The DWs should flank the cleanup sink - don't put them in different locations in the Kitchen. You don't want to be running around the Kitchen b/c you put something in the DW farther away or you don't know/remember which DW the item is in. With them flanking the sink, they're right there. Since Dish Storage should also be in the Cleanup Zone (or right next to it), it also puts the DWs in the right place for unloading the DW.

The Trash Pullout should be in the Prep Zone...usually either between the range/cooktop and prep sink (or only sink) or in an island across from the range/cooktop with a prep sink. You generate far more trash and recyclables while prepping and cooking and for a much longer and extended amount of time than you do cleaning up. Ideally it should be relatively easy to get to from the Cleanup Zone as well, but that's a lower priority than getting it in the Prep and Cooking Zones. If you have enough space, you could always put in two trash pullouts - one in the Prep Zone and a second (smaller or the same size) in the Cleanup Zone.

No experience yet, hopefully will not regret the decision but be installing two Fisher & Paykel DD36SDFTX2 for precisely the same reason as yours though my wife does not care either way (I load and unload :) following parties)

Thanks Buehl, that makes sense. In our current house we have a single trash next to the prep sink and a double trash next to the clean up sink, and the prep one is always the first to fill.

I do scrape things off plates into the clean up trash often though.

If I had room for two DW's, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Hate handwashing, lol. Although I do always hand wash the very large stuff. To deal with too many dishes/not enough DW space when entertaining, I just don't sweat going to bed with a clean kitchen. I load the DW, wash the big stuff, and then scrape and neatly stack everything that's left to wash. When the first load is done I load the second. When that's done, if needed, I load or partially load the rest. I'm just throwing that out there if you find you don't have space for two. But if you do, go for it and enjoy!

But, really, for family gatherings....why aren't the rest of the family helping with clean-up? I've never been to or hosted a family event where most everybody doesn't pitch in to do their share. In fact, the cook is usually prevented from helping. He/she/they have earned the rest. I'm absolutely stunned that the family doesn't help knowing that Mom is doing all that work and is exhausted from it. Tsk, tsk.

The only help I get after a large party, is them placing everything next to the sink and on the island; ends up looking like a banquet kitchen, then it's a request/order to load the dishwasher. Only I have the patience to load it properly such that everything comes out clean and washing really large items by hand in the sink. Then it's like 'wow you got a lot in there'. I do wash stemware in it's own cycle. Not that everyone can't do it but with an engineering background I am obsessed with doing things right even if I've had loads to drink. :)

Pinebaron - haha! My MIL always loads the DW wrong..dishes facing 90 degrees off from where they should be. Drives me batty!

Funkycamper - guests should help my mom..but some are old (90+) and can't, and often dinner runs late and those with young kids need to get home and kids to bed. Usually they will help her load the first load in the DW, but the next morning she is left with another load or two, which is why it takes her a while to feel like the house is back to normal afterwards.

Well, the 90+ ones get a pass, lol. I don't know your mom's age but I just hate to see folks stressed and tired after entertaining. Maybe she should change from dinner to what I call linner (late lunch/early dinner) so the younger ones with young kids would have time to help before needing to get the kiddies to bed? Or maybe she just provides main dish and beverages and the others can bring potluck side dishes and desserts? Of course, the 90+ get a pass on that, too. They've earned being served. :)

It had always been my dream to have two dishwashers. We are avid cooks and entertain frequently and of course, one never holds all the dishes. I'm also one of those type A people who can't go to bed with a dirty kitchen.

A little over a year ago, we purchased our dream home, a MCM masterpiece that was in need of a total renovation. After the kitchen was gutted, we realized that installing two dishwashers was cost prohibitive due to a slab floor and a rather large heating/cooling duct in the way. While trying to decide what to do, I stumbled upon Miele professional dishwashers while searching the web. Talked to a local dealer and Miele headquarters and took the plunge. The best decision I made during our remodel.

The cycles are unbelievably quick compared to residential machines. Mine is hooked to hot water which speeds up the cycle even faster. Now when my guests leave, I fill the machine with dishes and glassware, hit the "Prospeed" cycle and 19 minutes later, it's done. Unload, load again and hit "start." While that cycle is running, I straighten the house. When I'm done' the dishwasher is done. I unload then off to bed with a clean kitchen, clean dishes and an empty dishwasher. Doesn't get any better than that.

I renovated my kitchen and put in 2 DWs flanking the main/only sink.

Main reason for having the 2 DWs is because we always have hand-washed stuff: knives, pots/pans, etc.
I hated having my drying dish rack on the countertop, so I added the 2nd DW as my daily drying rack.

The left one is the daily one we use for dishes, because it's near the dish drawers.
But once a month or so, we would fill up/run the right DW, so that all the tubes/etc would not dry up, etc.

When we have parties, I often fill up one DW as I cook or during appetizers.
Then when the party is winding down or finished, I run the other DW; and unload the 1st DW and run it again and go to bed.

My only kitchen pull-out trash is under my sink, on the left door, so that I stand at the right door between the sink and the cooktop = my zone.

We also have another trash in the next room/familyroom in the hutch/recycling center.

I love having 2 dishwashers!
You won't regret it.

Amanda/huango

Love love LOVE having two DW. I host all the family gatherings plus we are a family of 6 so both get used nearly every day. On the rare occasions that we don't generate enough dishes to fill both, I rotate. I do the same thing with my double ovens so that both get even wear.

Mine are to the left and right of the main sink, my trash is a few steps away.

I have 2 dishwashers and it makes a huge difference. Everything is cooked from scratch here due to illnesses and allergies. So we have tons of dishes daily. and tons of pots pans and mixing bowls etc. Anyway how we use the dishwashers is we fill both up then turn them on at the same time, usually after dinner. I hate noise and find this to be the quietest way. We have timers on them but often fill one up again in that same evening and have to run one machine again. That one goes on at 2 am, which seems to be the only time it doesn't wake me. We put anything into either DW so that is not an issue.

