ProBite: Tips For Replacing Your Old Dishwasher

Some people have had their dishwashers for 10, 20, even 30 years and when they come in to purchase a new unit, it can be overwhelming. There is a lot to choose from and no clear way to narrow things down further. In seeing this struggle every day at work, I've put together some tips, to help with your dishwasher search. Hopefully this will assist you in selecting, and purchasing a new dishwasher, with very little stress and confusion.

First: there are only two different sizes for dishwashers: 18” and 24”. All new dishwashers will fit within either of those existing spaces, no matter how old your current one is, or how long you have had it. So don’t stress about measurements, or whether or not it will fit, because it will. Just ensure you know what size you are looking for.

Second: noise level. Everyone wants a quiet dishwasher; but what’s quiet? I can tell you from experience, anything under 50 decibels is quiet, depending on your kitchen set up. We had a condo, and my dishwasher was 10 feet away from my couch. It was a 50 decibel model, and I could comfortably watch tv (without raising the volume) and not hear my dishwasher at all. The lower the decibel the quieter the unit.

Third: features, cycles, basket configuration. This part is often overlooked, but important. Although most people seem to just want the dishwasher to wash the dishes, there are some cycles that can help cater to specific tasks: washing china or crystal for example. Again, most people say they prefer to wash those delicate items by hand. However, dishwashers today have the ability to wash those items, not damage them, while keeping the unit energy efficient. The baskets on top and bottom can be simple and have no moving parts. You can also have baskets with flexibility such as, folding tines, stemware holders, and top cutlery trays.

Last (but not Least): consider what you want the dishwasher to look like. You have a number of options: controls on the front, top controls with a handle, top controls with a scoop handle, even dishwashers with no handle at all, that you knock to open.

As technology has improved, so have dishwashers. They use very little water, which makes the cycles long. On average using only 4-5 gallons of water (sometimes less than a flush of a toilet) per cycle, which is achieved by recycling clean water back into the machine. Filters at the bottom of the dishwasher, which help keep it clean, also encourage the consumer to stop pre rinsing dishes. On average, if you were to pre-rinse every dish, prior to putting the dishes in the dishwasher, you have used about four times the amount of water, that your dishwasher would use. So stop pre-rinsing, and trust the machine.


Mark has been in the appliance business for 10+ years, working out of our Mississauga location. He is part of the Tasco Kitchen Design Division and works with many local designers, builders, and contractors. Mark has a passion for meeting new people and assisting them through their kitchen renovation process. Mark is also a proud father of a 2 year-old son - now he actually has an excuse to play with toys again!

Published by Tasco Pro - Mark Filippelli on Tuesday, December 29th