Dishwashers are gaining popularity among many younger Singaporean households, and rightfully so. With more households operating as dual-income households, more people are opting for dishwashers for their dirty dishes, robot vacuum cleaners for their dirty floors, and washer-dryer combos for their laundry.

Ironically, we enjoyed doing most of our mundane household chores as they allowed us to daydream and rest our minds amidst hectic schedules. However, we do recognize that getting a dishwasher seems very convenient for cleaning up our dishes quickly. It helps us on days when chores are overwhelming and we need some external help to settle these mundane tasks.

What are dishwashers?

Like its name, dishwashers are appliances that help you wash your dishes. Initially, there were a lot of deterrence in getting dishwashers due to their high consumption of electricity and water, and the slight difficulty in getting dishwasher tablets due to low usage in Singapore. However, as more and more people look to improve their quality of life and efficiency in household chores, dishwasher popularity start to take off.

There are many different types of dishwashers—portable dishwashers, countertop dishwashers, and built-in dishwashers—to choose from. The type of dishwasher you get depends on the size of your kitchen, the frequency of cooking, and the types of dishes you wash.

Portable Dishwashers

Portable dishwashers are dishwashers that do not need a fixed space to operate like built-in dishwashers and you can move them around and use them so long you connect them to the water supply. They can also double up as extra counter spaces as needed and are great for people who decided that they needed a dishwasher as an afterthought, but are too late to add a dishwasher into the current setup of kitchen space.

Countertop Dishwashers

Countertop dishwashers are dishwashers that you put on top of a countertop or on a surface. Countertop dishwashers are usually smaller in size due to weight and height limitations. Often, they are placed beside the sink to replace kitchen dish drying racks.

Built-In Dishwashers

Built-in dishwashers are dishwashers that are built into the carpentry so they are flushed in within the cabinets. Usually, you have to consider a space to put the built-in dishwasher during your renovation, such that it will fit in nicely upon installation. Otherwise, it would be hard to put in a built-in dishwasher once all the carpentry is up.

How to use a dishwasher?

Dishwashers seem very straightforward to use. All you have to do is load the dirty dishes inside the dishwasher and let the machine do its thing. However, there are a few things to take note when using a dishwasher.

One, dishwashers need to use special dishwasher tablets or pastes. You cannot use any storebought dishwasher soap as it will generate too many bubbles and suds. You will run the risk of bubbles overflowing out of the dishwasher and end up with a soapy floor.

Two, you need to consider where to install the dishwasher as you would need to connect it to the water supply. Dishwashers need water to wash your dishes, and you have to decide where to place the dishwasher such that it can draw and drain water easily.

Three, au contrary to popular belief, you do actually need to do a little washing on the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. This only applies if your dish is extremely dirty or oily, or you have kept the dishes overnight and the food particles are not bulging or too big , your dishes may not come out clean at the end of the cycle.

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Top 5 Best Dishwasher Summary

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Sharehook Top 5 Best Dishwashers in Singapore

Best Portable Dishwasher

Specifications

• Brand: Electrolux
• Dimensions: 59.8 x 62.2 x 850 cm
• Weight: 40.2 kg
• Water Temperature: Cold or hot (maximum 60°C)
• Water Consumption: 7.8L
• Noise level (dB): 46

Features

We have been looking at a lot of countertop dishwashers as we love the added countertop space that that it bring, which is perfect for our small kitchen. This Electrolux ESA47200SX dishwasher by Electrolux is one of the most functional countertop dishwasher for a typical Singapore family. We love that it has an option to delay the start of the cycle up to 24 hours, so we can have the dishwasher running at night.

Electrolux ESA47200SX dishwasher also has a very good dish drying method by opening the door automatically in their washing phase such that natural air is used to dry out the dishes. We love that the dishes are clean and dry for immediate use at the end of the cycle.

Electrolux ESA47200SX dishwasher comes with two racks – upper and lower racks. However, what makes it interesting is that the upper rack can be lifted and lowered to allow you to easily fit your dishes inside. We also love that the noise level of the dishwasher is only at 46 dB, which is considered relatively quiet among popular dishwasher brands.

The interior of the Electrolux ESA47200SX dishwasher is very spacious and allows bigger cookware like pots and big bowls to be fitted in without feeling cluttered and tight. This is perfect if you have a big family or use large cookware in your kitchen.

Best Countertop Dishwasher

Specifications

• Brand: Electrolux
• Dimensions: 55 x 52.3 x 60.4 cm
• Weight: 27 kg
• Water Temperature: Cold or Hot (Maximum 90°C)
• Water Consumption: 8.8L
• Noise level (dB): 60

Features

• Programmed with an eco mode that is water and energy-efficient
• Comes with 6 programs tailored for different cleaning needs
• Comes with 8 place settings
• Equipped with a child-lock to prevent accidental operation of the dishwasher
• Comes with 2 years of warranty
• Can be installed as either countertop, portable, or built-in dishwasher

Electrolux is a very popular household electronic brand, with their line of washing machine and clothes dryer being the top choice for many households. One lesser-known fact is Electrolux has a series of efficient dishwashers. This model – Electrolux Countertop Dishwasher (ESF6010BW) – is one of the largest countertop dishwasher in the market. It is also large enough to use as a portable dishwasher if you do not have space on your countertop or as a built-in dishwasher if you have planned for a dishwasher in your kitchen renovation.

