Countertop Dishwasher Reviews And Specifications

Here you will find information on various countertop dishwasher appliances.

Use the menu on the right to select a brand and read reviews for dishwasher comparison and specifications. If you would like to write any dishwasher reviews or a comment please use the form at the foot of the page and it will be published on this site after being reviewed.

Countertop Dishwashers

Danby Compact Dishwashers DDW396 22 in.

The Danby DDW396W Portable Countertop Dishwasher offers you the convenience of automatically washing up to four place settings on your countertop – with less water than you would probably use if you were to wash the dishes by hand and with no permanent installation. At 17 high, this countertop dish washer is low enough to fit under most cabinets, and the included quick connect faucet adapter makes hookup to almost any faucet a breeze. Plus, this dishwasher boasts a stainless steel interior, a powerful spray arm, a dishrack that is convertible to handle anything from dishes to glasses, an automatic soap dispenser (for a second wash cycle), a rinse aid dispenser, and it accepts plates up to 11 in diameter!
Dishwasher Type: Portable
Control Type: Push Button · Rotary Dial
Number of Wash Cycles: 3 Cycles
Place Settings: 4
Other Features 
Door Integration: Semi Integrated
Dimensions 
Depth: 22.5 in.
Height: 17 in.
Width: 22.5 in.

“It was my turn to do dishes. I really HATE washing dishes. Especially living with 2 roommates they tend to pile up quick. Just my luck, every dish in the house was dirty. I remembered seeing a tiny dishwasher at Wal-Mart, and without a second thought, I dug into savings to get one of them, and I will never regret it. I love this machine. And for $250,(less than $199 in the US) I felt I couldn’t go wrong!

Unpacking the unit was the hardest part of the installation. It came well protected inside the box with foam and wood crating. Once I got it out of that darn box (not very easy done by one person) it was pretty much a matter of screwing on the pair of hoses included and it was good to go. It came with everything needed to run it right out of the box. It even came with a sample pouch of cascade that lasted about two weeks and a small sampler of rinse agent, which lasted well over a month. I changed the aerator attachment on my tap to the one included with the unit. It fits both male and female threading on the faucet.

The Quick Connect adapter snaps effortlessly onto your tap, and drains directly from the adapter, not a hose hooked onto the sink’s edge like other makes. Unlike the Haier units, this one drains fine no matter how much it is below the sink level. It is powerful enough to get all the water out even when set on the floor!

Taking A Closer Look

The machine itself is much more attractive than model DDW399 &W, the model most reviewed. It has the same features, shape and size, except the door and control panel are much more modern looking on mine, and the the dispensers look different. My model has a dispenser for the second cycle, which the previous models do not. The rinse agent dispenser is on the door, not in the rear like before. The rack in mine is grey, and may have been improved over previous models with the chipping problem. I’ll update on that later.

To those who have never saw this dishwasher, it looks like a great big microwave oven. Unlike an oven that size, I can easily lift the dishwasher by myself. The window is kind of pointless, because it is so tinted you can only see the spraying of soapy water on it… though I wouldn’t want the model without the window. It just looks better with it. Save a couple bucks without the window if you want.

The machine’s beautiful and durable Stainless Steel Tub and interior is surprisingly large and has a single, quite powerful Spray Arm, also made of Stainless for extra durability. That’s compared to other makes of Countertop Dishwashers where the interior and tub are made of white plastic. Should the spray arm fail, Danby will send you one for free within the 1-year Parts Warranty period. If it fails past the warranty, it’s around twenty dollars to replace. Along with the instruction manual, which is clear and well written I might add, is a Service Depot Directory. I found 2 depots in my town where I can get qualified repairs made to this sort of dishwasher. Thousands of other places from all over are listed as well.

The dishwasher stands 17 inches high and fits under most cupboards. It has nice little rubber feet that won’t scratch the countertop and the rear base is indented, to allow the hoses to run behind with the unit pushed flush against the wall. My counters aren’t deep enough for this machine (early 1900′s kitchen), and the counter at the time was covered in dishes anyhow, so I decided to put the unit on a rolling cart. The cart has a much smaller footprint than a full size portable. That and the low price, in case you’re wondering why I didn’t just go full size. I decided to get to work immediately. I loaded it up, snapped the quick-connect adapter onto the tap, cranked the hot water and set it on.

