Recommendations...

[ewt]

Has anyone used a one of these countertop dishwashers? Bending to do washing-up is not great for me, and this looks like a very efficient model in terms of energy and water consumption. I'm wondering about installation and stuff, though.

Also, hairyears is looking to get some work done on his apartment in Enfield. Can any of you recommend competent builders? We're talking about replacing a bathroom fan and pretty much re-doing the entire kitchen (new cooker and cabinets, though the washer, boiler, refrigerator and freezer will stay) and so on. Recommendations for appliances also welcome.

Comments

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

however they sometimes may end up being in an inconvenient place, such as in the laundry, for want of space.

This made me grin because in all the places I've lived in the UK only one has had space for a 'laundry' or utility room; in all the rest, the clothes washer lives in the kitchen.

[arkady.livejournal.com]

We have one; ours still isn't plumbed in yet, because you need a cold water outlet and somewhere for the waste water to go (basically imagine it's like trying to plumb in a second washing machine - same requirements; electric source, water inlet and waste outlet). At present ours is sitting on top of the washing machine, which is already plumbed into the cold water outlet; we do have a "Y" joint so both appliances can be run off the same outlet, but there's nowhere for the waste pipe to drain into. We need to track down some sort of "Y" joint for the waste outlet now, but aparently places like B&Q or Homebase don't stock them.

That's why I'm still washing up everything by hand.

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

Its years since we tried one but "compact" then turned out to be huge in terms of the room it took up, despite having measured correctly, they've hopefully improved though. Have you tried kneeling down or sitting on a chair/stool to wash up, that helps me..

[mstevens.livejournal.com]

A friend in the reading/maidenhead direction speaks very highly of his builders, although I dunno if they'd be prepared to roam as far as Enfield.

[reddragdiva]

In fact, I believe ours is that precise model.

It's the BEST APPLIANCE EVER. Just the right size for a couple of people as well. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

[reddragdiva]

Yeah, you can buy dishwasher descaler too. Easy easy.

[timeplease.livejournal.com]

We need to track down some sort of "Y" joint for the waste outlet now, but aparently places like B&Q or Homebase don't stock them.

Er, what? Both B&Q and Homebase are fine for DIY drain plumbing.

I don't believe there is a device to let two appliances share a single stand-pipe / trap; perhaps there is some regulation against this. However, adding an extra stand-pipe and trap to an existing installation is usually quite easy.

(Might be persuaded to do it for cake! Assuming sufficient free time.)

A photograph of the pipework in the existing installation would help.

[sci.livejournal.com]

I've found the best way to ease the washing up is to limit yourself to one set of cutlery and crockery per person, only getting more out as needed.

[fwuffydragon.livejournal.com]

CALGON or OUST are apparently good

[fwuffydragon.livejournal.com]

If you like the layout of the existing kitchen and the base units are in decent condition underneath you can always get the fronts redone instead of the whole lot - much cheaper!

I have found that Zanussi appliances are very nice. Simple and do what they're told reliably and efficiently.

For the price of that countertop dishwasher you can get a real one that will take more than a few place settings. I looked at the little ones but realised that they won't take a saucepan or a baking tray for love nor money and the one time you really want to use it is when you've had people over for dinner and then hardly anything will fit in it.

Using the washing up bowl on the surface rather than in the sink may help you.

[arkady.livejournal.com]

It's the standpipe issue that's the problem. I'll try and get a photo of the set-up so you can see what the pipework is like.

I think I owe a lot of people cake. I think I shall have to hold a Cake Party. :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Kneeling or sitting means I have to lean very far forward, which is quite bad for me.

oops

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

That were me.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

I think hairyears might like to change the layout of the existing kitchen. Also the base units are perhaps not as sturdy as they could be.

An under-counter dishwasher is not suitable for me because I live in a rented house and I do NOT have permission to destroy cupboards in order to put it in. Also given that I'm only likely to be there for another two years, I don't want to do major renovation - I want something that can be taken with me. When I'm cooking in small batches I tend to use small pans that would fit in that model of dishwasher; when I cook in larger batches there would, admittedly, be some trouble, but that only happens about once a week (as opposed to two or three times a day that I need to do washing-up of plates etc. from eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks).

Most importantly, though, an under-counter 'real' dishwasher means that to put things away or get them out, I have to bend over. Bending over is already a problem with doing the washing-up at the sink, I certainly don't need something at floor-level compounding things.

Using a washing-up bowl on the surface will mean I have to lift a washing-up bowl full of water across the kitchen at least twice every time I want to use it. This is also not sustainable.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

Not particularly useful in this case - regardless of whether I use one plate three times, or three plates one time, I still have to wash a plate three times.

[fwuffydragon.livejournal.com]

Hmm washing up bowl - put two in the sink - one on the bottom upside down and the other the right way up and then get one of those shower head extender attachments that fit on to taps so you can still fill it without lifting it up.

I know what you mean about the bending, but thankfully I have a Dave who will unload our dishwasher for me if I ask nicely!