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| I can't believe this, but I can't find a single post on here about a countertop dishwasher. Not one!
So...who has used one?
At my office we're getting tired of people leaving dirty mugs/utensils/plates in the sink or doing a half-hearted job of cleaning them. It's quite gross to open the drawer and find forks with food bits still stuck to them. A countertop dishwasher seems like it might be the solution. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by live_wire_oak (My Page) on Wed, Feb 22, 12 at 16:39
| They are useless PIAs. Either put in a real DW or crack down on the slobs. |
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| I have a Danby (DDW396W) that's several years old, bought NIB via Craigslist. All these comments apply only to the specific model. Can't say what may be the differences on the current version, or what other brands are available. Point 1: The capacity and loading patterns are very limited, partly because of the rack design which is conducive to placing certain items in only the designated sections ... such as dinner plates which holds only four (or five at most). Glassware is more flexible, and the rack inserts can be removed for using it (per the manual) as a "bar" washer (only glassware). Point 2: It uses (comparatively) a lot of power, and moreso if the high-temp option is selected (heats the first wash to 165F). Notably, the heating function delays the timer until the target temp is reached (it heats pretty quickly), so it can run on a cold fill which is nice for use in a camper or travel trailer. Point 3: The cycle sequence is a bit backward in that the first wash is heated/longer rather than being a shorter/non-heated prewash phase followed by a heated main wash. The timer is mechanical and can be manually cranked along with changing the high-temp option to make a "custom" cycle sequence. Point 4: There is no drying heater or drying phase in the cycle. The final rinse is always heated to 165F which provides residual heat for flash-drying -- helps to open the door, which has a 'stop' holding it slightly ajar. Point 5: It has a manual-clean filter that should be cleaned after every run (unless perhaps the dishes are scraped/rinsed clean first, which would be silly IMO). The filter screen sits over the heater sump and gets hot so food particles tend to stick to it a little. Point 6: It does clean quite well (which it should heating to 165F, LOL). |
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| I also disagree with LWO on this one - sorta. I have a Bosch I brought back from Europe to use as a glass washer / novelty in a bar. Works fine for that. Cleans well enough. But not available stateside, so it doesn't really matter. I do agree that your best course is to train your employees how to behave. Just get rid of all dishes / silverware one night and wait for the complaints to fly. Call a meeting and explain the new "program". If you really want a DW - I'd suggest an 18" model or better yet a single dish drawer. You'll still have to train/ retrain the staff. |
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- Posted by hollysprings (My Page) on Wed, Feb 22, 12 at 17:29
| Paper plates and plastic forks might be a better approach than a tiny little DW that won't get used either. Even if you put in a full sized DW, you'd still be dealing with people who think it's easier to just put stuff in the sink than in the DW. And who would have the responsibility of running a cycle? Emptying it? Buying the DW detergent? You'd have to work out a schedule for those responsibilities, and it will be resented. It would be even more resented if you assigned one single person to dishwasher duty. Just think of how "well" it works to have a company refrigerator! I've never been anywhere where the responsibility of keeping one clean was actually done well unless you have an OCD person on staff. The slobs always win, and the tidier people end up being PO'd that the work falls on their shoulders just because they have higher standards. Eliminate the problem entirely and let people provide their own utensils for their own lunches. |
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| you can always hire a cleaning service, and tell the minions at raise time that their raise is paying for the mess they leave. |
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| From experience, I would suggest cracking down on the slobs. You'll spend the bucks on a DW and they'll ignore it or screw it up or expect someone else to take care of it. This is a personnel problem, not a machine problem. Annoying, but common. |
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| This situation's complicated by office politics. Management wants to avoid conflict at all costs (including the cost of getting a dishwasher). One of the issues is that one of the 'suspects' is a partner's spouse. Adding to the issue is that the cleaning crew doesn't clean. The partner's spouse thinks they can do no wrong, despite them not cleaning the floors for weeks at a time, stealing things and charging nearly double the going rate, so that's a dead end. Same person also insists that we have the plates, silverware, and glasses. So... back to the dishwasher... LWO: Have you actually used one? The interior of the ones I've seen online look very similar to the full-size Boschs I've had over the years. They also look almost identical to the 18" dishwashers I've seen in some offices. hollysprings: I'm not too worried about running it/unloading it. There are several of us in the office who've discussed this and would be willing to do that part. We're just sick & tired of manually cleaning dishes and finding the sink absolutely stacked full of dirty dishes. Or worse, opening up the cabinet and finding dirty silverware & plates shoved in there. The office would pick up the costs of purchasing & operation. Actually the office fridge has remained clean. Out of the past 2 years there's only been one time when someone left something in the fridge that spoiled. And it wasn't entirely their fault -- they unexpectedly got called out to the field for a week. dadoes: Sounds like it might be exactly what we're looking for. How loud is it when running? A normal day for us usually generates 6-12 coffee mugs, 5 or so glasses, 3-5 plates. Maybe a bowl or two. All of the models I've been seeing online look a lot alike. To the point that I'm wondering if only one company truly makes them and everyone else slaps a different door/controls on them. |
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| All of what you outline would not fit in one load, but most of it might ... depends how many mugs, size of the glasses (juice? tea tumblers?) and size of the plates (saucer? dessert? dinner?). Four 'regular'-size mugs fit on the upper side-shelf, more can go in the rack depending on what else is in the load. There's one spray arm below the rack, so must avoid blocking spray (between other items) to the shelf. I had to do a modification on mine to prevent plates from protruding below the rack and blocking the arm rotation ... added a couple zip-ties in the plate area to hold them up a little higher. Noise levels are subjective to the individual person and environ. It's surely not *silent* but I don't find it objectionable by any means. Louder than my DishDrawer, but much less (of course) than a blender or mixer. |
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- Posted by GreenDesigns (My Page) on Fri, Feb 24, 12 at 16:38
| For the amount of dishes you are talking about, a standard DW would be a better choice. It would also be less of a learning curve to load for whomever the chore fell on. You just need a 24" space next to the sink and the services of an electrician and plumber. |
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- Posted by whirlpool_trainee (My Page) on Fri, Feb 24, 12 at 18:11
| I have one of those Bosch countertop dishwashers and it awesome - clean and dry pots and pans in 50 minutes. But I live in Europe and, as antss said, these can't be had in the US. Can't comment on the American offering but they sure look very much alike.
A couple of clickable images of some loads I did in there. A great little unit. Alex |
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| dadoes: Mostly smaller plates. We do have large plates but they're rarely used. Usually just something for people to make a quick small salad on or to present cookies/doughnuts/crackers/cheese to clients. GreenDesigns: I don't have room for a 18" let alone a 24", hence the inquiry into countertop models. Someone else designed the kitchen and it was built-out before I got here, otherwise there would have been quite a few changes made to it. Alex: That looks A LOT like the ones I've seen. I do wish Bosch would sell one here -- they'd make a killing with their reputation in the US + a real name-brand having a countertop. The only name-brand smaller dishwashers here are the 18" models. Looks very similar to what Alex posted. Seeing his photos, I can easily see our daily amount of dirty cups/dishes fitting. |
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- Posted by whirlpool_trainee (My Page) on Sat, Feb 25, 12 at 10:31
| Some more pictures I just took. All coffee pots and glasses
And plates: from dinner plates down to saucers.
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