Essential dishwasher functions

When choosing a dishwasher, buyers pay attention primarily to its features. Moreover, people tend to prefer dishwashers with the most features, a fact marketers quickly noticed. Now, when announcing a new model, manufacturers emphasize its additional features, even if most of these features won't be needed in real-life use. We decided to review the most useful dishwasher features so that buyers, when choosing a model, focus not on the number of options, but on their quality.

Are all options useful and necessary?

How do you choose the right features, or more precisely, how do you find the best-priced dishwasher with just the right set of functions? It's no easy task, especially considering that even dishwasher manuals provide scant descriptions of certain features, and in some cases, the manufacturer simply lists the feature name. Ultimately, some features are more essential than others, and their cost varies widely across models.

Let's give an example. The well-known "Beam on the Floor" sensor adds $50 to $80 to the cost of a dishwasher, but how valuable is it? Many users say they could easily do without it, and if they could avoid paying extra for such a "beauty feature," they'd gladly do so.

It's impossible to say that a particular function is useless. The human factor must also be taken into account. Many users like the lighting of the washing chamber. They themselves admit that there is no practical use for this thing, but they still like it because the lighting decorates the equipment.

When criticizing certain options, you need to take into account users' opinions about them.

Even before we've even finished the review, we can draw a preliminary conclusion. A particular dishwasher function may be useless from a practical standpoint, but still be useful for its aesthetic appeal or other purposes unrelated to the dishwasher's intended function.

An overview of the most useful options

So, we've come to the very heart of the discussion of the most useful features a dishwasher has. There's no point in compiling any rankings here; we'll simply list the features that are essential in a dishwasher, according to experts and ordinary users.

1. Protection against all types of leaks. For the vast majority of users, safety is paramount. If you live in an apartment with neighbors undergoing expensive repairs, the last thing you want is to flood them and then pay for the damage out of your own pocket.
2. The ability to use 3-in-1 tablets. Dishwashing tablets are much more convenient than powder, and some users cannot imagine a dishwasher that does not recognize these tablets.
3. Delayed start timer. It's very convenient to delay the start of your "home helper" by 5-6 hours, so it starts up at night and all the dirty dishes are washed by morning. This is quite economical, since electricity rates are somewhat lower at night.
4. Child protection. This is especially important in families with small children, as little rascals sometimes want to play with household appliances, causing a lot of trouble for adults.
5. An audible signal at the end of a wash cycle. Users love this feature. You can always hear it when the dishwasher is finished.
6. Half-Load. This feature is gradually losing its importance, although there is still a group of users who crave it. Modern washing machines are already quite efficient. If a machine already uses 8.5 liters of water per wash cycle, why bother with a half-load feature?
7. Turbo Dry. Fans of this feature really appreciate how quickly the machine dries dishes. Turbo Drying reduces the cycle time by 15-20 minutes, but it also uses more energy.
8. AutoOpen. What is this feature? It allows the door to open automatically after the wash cycle is complete. The advantage of this feature is that dishes inside the wash chamber will never "suffocate," even if you forget to remove them and leave them inside for several days.
9. Quiet program. A useful feature for those who wash dishes at night. With this program, you can't hear the machine at all.
10. Automatic locking function. Solves the problem of a poorly closed door. A special mechanism pulls the door shut, securely closing it even if the user forgets to do so.
11. Opto Sensor. A useful feature that monitors water hardness. This feature prevents limescale buildup on machine parts.
12. Hygiene Plus. A great feature that's hard to imagine a modern dishwasher without. Especially suitable for allergy sufferers.
13. Pre-soak. If your dishes are incredibly dirty and even dried out, this feature will come in handy. It's a great addition to any program.

The most important functions Bosch dishwashers, and any other, we've listed. The list isn't very long, although we're almost certain you could add a few more, and that's perfectly fine. The question of demand for dishwasher features is highly subjective, and this fact leaves a lot of room for improvement for manufacturers.

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