Our dishwashers are both to the left of the sink which works for us as our dishes are all there. Except the pots which are across the (small) kitchen by the stove. We scrape everything into one bowl, then into the city composting bin. So no need for a garbage can.

I love both my DW and can't imagine living without them. ::))

I have 2 dishwashers and it makes a huge difference. Everything is cooked from scratch here due to illnesses and allergies. So we have tons of dishes daily. and tons of pots pans and mixing bowls etc. Anyway how we use the dishwashers is we fill both up then turn them on at the same time, usually after dinner. I hate noise and find this to be the quietest way. We have timers on them but often fill one up again in that same evening and have to run one machine again. That one goes on at 2 am, which seems to be the only time it doesn't wake me. We put anything into either DW so that is not an issue.

Our dishwashers are both to the left of the sink which works for us as our dishes are all there. Except the pots which are across the (small) kitchen by the stove. We scrape everything into one bowl, then into the city composting bin. So no need for a garbage can.

I love both my DW and can't imagine living without them. ::))

I'll be the opposition, I suppose.

Remember that when you say "yes" to two dishwashers, you're saying "no" to the storage that could've been placed in that area. I personally have more pots and pans than anyone should have and -- shall I admit this? -- SEVEN sets of dishes. I like storage.

I'd opt for a LARGE sink, and ask guests to stack plates in it. Go ahead and run the glasses and silverware and odd-ball things first . . . and then do a second load of plates after everyone's gone. Plates don't take up much space when they're stacked. If they aren't run through the dishwasher 'til the next day, it's fine with me.

As for pots and pans, when I have company, I tend to do pre-ahead type things, so I don't have many pots and pans to wash.

Going back to markb's point, wouldn't one commercial dishwasher make more sense than 2 separate dishwashers? My understanding is that a Hobart undercounted unit can do a load in 3-4 minutes.

There have been threads on commercial dw's in a home kitchen here in the past. It might be worth researching.

We had 2 dw's for a time at our last house for our family of 9. They were on either side of our super single cleanup sink, which holds a ton of dirty dishes. In our new kitchen, the DW's will still be on either side of the cleanup sink with a trash cabinet on the corner of the island so that it can be opened from 2 sides, one side facing the cleanup zone and the other side facing the prep zone.

Havig 2 dws did have its perks. They really were awesome for when we had lots of guests over. There was always room for everything, as long as they had been emptied before people came over.

The downside for my kiddos was that they sometimes felt overwhelmed at chore time having to finagle the dishes into the 2 dws. It took a bit to get everything placed right, to the point that at times they almost felt like they could handwash more efficiently. And if both DW's were full of clean dishes at the same time, it felt like there was a lot to put away all at once. Obviously these quibbles aren't enough to keep me from planning to do 2 again. I agree with Mrs. Pete, though that you need to weigh your storage needs against the DW needs.

Going back to markb's point, wouldn't one commercial dishwasher make more sense than 2 separate dishwashers? My understanding is that a Hobart undercounted unit can do a load in 3-4 minutes.

Interesting. I'd never considered a commercial dishwasher before, so I did a bit of looking. I don't think it's a realistic choice for most of us:

- The Hobart model costs around 6K
- In addition to the machine (which comes "empty"), you'd need multiple racks -- plate racks, glass racks and silverware racks. You can get half-rack sizes, which would allow you to wash half a rack of plates and half a rack of silverware at once. These half racks aren't expensive -- $15-20 each -- but you'd have to store them somewhere when they're not in use, which would pretty much use up the space that would've gone to the second dishwasher. Only one full rack or two half racks can be in the dishwasher at a time.
- These racks are fairly heavy and must be lifted -- not rolled out like home dishwashers.

However, it would be efficient:
- These units can run 32 cycles per hour, which would be 3-4 minutes per cycle. The problem would come in with putting in a rack of plates . . . and then where do you set the hot plate rack while it cools and you insert the glassware rack?

I can see that this would work for someone . . . but it certainly isn't for the typical household.

"Going back to markb's point, wouldn't one commercial dishwasher make more sense than 2 separate dishwashers? My understanding is that a Hobart undercounted unit can do a load in 3-4 minutes."

All commercial dishwashers are not the same. To the best of my knowledge, Miele is the only manufacturer to offer a "fresh water" commercial unit. What this means is, every aspect of a cycle (i.e., prewash, wash , rinse etc.) begins with a fresh water fill. In simpler terms, the unit works like a residential unit, only on steroids. It accomplishes this using 240V power with a 4.2kw heater and a significantly more robust circulation pump. Typical residential units use low power pumps and have a recirculation rate between 17 - 19 GPM. The Miele rate is a little over 50 GPM.

All other commercial undercounter units are known as "tank style." What this means is the unit has a large sump that must be filled prior to using the unit. The wash water is used over and over again for multiple loads. The rinse water is supplied thru separate "rinse arms' at normal house water pressure (think lawn sprinkler).

Major disadvantages for this type of machine are:
1) 10/20 minute prep and warm up prior to use
2) wash only one rack at a time
3) Dishware removed dripping wet and extremely hot to flash dry on counter.
4) Lots of hot steam in kitchen
5) Dishes have to be pre cleaned prior to loading as tank style units are essentially dish-finishers as opposed to dishwashers.

More info than you probably want but at least the correct info is there.

Markb, My first-ever job was washing dishes, and you've reminded me of several things. Yes, we had to start the dishwasher something like 15-20 minutes ahead of time so it could "warm up". And, yes, we had a prep station where we hosed the dishes down completely before we put them into the machine.