Test method

How we test dishwashers

The uses we score and the tests we run on every dishwasher: burnt dal, oily kadhai, tawa, haldi stains, hard water, noise, water use and running cost.

Dishwashers reviews

Every dishwasher we review runs daily in a real home kitchen for three to six weeks, with a family’s own thalis, katoris, steel tumblers, pressure-cooker lids, kadhai and plastic dabbas. Each review states the household size and the hardness of the tap water, since both change the results, and each soil test is repeated three times.

Each test result in a review links back to the matching test on this page. A pass on burnt dal or kadhai means one cycle with no pre-rinse; a machine that needed a second run or a scrub is marked as a fail even if it got there in the end.

What we score

Kadhai, cooker lids and tawa
How completely it cleans dal dried on a pressure-cooker lid, an oily kadhai and a seasoned iron tawa in one cycle, without a pre-rinse.
Everyday thalis and katoris
How well a day's plates, katoris, steel tumblers, spoons and tiffin boxes come out on the main daily programme, and how long that takes.
Hard water
Whether steel tumblers and glasses come out free of white film and water spots on hard tap water, with salt and rinse aid as the manual asks.
Drying and plastic dabbas
Whether plastic dabbas and lids come out dry and how much haldi tint stays on them after repeated washes.
Quiet running in open kitchens
How loud it is in an open-plan flat while the family watches TV or talks, including pump surges during draining.

The tests

  1. Burnt dal cleared in one cycle

    We leave dal to dry on a pressure-cooker lid and a steel pot for six hours, then run them once on the machine's Intensive programme (or Auto where there is no Intensive). Pass means they came out clean in one cycle, allowing a faint mark at a weld or rim. Three runs.

  2. Oily kadhai cleared in one cycle

    We coat a kadhai with oily sabzi, load it on the lower rack as the manual suggests and run one Intensive cycle. Pass means no greasy film was left. The review notes the loading angle and the size of kadhai that fits.

  3. Seasoned iron tawa cleared in one cycle

    We wash a heavily seasoned iron tawa on the strongest programme. Pass means no greasy film or ring was left after one cycle.

  4. Haldi tint removed from plastic

    We wash a plastic dabba that held a haldi curry for three cycles. Pass means no yellow tint was left. So far no dishwasher we have tested has passed, which is why we suggest steel containers.

  5. Intensive cycle time

    Measured in min Lower is better

    We time the Intensive programme with a stopwatch from start to the end signal, on the burnt-dal load. Programme names differ by brand; the review gives the name used.

  6. Daily programme time

    Measured in min Lower is better

    We time the programme most owners will use every day, usually Auto, from start to the end signal. Where there is no Auto programme the review states which one we timed.

  7. Water per cycle

    Measured in L Lower is better

    We measure the water drawn with a flow meter over a full cycle of the daily programme, and compare it with the brand's listed figure. The review notes the programme where it is not Auto.

  8. Electricity per cycle

    Measured in kWh Lower is better

    We read the electricity used over the same daily-programme cycle on an energy meter. Most of it goes to the heater, which is also why a small home inverter cannot run a dishwasher.

  9. Noise on the daily programme

    Measured in dB Lower is better

    We measure the sound level one metre in front of the machine during the daily programme and compare it with the listed figure. We note pump surges during draining in the review.

  10. Running cost, one cycle a day

    Measured in ₹/month Lower is better

    Our estimate for one cycle a day: the measured electricity per cycle at ₹8 per unit, plus a detergent tablet, rinse aid and a share of dishwasher salt where the machine has a softener.

  11. Resumes after a power cut

    We switch the power off mid-cycle for a short cut and back on. Pass means the machine carried on with the programme once supply returned, without being restarted by hand.