Dishwasher buying guide

Start with style

If you haven’t looked for a dishwasher for a while, or ever, you’d be shocked to see all the tech available and how well it works. Before you jump into the latest features, you must decide what you want from your new dishwasher, and it starts with style. 

While your dishwasher may have a door or two draws, it also differs by how the appliance installs and integrates to your kitchen. 

Do you want to match your dishwasher’s colour to that of your fridge and oven? Do you want the brands in your kitchen to match? Use the answers to those questions to start your journey. Brands that make other kitchen appliances usually have complimentary styled products in their range so your products match, and some colours are fairly standard across brands so you can mix-and-match. Decide if you want to base the colour or brand of your other kitchen appliances around your new dishwasher, or if you want your dishwasher to match your existing appliances. 

Install type

Now you know your brand and colour, let’s look at install type. There’s a few. Built in and built under are the most common. They fit in the standard dishwasher gap, under a countertop and usually require a few screws and tabs to attach them to your surrounding cabinets. A pretty easy job and if you can put together Swedish furniture, you can probably install one yourself. 

If you’re renting or want simpler setup without the screws, a freestanding dishwasher stands up all by itself and can usually fit in the same standard gap or even next to a cabinet. Most freestanding dishwashers have a removable lid to fit better under a countertop. They’re also great if you want to take the appliance with you to your next place.

Fitting in with your kitchen: The difference between semi and fully integrated dishwashers

Sitting perfectly in fancy town we have semi and fully integrated dishwashers. They’re designed to seamlessly integrate into your kitchen cabinets for a truly bespoke design. Integrated dishwashers allow your cabinet maker or chippy to install a matching cover on the appliance, so it looks like the doors and draws of your kitchen. 

The only difference between the two is a semi-integrated dishwasher has a visible control panel, while a fully integrated one doesn’t, so your dishwasher completely blends in. You really need a tradesperson to complete this install to get the best results.

Cleaning up on features

I want to finish up by talking about the features I think are awesome across the various brands at JB Hi-Fi. Now you won’t find every feature in every model from each brand, so the next features are just the ones I love and it’s best to check if the model you’re looking at has that feature.

Breakdown by brand

Asko: Premium choice 

Asko dishwashers are tested for 12,500 hours, which is 20 years of use and when you open the door, you see more steel in the machine than in any other dishwasher on the market. Every part of the machine you can see and touch feels strong and reliable. Made in Europe, they’re a premium choice.

Electrolux: Great for protecting expensive dishes 

Electrolux dish care devices often have soft grips and spikes to take excellent care of your glasses by holding them gently but firmly in place, plus innovative lift mechanisms to make loading and unloading easier than ever. Unique wash arms for all round cleaning are a sign that Electrolux cares for your dishes and they’re a great choice to protect expensive tableware.

LG: Quiet and smarthome ready

LG dishwashers have inverter direct drive motors for quiet, efficient, and reliable use with super long motor warranties to match, up to 11 years on some. Quad wash features a bottom spray arm with four rotating blades, two have oscillating nozzles to deliver jets of water at multiple angles.

ThinQ connected features personalise your experience and give you access to more cycles and Smart Diagnosis. A perfect Smart Home companion with steam cycles for amazing performance.

Fisher & Paykel: The one for draws

Draw style products from Fisher & Paykel allow total flexibility for your next kitchen build. Single or double DishDrawer Dishwashers are endlessly configurable and just scream luxury. Perfect for that new kitchen reno or to really modernise any space. 

There’s a huge range of styles and Fisher & Paykel have a big focus on sanitising your dishes with dedicated Sanitise wash cycles. Reducing bacteria by a minimum of 99.99%.

Westinghouse: Great for families

Westinghouse is the ultimate family brand with an affordable range that is built to last. Heaps of colours to choose from and they’re so simple to use. A big range of freestanding dishwashers means you will get amazing value with Westinghouse, and you can take it with you when you move. A well-known brand with a great reputation, you can’t go wrong.

Hair and Solt

Haier and Solt are perfect entry price points if you’re on a tight budget. A quality product that will be a great replacement for that tired and old dishwasher at home. Basic, straightforward, reliable product that doesn’t break the bank. You get all the standard features in styles that suit everyone.