Using the Machine

The controls are extremely simple, with a 3 cycle selector dial, on/off button and a Sani button. Turn the dial to the cycle you want to use and push “on”. Push “Sani” on or off anytime you need that temperature boost. Anyone can figure it out.

Now, I read in some reviews that this thing was noisy. Not really. You hear a wooshing SOUND and a gentle whirr when it’s running, but no real noise. Perhaps this model was improved in that sense. It sounded no noisier than my microwave, also a Danby. I also braced myself for some leakage, but it’s nicely sealed with a soft rubber ring.

You can open the door to add dishes if needed. The machine stops automatically and not a drop of water will leak out.

I damaged my seal slightly within the first week by putting knife blades up in the cutlery basket. I still have no leakage, but be sure to watch sharp objects passing by the rubber seal. It is possible to get a replacement seal form Danby, and it is super easy to put on; the old one just pulls off and you push the new one into the groove.

At the end of the full 45-min cycle, I opened the door to find the dishes 100% clean and spotless! I was doubtful that it would get these particular dishes clean, for they had been sitting on the counter for two days waiting for me. 3 loads later and I had washed every item. Even all pots & pans, which were nasty, came out clean. I found that when washing cookware and stuck on dirt, you have to use the Sani-Wash function to get desirable results.

I was curious how much water this thing must use to get the dishes this clean. So I plugged the sink and ran the dishwasher through a cycle, including the pre-rinse. In the end, the sink was not even filled to the half way point! I would use up 3 or 4 times that much water washing and rinsing by hand.

In Sani mode, the 1200W heating element heats the water to 160 degrees to dissolve that tough gunk and is also good for sanitizing.

Don’t use too much detergent or it won’t rinse effectively. It’s tempting to use the full suggested amount, but just a couple teaspoons of Cascade did a world of wonders.

If you’re going to wash dishes right after a meal, you don’t even have to use the full wash. I use the short wash and get phenomenal results in less time. It would probably extend the life of the machine, too, which I read in other reviews is relatively short for a dishwasher.

Out of the 3 main cycles, I never use the pre-rinse cycle. I feel it’s pointless unless you have a lot of solid food waste on your dishes or they actually do need soaking.

Capacity and Other Stuff

The cavity really can hold up to 4 place settings! I have a set of Corelle dishes, which includes 4 of everything, but my glasses wouldn’t fit on that stupid folding cup rack. It fits standard mugs just fine however. The whole Corelle set fits with ease. Cookware must be washed separate, but that’s fine with me. You have to be creative with the placing of dishes to get the most out of the sprayer. I aim dishes toward the centre of the machine. I managed to fit a very large pot, large frying pan, saute pan and small saucepan in all at once along with all of the cooking and serving utensils… Rendered squeaky clean.

An advantage to this machine over the Haier and Equator is that there’s no upper sprayer arm for your dishes to get caught on. This creates an abundance of extra space inside, and the dishes come out just as clean without it.

If you have many glasses to wash, you can remove the inner dish rack and put 20-25 glasses in there. Glasses can be washed in the shortest time. I use only the rinse cycle when washing glasses.

The rinse cycle consists of a first rinse, which can also be used as a wash, and a second rinse with Temp Boost to speed up drying.

Dishes dry in just minutes with the door cracked when you use Jet-Dry in the Automatic Rinse Agent dispenser.

Everything is fine and Danby right now, but I will update this review if I have any problems with it. I have contacted Danby about the sprayer arm problem that others are having. They assured me they have designed a better spray arm mounting system for all new units exiting the factory, and should mine fail, would gladly send me the new one. They even gave me a phone number and address to an appliance repair shop who will order the part and install it for me on warranty.

Update… September 25, 2003

I was paranoid that the sprayer arm mounting would break, so I sent away for a replacement sprayer kit. It arrived in just under a week, I paid just under $20, including shipping, and it comes with a one year warranty. I had to pay because my original spray arm mount is still working fine, but now I have a replacement for when it does break.

Update… February 14, 2005

Well, it’s been well over a year and the dishwasher is still working as good as the day it I got it. I never had to replace any parts after all. I do think, howerver, that it would have self destructed if I didn’t regularly clean the lint out of the pump intake located under the food strainer. It started to sound a little sluggish when this was full of lint, which is why some machines self destructed. I think it will last much longer still.

