Dishwashers Review
LG DFB424FP QuadWash 14-Place Dishwasher Review: Quiet Steam
Our verdict
The LG DFB424FP QuadWash is a 14-place dishwasher with steam, Wi-Fi and a 44 dB motor that suits large families, though the high price and long Auto cycle hold it back.
Buy it if
- Large families that run a full load every evening
- Open-plan flats where noise matters
- Buyers who want steam to loosen dried food and app control
Skip it if
- You mainly want the lowest price per cycle
- Your water is very hard and you will not buy dishwasher salt
What we like
- Measured about 46 dB on Auto, the quietest in this group
- 14 place settings with a flexible EasyRack Plus top basket
- TrueSteam helped lift baked-on dal from steel
- ThinQ Wi-Fi app shows cycle status and sends alerts
- Inverter direct drive motor with ten programmes, including Machine Clean
What we don’t
- Auto cycle took 2 hours 20 minutes in our test
- Tawa grease needed a second pass
- Costs well above IFB and Voltas Beko
Score breakdown
- Performance
- 8.4
- Build quality
- 8.0
- Noise
- 9.0
- Ease of use
- 8.5
- Features
- 9.0
- Energy efficiency
- 7.8
- Value for money
- 6.8
- After-sales service
- 7.9
The LG DFB424FP is for big households that run one large load a day and want a quiet machine. The compromise is time and money: Auto cycles run past two hours and the price sits near the top of the freestanding range.
How well does it clean dal, kadhai and tawa?
We dried dal onto a pressure-cooker lid for six hours. On Intensive, with TrueSteam pre-softening, it came clean in 2 hours 15 minutes with a faint ring left on the lid’s rim. A kadhai coated in oily sabzi was clean after one cycle, but a seasoned iron tawa kept a grey greasy film and needed a second pass. Auto, at 2 hours 20 minutes, is fine for plates, katoris and steel glasses.
Does it stain plastic or leave spots on steel?
Plastic dabbas with curry kept a light yellow tint after three runs, the same story in every machine here. Steel tumblers had a few water spots at 380 ppm hardness until we filled salt and used rinse aid. Drying is condensation-based, so lids and plastic often stayed damp; the Extra Dry option fixed most of it.
Is it really quiet?
Yes. We measured about 46 dB on Auto at one metre, against 51 dB or more on several rivals. In a studio flat or an open kitchen it is the one you can run while people watch TV. The inverter direct drive motor is the reason.
How much water and electricity does it use?
About 13 L and 1.2 kWh per Auto cycle in our test. Counting a tablet, salt and rinse aid and power at ₹8 per unit, one cycle a day costs roughly ₹750 a month. Running a full load is much cheaper than washing a large family’s dishes under a running tap, which can use more than 40 L.
What does the app add?
The ThinQ app shows time remaining, sends an alert at the end and lets you start Machine Clean. It is useful for scheduling a wash when power tariffs or inverter load allow, but it is a convenience, not a cleaning feature.
Will it cope with power cuts?
It restarted its cycle after a short cut. The heater draws up to about 1.8 kW, so a small inverter will trip; use a 2 kVA unit or wait for mains.
What about installation and service?
You need a water inlet, drain within a metre and a grounded socket. LG’s service network is wide in metros and tier-two cities, though owner posts report waits of a week for parts in smaller towns.
Is the steam feature worth paying for?
Steam helped most on dried dal and rice starch, which came off with less soaking. It did not change results on oily cookware. Buyers who value quiet running and the app will find the price easier to justify than those who only want clean dishes.
Who should buy something else?
Choose the Bosch for the best results on baked-on cookware. Choose the Voltas Beko if you want 14 places at a lower price and can live with more noise.
