-place-setting machine with a heat pump, the most frugal at 0.55 kWh, for 4 h 55 min.

What decides the yearly running cost?

How many cycles you run, which programme you choose and what you pay per kWh; the class difference between two good machines matters less.

Our yearly figures assume 280 eco cycles, the basis of the previous EU label; set your own number in the bar at the top of each page. Running half-empty loads is an easy way to waste the efficiency you paid for. The same machine costs very different amounts to run across the EU, and prices by country has the current figure for yours.

The most efficient dishwashers are ranked within each width and capacity, so the comparison stays fair.

How quiet does a dishwasher need to be?

In an open-plan kitchen or a small flat, aim for noise class A or B; in a closed kitchen that runs at night, the figure matters much less.

The noise value is sound power during the eco programme. A machine in class D is 51 dB or more, one in class A below 39 dB. As a rule of thumb, 10 dB more sounds about twice as loud, so the gap between the ends of the scale is easy to hear. See the quietest dishwashers by size.

How long are dishwashers repairable?

Key parts must be available for at least seven years after the model leaves the market, and the parts you are most likely to need yourself for ten.

Under Regulation (EU) 2019/2022, professional repairers can order the motor, circulation and drain pumps, heaters including heat pumps, hoses, valves and filters, door mechanism parts, circuit boards, displays, pressure switches, sensors and software for seven years. Door hinges and seals, spray arms, drain filters, racks and baskets are sold to you directly for ten years. Delivery must take no more than 15 working days.

EU countries must also apply the right-to-repair directive (EU) 2024/1799 from 31 July 2026, so the manufacturer has to repair on request, free or at a reasonable price, also after the legal guarantee.

Before calling a repairer about poor cleaning, check the filter and the spray arms. Both can be cleaned in minutes and, if worn, bought as end-user parts.

Is replacing an old dishwasher worth it?

It pays when the old machine uses clearly more per cycle and you run it often; check with a measurement before buying for energy reasons alone.

1. Measure one eco or normal cycle on the old machine with a plug-in energy meter.
2. Take the new model’s kWh per 100 cycles from its label and divide by 100.
3. Multiply the difference by your cycles a year and your electricity price.
4. Compare that yearly saving with the purchase price over the years you will keep the machine in the total cost of ownership calculator.

Labels before March 2021 gave kWh per year for 280 standard cycles. Divide by 280 for a rough per-cycle figure; the test programme was different, so a measurement is the better basis.

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