2017 Dishwasher Reviews & Ratings

You are viewing the archived dishwasher ratings. Follow the link for the current dishwasher ratings.

Compare dishwashers in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Westinghouse, Bosch, Fisher & Paykel, Haier, LG, Samsung and Simpson were compared on value for money, performance, quietness, internal layout, ease of use, warranty and service, design and overall satisfaction.

See our Ratings Methodology.

Don’t get in a lather when you’re choosing your dishwasher

Under-counter, slimline, drawer, benchtop?  With so many different types to choose from, who doesn’t like a dishwasher?  They can save time, stop the bench getting cluttered with stacks of dirty dishes and avoid arguments, although for 5% of women, disagreements about household chores are still the biggest issue in their relationship!

So with such a variety of types and brands on the market in New Zealand, how do you choose which one is right for you?

Canstar Blue’s recent survey revealed what Kiwis want from their dishwashers and which brand they rate the best for overall satisfaction.  For 2017, the brand judged by consumers to give the best overall satisfaction and winner of the Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers Award is Westinghouse.

Part of the Electrolux Group, Westinghouse has been serving the Australasian market for over
60 years.  Taking a maximum five stars in all but one category, this is the first year that Westinghouse have topped Canstar Blue’s dishwashing chart.

What qualities are most important to consumers?

It’ll be no surprise to learn that the two qualities that consumers rated the highest were performance and ease of use.  However, what is surprising is that even though these features were ranked top priority, the same survey revealed that 71% of people still rinse their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher and 56% of people always use the same cycle.

Next on the dishwasher wish list was value for money and design.  Now, while value for money is a very subjective thing and can mean different things to different people, design can be important as far as size of your dishwasher and the size of the kitchen you want it to fit into.  If space is an issue for you, there are different designs and sizes that you can consider and we’ll give a bit more detail about these later on.

Warranty and service was the next consideration.  The last thing you want is for you dishwasher to break down and then being stung $150 call out charge just for someone to tell you what’s wrong with it. Most manufacturers offer standard warranty and service options when you buy a new dishwasher but it may also be worth enquiring what it costs to extend these beyond the initial period of cover.

Finally, internal layout and quietness bring the list to an end.

To rinse or not to rinse?

You might be surprised but the answer is most definitely not!  According to our survey, 71% of people rinse their dishes before loading them into the dishwasher but it turns out they’re hindering, not helping the washer do its job.

In the early days of dishwashers becoming popular (back in the 1980’s), rinsing was an absolute must if you wanted your plates to come our sparkling at the end of a cycle.  Now, thanks to advancements in the technology of not only our dishwashers, but of the detergents we use, it’s much better not to put your plates in the rack clean.   Basically, the enzymes in modern detergents ‘cling on’ to food particles left on plates and cutlery, if they’ve got nothing to cling onto, they can’t clean properly.   You still need to scrap the leftovers off your plate as large chunks of food debris will block your filter and drain giving off a rather pungent aroma and can even lead to flooding.

What type of dishwasher do I need?

Kitchens come in all shapes and sizes, and luckily, so do dishwashers.  Depending on your space requirements there are various options for you to consider:

Under-counter: These dishwashers tend to be the most common type and can come in various versions including fully integrated where they match up with your kitchen units. The advantage with these machines is that they tend to take a lot more dishes but the disadvantages are that you lose cupboard space.  Fully plumbed or free standing models are also available with freestanding being more popular in countries where people take their white goods when they move (not so common in New Zealand).

Drawer: Available as single or double drawers, these dishwashers tend to be the same width and depth as traditional machines.  With double drawer models the obvious advantage is that you can start the drawers on individual washing cycles so can have one washing while you still fill the remaining one.  Great for a busy household.

Slimline:  Perfect if you are short on space.  A traditional sized dishwasher takes up a lot of valuable space in a small kitchen so a slimmer version is a great alternative.  Obviously you are more restricted to the number of dishes you can put in it, but as a result of its smaller size, it also uses less water and if the alternative is washing all of your dishes by hand, what’s not to like!

Benchtop: Again these are great if you are struggling for space as they sit on your bench top and usually connect straight to your kitchen tap.

Whatever you decide, make sure you research and measure out the available space in your kitchen.  With prices ranging from as little as $400 to over $8,000, you want to make sure you spend your money wisely.