Dishwashers losing popularity in US Homes???

[gelaundry4ever]

To each his own, but I cook a lot and rely on my dishwasher. I feel the dishwasher does a far superior job than I can do by hand and frankly I did way too many dishes by hand growing up, so I will never hand wash again.

I agree 100%.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

In the US 1 hour cycles skimp on heat and doing so give terrible results. Clean dishes and fresh interiors come from 4 hour cycles. However even the 4 hour cycles can not handle the amount of soil that a Whirlpool Power Clean Filter Module could, forcing some level of pre-rinsing.

People thought they would be happier with a quieter dishwasher at the expense of taking longer and as it turns out people would rather put up with 45 minutes of noise than design their day around a 4 hour cycle.

Some people want to put the dishes away after lunch or dinner, others want to load up their dirty pan after being outside and have it ready in an hour for the next meal. Some people actually find it more convenient to run smaller loads with a full standard tub than wait for their tall tub to fill up with everything in the kitchen including utensils and bowls which they might need more than once in a full wash period.

I myself much to frequently run partial loads because when ever a meal fills my tall tub full half the dirty dishes and bowls end up being left on the counter because there is no room for them inside the machine. I rarely had this problem with my standard tub. 3 meals were just enough to fill the machine 1/3 full each time. So at the end of dinner typically everything fit inside, cycle ran, and it was ready in 1 hour.

I told you, quiet dishwashers are a scam. They use puny pumps and tiny sprays. They're weak.

 

[pstehle]

I use ours on a day-to-day basis, usually prefer to hand wash pots and pans, and items I don't want etched. It does an admiral job on flatware, and gets dishes clean without problems. I don't think I'd want to do all my dishes every day by hand... I also disagree with the standard line that you use substantially more water washing dishes by hand. We grew up with a conservative dad who harped about every light, every drop of water, so I learned to be careful with resources. If you simply turn the hot water on and let it run until you've finished with the dishes, then yes, you do use way more...

 

[vacerator]

A neighbor never hand washes a dish! Of course now she is 81, so it took decades before she had the luxury.

 

[bajaespuma]

I love automatic dishwashers.

I've loved them since 1962 when I met my first dishwashers in the building where we lived.

I use my dishwasher all the time; I believe all the data that says that dishwashers (even the old ones) are more energy and water efficient, sanitary and convenient than doing them by hand unless one happens to be extremely efficient and obeys all the Serve Safe rules.

This is why I have a small collection of vintage dishwashers because I think current selections are ridiculously expensive, pre-crippled by built-in obsolescence and take too f**king long to do the job. Also they're boring and monotonous, no color, stainless steel exteriors, monochromatic interiors (you may laugh at that but visual appeal still has importance to folks like me). The only good thing I can say about them is that they are unbelievably quiet. I am 68 years old and I will likely have KitchenAid and Maytag machines in my kitchen till they remove me from my house, feet first, if I'm lucky.

My vintage dishwashers not only do a great job on my tableware, but they can become the best damn proof-boxes for baking artisan and other yeast products because of their ability to create a humid, not-too-warm sealed environment for home bakers. And when you see that bitch Martha talking about it on any of her venues, she got that from me.

I question the claims of their efficiency because, even if they're ridiculously stingy with water, a cycle that takes two hours or more cannot be energy efficient in my opinion.

 

[phillymatt53]

We grew up with a conservative dad who harped about every light, every drop of water, so I learned to be careful with resources. If you simply turn the hot water on and let it run until you've finished with the dishes, then yes, you do use way more...

My mother used to carry on endlessly about things like water usage, electrical use, and heater thermostat settings, and having the fridge door open for more than a few seconds.
She was a good mom, taught us valuable lessons and values, however that obsession with the things I just mentioned is just that.... Obsessive behavior.
Mind you, I'm not against being frugal, or being aware of how much things cost, but I don't obsess over and make myself nuts over trivial, petty stuff.

I do however apply my talents and "perfectionism" to things when need be, and only if they're required in order to maintain important operation, and reliability, mainly in electronics.

For instance, I hand-craft and custom design audio products, one-of-a-kind pieces.
I tend to keep my designs relatively simple, traditional looking, yet with elevated performance that rivals or exceeds mass-produced expensive products, and confirm such performance through extensive and careful testing.
At times, I also "modify" those mass-produced products to compensate for any cost-cutting or shortcuts the manufacturer has done to them.

Below is a high quality level stereo amplifier that I finished a few years ago that produces stunning performance with plenty of power reserves when needed.
Between the internals, I also love doing the woodwork of the cabinetry.
It's actually a relaxing sort of "hobby" that keeps me busy in retirement.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Well which ones would they be losing popularity in?

Not mine, I run lower rack only loads and often buy dishwasher soap more often than I do laundry soap…



— Dave

 

[vacerator]

Our folks were also depression kids. Penny pinchers.

 

[DADoES]

Perhaps the avoidance of dishwashers is related to a trend in "downsizing" of kitchenwares such that people don't have enough dishware for once-a-day machine washing. Or something ridiculous like that.

I recall long-time family friends of whom the wife made a remark to mom upon their retirement that "all you need is two plates, two glasses, two sets of flatware."

 

[qsd-dan]

More seniors using fewer dish and table wear, so they hand wash? New machine prices and budget limits?

That, plus more younger people not getting married and living a single life without children.

 

[panasonicvac]

I was just thinking about this the other day before I saw the thread. I would have a harder time buying a brand new dishwasher. Not only I've seen some unimpressive results but also hearing quite a bit of problems the new machines have been getting. Despite that, I still don't think I could live in a home without one. I definitely don't love doing dishes as much as laundry, I'm just a person that would rather do a quick few seconds of rinsing dishes out and loading them in the dishwasher that gets used about twice a week or so. But whenever I do run it, I'd rather do it at night so that the next day when I unload, the dishes would already be dry to put away. No need to spend the extra time scrubbing and drying by hand. And I don't care how long the cycles go for or how much water they use just as long as they get them clean and last for quite a while. It just seems that my options nowadays are limited, I actually may as well look into the used market for a nice old one especially at killer deals.