Update… August 9, 2005

Well, it’s happened. After 2 years of pretty heavy use, the plastic window in the door has brok off, spilling water all over the kitchen floor! I went and bought a tube of high heat silicone and glued it back into place, and we’re back on dry ground. Still works great, still gets those dishes clean, and no other noticeable wear and tear is present. The dish rack has not chipped or rusted at all. Even the stainless steel interior is still pristine and new in appearance. I’m confident it will last a few years yet.”

Haier Counter Top Dishwasher HDT18PA 17 in.

Perfect for a small apartment holding four full place settings plus flatware in a separate basket. It offers three wash cycles a rinse-and-hold option, and optional drying. A beep signals the end of both washing and drying, while upper and lower spray arms provide thorough cleaning. The 1250-watt appliance shuts off when the door is opened, an alarm sounds if a problem occurs, and another automatic feature stops operation if the water overflows. Installing the dishwasher is simple: the water hose connects to a sink faucet (connector included), and another hose drains into the sink.
Dishwasher Type: Built-in
Control Type: Electronic
Number of Wash Cycles: 3 Cycles
Drying Type: Economy / Air Drying
Place Settings: 4
Food Disposer: Without Food Disposer
Sound Insulation: With Sound Insulation
Other Features 
Anti Flooding Device: With Anti Flooding Device
Door Integration: Semi Integrated
Adjustable Rack Height: With Adjustable Rack Height
Dimensions 
Depth: 19.5 in.
Height: 21.25 in.
Width: 17.38 in.

“Good things do come in small packages. Before purchasing my Haier dishwasher I carefully researched the product then ordered one online from Wal-Mart. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it works and looks exactly like a full-sized dishwasher, only smaller. It stores in a space 18″ wide by approximately 22″ in height. Mine tucked right under my overhead cabinets with a half inch to spare. It should be noted that it does have enough weight and bulk that it wouldn’t be convenient to carry back and forth. If you use a side table the hoses are of generous length.
This is an attractive appliance with a touch-button panel located at the bottom center below the door. The door has a leak-proof seal. There are 3 cycles: Rinse, Regular and Heavy Duty. It also pre-heats the wash water. The drying cycle is not heated but I’ve found that if my tap water is hot the last rinse leaves enough residual heat to partially dry the dishes.
The unit holds a surprising amount of dishes, even some pots and pans. When finished it beeps six times. If you open the door during a cycle the beeper will sound until the door is securely latched.
It does an excellent job of cleaning the dishes if they are correctly positioned, unless there is an accumulation of dried or baked on food. Pots and baking dishes wash fairly well but better if pre-soaked and placed flat on the rack. The silverware holder takes up some space but is removable if you need more space.
The rack prongs seem oddly configured in one spot but it’s a minor inconvenience. The prongs are bendable. Use care with loading so that nothing interferes with rotating washer blades. If something falls through the rack, the whole rack comes out and rolls back in very easily.
After a year of regular use I have had no problems at all. One note: it’s advisable to allow cycles to finish rather than interrupting one cycle to start another. If you want to choose a different cycle, unplug the machine for a few minutes and then start over.
With reasonable care this washer should perform reliably for an indefinite time. My Haier portable size dishwasher has performed better than expected and I highly recommend it.”

“This product has done well by us. We have had our dishwasher for almost a year and no problems. Yes, sometimes there is an occasional dish that does not come out clean, however, this is usually the case with all dishwashers. We have no problems with the wheels, no problems with the service and solved the hose storage problem by screwing metal clips to the lip on the top-back of the machine. It is not as large as other machines, but isn’t that the point? The machine is so convenient due to it’s size, we can’t say anything bad about it. This is our first dishwasher and we did have to call customer service for help during set-up, but they were very helpful and we got it up and running right away. There’s plenty of room in this machine though you can’t wash more than 3 standard size dinner plates at once due to the height of the bottom shelf… but don’t plan to have a large dinner party and cram it in this apartment size machine, and you’ll be o.k.”

Compact Dishwasher Reviews

Use the menu on the right to select a brand such as Maytag Dishwasher Reviews,  Miele Dishwasher Reviews  and LG Dishwasher Reviews for more information on their products. If you would like to write a review or a comment please use the form at the foot of the page and it will be published on this site after being reviewed.

Countertop Dishwasher

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