Test results
| Burnt dal cleared in one cycle How we test this : Burnt dal cleared in one cycle | Pass Intensive with TrueSteam; a faint ring was left on the lid's rim. |
|---|---|
| Oily kadhai cleared in one cycle How we test this : Oily kadhai cleared in one cycle | Pass |
| Seasoned iron tawa cleared in one cycle How we test this : Seasoned iron tawa cleared in one cycle | Fail Kept a grey greasy film and needed a second pass. |
| Haldi tint removed from plastic How we test this : Haldi tint removed from plastic | Fail Light yellow tint after three runs. |
| Intensive cycle time How we test this : Intensive cycle time | 135 min |
| Daily programme time How we test this : Daily programme time | 140 min Auto. |
| Water per cycle How we test this : Water per cycle | 13 L Auto. |
| Electricity per cycle How we test this : Electricity per cycle | 1.2 kWh Auto. |
| Noise on the daily programme How we test this : Noise on the daily programme | 46 dB Auto; LG lists 44 dBA. |
| Running cost, one cycle a day How we test this : Running cost, one cycle a day | 750 ₹/month |
| Resumes after a power cut How we test this : Resumes after a power cut | Pass Restarted its cycle after a short cut. |
Measured on the unit we tested.
How we tested
We tested the LG for five weeks in a home with a family of five, using steel thalis, pressure-cooker lids, a kadhai and plastic dabbas. Water hardness was about 380 ppm. We repeated each soil test three times on Auto and Intensive, timed every cycle, measured litres with a flow meter and sound at one metre.
The brand lent us this unit. They did not see or approve this review. LG lent this unit for a fixed 8 weeks and collected it afterwards. LG did not see the review before publication and has no say in the score.
How does the LG QuadWash DFB424FP Free-Standing 14 Place Dishwasher compare?
-
Bosch Series 6 SMS6ITI00I Free-Standing 13 Place Dishwasher A− 8.6
The Bosch cleaned burnt dal and kadhai slightly better and has a stronger service reputation, but it is louder than this LG and has no steam.
Full comparison : LG QuadWash DFB424FP Free-Standing 14 Place Dishwasher vs Bosch Series 6 SMS6ITI00I Free-Standing 13 Place Dishwasher -
Voltas Beko DF14S2 14 Place Full Size Dishwasher (Silver) B− 7.3
Both fit 14 place settings. The LG is quieter and adds steam and Wi-Fi; the Voltas Beko washes everyday loads nearly as well for much less.
Key specs
| Type | Free-standing, 60 x 60 x 85 cm, 14 place settings |
|---|---|
| Programmes | 10 (Auto, Intensive, Delicate, Refresh, Eco, Turbo, Machine Clean, Rinse, Express, Download Cycle) |
| Noise (LG listing) | 44 dBA |
| Steam | TrueSteam |
| Wi-Fi | LG ThinQ app |
| Motor | Inverter Direct Drive |
| Power | 1600-1800 W |
| Weight | 49 kg |
Questions buyers ask
How loud is the LG DFB424FP dishwasher?
LG lists 44 dBA for the LG DFB424FP, and we measured about 46 dB on Auto at one metre, which is the quietest result among the dishwashers we tested.
Does the LG DFB424FP clean oily Indian cookware?
Mostly. The LG DFB424FP cleaned a kadhai and dal-stained steel on Intensive, but a heavily seasoned tawa needed a second pass and plastic dabbas kept a yellow tint.
How many place settings does the LG DFB424FP hold?
The LG DFB424FP holds 14 place settings, enough for a family of six, with a removable top basket and adjustable cutlery rack.
Is the LG DFB424FP expensive to run?
At one cycle a day we estimate about ₹750 a month for tablets, salt, rinse aid and about 1.2 kWh per cycle at ₹8 per unit.
Also consider
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Bosch SMS6ITI00I 13-Place Dishwasher Review: Best for Kadhai
The Bosch SMS6ITI00I is a 13-place dishwasher that cleaned burnt dal, oily kadhai and haldi-stained containers best in our group, but it costs far more than the 12-place rivals.
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Voltas Beko DF14S2 14-Place Dishwasher Review: Big for the Price
The Voltas Beko DF14S2 is a 14-place dishwasher that cleans everyday Indian loads well at about 9.5 L a cycle and has a 10-year motor warranty, but it is louder than the LG and dries plastic poorly.
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