Electrolux ESF6010BW Countertop Dishwasher comes with two racks – the top rack is suitable for small plates, bowls, and utensils, while the bottom rack is suitable for larger pieces like pots, big bowls, and large plates. The size of the dishwasher is great for a family of 2 to 4 to wash their dishes at the end of a day, depending on the frequency of cooking.

We love that it comes with an express 30 (30 minutes) washing function which is sufficient for the dishes to come out sparkling clean. However, if you have dishes that are very oily such as cooking pots, you can use the normal mode to ensure that your dishes are properly cleaned, and even dried, at the end of the wash. Note that the express 30 washing function does not dry the dishes as the cycle is too short.

One of our favourite thing about this dishwasher is that it is small enough to stack on top of our existing washing machine, essentially saving space in our otherwise small home. However, note that the drying function is not very strong and a small amount of dishes will be slightly wet at the end of the normal mode. In addition, do remember to slightly open your dishwasher at the end of a wash so the dishes can be air dry to prevent water vapour from condensing on your dishes.

Best Built-In Dishwasher

Specifications

• Brand: Brandt
• Dimensions: 59.8 x 55 x 81.5 cm
• Weight: 37.5 kg
• Water Temperature: between 40°C to 65°C
• Water Consumption: 10L
• Noise level (dB): 44

Features

• Comes with 6 washing program of varying temperatures between 40°C to 65°C
• Comes with 14 place settings
• Door opens automatically for clean access and natural drying
• Big space with 3 racks – 2 racks for big items and 1 rack for cutlery
• Option to have intensive washing take place in the upper or lower basket for more greasy dishes
• Allow for delay start, so dishwasher can be switched on while sleeping

Brandt is a very popular household brand that is very popular for their hob, hood, and oven. But do you know they also have a series of dishwashers that look modern and sleek? We have been using Brandt hob and hood for a while, and we love how easy they are to operate and clean up, so we decided to take a closer look at their range of dishwashers.

Brandt carries both free-standing dishwashers and built-in dishwashers and we are really amazed by this model – Brandt BDJ424VLB Vortex Built-In Dishwasher. This Brandt dishwasher comes with 6 washing modes with different washing temperatures and purposes. If your dishes are extremely dirty, you can opt for the intensive wash, which will use a higher temperature to wash the dishes.

We like that they have a mode for pre-wash – which will wash the dishes without detergent at a mild temperature. This mode is intended for dishes that will be washed later with dishes from the next meal. We envisioned that we would be running the dishwasher once at the end of every day. This mode would be helpful to do a simple cleaning of the dishes before the food stains dry up.

We love how big the dishwasher is, with 3 racks to put the dishes and cutlery. This would definitely be great for big families, or people who cook often and have a high turnover of dishes to wash. It also comes with a mode to let you decide if you would like intensive washing at the upper or lower basket so you can be sure those greaser plates and pots get washed more thoroughly.

Best Smallest Countertop Dishwasher

Specifications

• Brand: Toshiba
• Dimensions: 42 x 43.5 x 43.5 cm
• Weight: 14 kg
• Water Temperature: 36°C to 72°C
• Water Consumption: 5L
• Noise level (dB): 58

Features

• Comes with 6 washing program of varying temperatures between 36°C to 72°C
• Preset with a program to clean fruits and vegetables
• No need to install to a water inlet, pouring water to the water tank will work too
• Takes only 15 minutes to complete a cycle
• Compact, but can accommodate about 20 pieces of dishes
• Lightweight to easily move around the kitchen

If you have a small and compact house, but you want to get a dishwasher, this Toshiba 5L DWS-22ASG Portable Dishwasher is for you. It doesn’t require to be connected to a water inlet, so you can place them anywhere in the house that is convenient for you. You can top up the dishwasher with 5l of water to the water tank to start a cycle whenever you want to run the dishwasher. We love that the shortest washing cycle is only 15 minutes so we can keep loading them every 15 minutes if we are in a rush to have other dishes washed.

There is a setting to clean fruits and vegetables, so if you are feeling lazy, you can put them in the dishwasher to clean them. There is only 1 rack in the dishwasher, so the dishes that you put in the can be quite limited. However, if you position them properly, you can wash up to 20 pieces of dishes. This is perfect for a small family or family who cooks infrequently but wanted a dishwasher to clean their dishes.

Best Affordable Countertop Dishwasher

Specifications

• Brand: LYLAC
• Dimensions: 45 x 43x 46 cm
• Weight: –
• Water Temperature: up to 75°C
• Water Consumption: 6L
• Noise level (dB): 50

Features

• Comes with 5 washing programs of varying temperatures up to 75°C
• Compact, but have two racks for placing small dishes and larger dishes
• No need to install to a water inlet, pouring water to the water tank will work too
• Preset with a program to clean fruits and vegetables
• Great for washing baby items and milk bottles

LYLAC HYDRA Portable Compact Dishwasher is the cheapest dishwasher that we can find in the market at the moment. We love that despite its lower price tag, the quality is not compromised. The LYLAC HYDRA Portable Compact Dishwasher comes with 2 racks, one upper rack that is great for washing small items like cutleries and sauce dishes and one lower rack that can hold large items like chopping board.

We love that the size is just right to wash baby bottles and utensils, and it is such a pity we only found it now (we have a baby bottle sterilizer instead). The LYLAC HYDRA Portable Compact Dishwasher is portable, which means you do not have to connect it to a water inlet and can pour water to the water tank to start the cycle. The shortest cycle is at 35 minutes which is quick enough to get your dishes ready for the next meal.

Last Updated: 21 Nov 2024