Countertop dishwashers

[panthera]

Jim,

You make some good points. Especially #1 and #3.

I have often thought that two of these, carefully built-in next to each other or at least permanently installed at a comfortable height, would make an excellent, if small, dishwashing arrangement for someone who couldn't/shouldn't bend over as is required by a standard size dishwasher. Not, of course, that there's any rule against elevating one of those to a more reasonable height. You see that done in Europe all the time, just as with front loading washing machines, here in the US.

 

As to polenta, I'm so used to the screaming queens in our social circle being offended by my cooking 'shortcuts' and kitchen cleaning ways, I've become immune to it. Italian cuisine (the best on the planet) is all about making simple things taste wonderful. Italians haven't lost sight of that. All too frequently, others have. Heck, look at the best tasting French food one can buy from street vendors. Then compare it to the hysterical Martha Stewart versions.

 

Now, to be sure, I have a friend in Munich who learned in a Michelin One Star whose rissoti are among the best on the planet and he doesn't cut corners. Of course, his pasta tastes so damn good because he doesn't dump out the water, he just keeps lifting the cooked pasta out and putting new in. No olive oil in the water, just lots of salt.

 

 

 

[chachp]

CT Dishwasher Thread

 

<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Here is a thread of mine from a while back on using a countertop dishwasher.  I use mine as a back up when needed and it does a great job.  It takes a while like most modern machines but it's very quiet and does a great job. </span>

 

<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">I agree with the comment about only using powder as the tabs are meant for full size machines that use more water.  I've never noticed tabs for sale for the countertop machines but that doesn't meant they don't exist.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?56660</span> 

 

[panthera]

Tabs and counter-top dishwashers

Because of the scrubbing action and (for the US) high water temperatures, I use a countertop dishwasher to clean really horrid stuff when we're cooking large amounts of food.

This gets even the worst burnt-on stuff off (or, at least, down to where it can be done easily by hand):

1) I run the 'rinse and hold' or 'pre-wash' or whatever silly name they've given those two short rinses on the current model.

2) Add a tab and two tablespoons of TSP (gasp - the horrors! No doubt the dishes will come out with chelated this that or the other in their fibres!). None of our models have the automatic detergent dispenser, just the rinse-aid, hence the pre-rinse - warms dishes and unit, removes a lot of stuff (I clean the filter at that time, too).

3) Run the longest heated programme. On the manual models, I may repeat it. On the electronic, I just restart if necessary.

 

Damn, stuff comes out clean as a whistle which would otherwise never come clean. We all know the dangers of running these new detergents with nothing to 'work' on - and I agree. But for absolutely gobs of fat and tons of burnt-on food for the detergents to attack, I don't see the harm.

 

[thomasortega]

back in Brazil the tablets are usually round (The best one is Jimo). I used to break them in half.
Jimo is so strong that half tablet would clean a full load (regular size dishwasher)

 

[yogitunes]

an interesting counter top model from Panasonic.....

 

[askolover]

I like that one!

 

[mralex]

Really cool!

 

[foraloysius]

Cool looking indeed, but why are they talking about oily residue and not about dirty dishes?

 

[panthera]

Louis,

I wondered about that, too - poor translation? Different concepts? After all, menstrual blood in Germany is always blue in ads, whereas poop in the USofA looks just exactly like ping-pong balls - so maybe dirty dishes are 'oily?'

 

[foraloysius]

Yes, maybe. Or do the dishes need a prerinse before you put them in? I don't know, it just sounded strange.

 

[logixx]

I suppose with all the frying (in a Wok) that typical Asian households do, oil is the most common soil left on their plates, bowls and chopsticks.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Japanese dishwashers

I've always thought that Japanese dishwashers were quite unique machines. Far too small for Western styles of cutlery and crockery though.

 

[thomasortega]

japanese dishwashers:

That was the very first think i thought when i saw the picture... In the USA no way. People would simply hate the design right after the first load.