Best Countertop Dishwashers

For those who love to cook up a storm then end up with a kitchen that looks like an actual cyclone hit, there is a solution. Clean as you go. With a countertop dishwasher you have a unit that runs much smaller loads than a standard built-in dishwasher. As a result, you can fill it more quickly and run a cycle while you continue cooking or entertaining. You return to a kitchen that is neater, cleaner and a dishwasher that’s ready to be emptied and refilled. Forget washing up at the end of a long day, or waking to dirty dishes the next morning. A compact dishwasher is great for small kitchens that lack under-counter space, rental apartments, rec rooms, or for up at the cottage. While they’ve been around for a while, today’s designs offer loads of cool features that easily rival the built-ins.

1. Editor’s Choice: Black + Decker Compact Dishwasher

Not only does the hard-working Black + Decker Countertop Dishwasher look great, it cleans great too. While you might expect a compact dishwasher to deliver less cleaning power than a full-size, this little beauty will prove you wrong. It’s spacious enough to handle up to 6 place settings (10-inch plate heights) at a time and offers 7 different wash programs including normal, eco, glass, intensive, 90 minutes plus a rapid and soak setting. So, you never have to compromise on the quality of your wash. And with a roll-out rack and removable utensil holder, loading this dishwasher is a quick and easy process. The super-efficient, compact size takes up less than 2-square feet of countertop space and slides easily under most kitchen cabinets. Energy-star rated for cost-effective operation, it runs super quiet – just load it up, close the door and touch the LED electronic control panel to choose your setting. And if you want to run a cycle later on – maybe after you’ve gone to bed or left for work – it features a delay-start option that can be programmed up to 24 hours. If you’re looking for serious clean in a compact space, this is the one for you.

Pros:

• EnergyStar rated for optimal savings
• 7 wash programs
• Electronic touch control with easy to read LED display
• Smart looking stainless steel / black design
• Slide-out dishrack and removable utensil holder for easy loading
• Delayed Start Option up to 24 hours

Cons:

• Pricier than some other options

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2. Runner Up: Farberware Portable Countertop Dishwasher

Perfect for those with babies and young children, this ultra-compact Farberware Countertop Dishwasher doesn’t just clean your dishes, it can disinfect them as well. In fact, it features a Baby Care cycle that uses heated steam to sanitize baby bottles and glassware. What’s truly unique about this unit’s design is that you can use either your kitchen faucet as a water source, or rely on the dishwasher’s 5-liter self-contained tank. So, whether you’re at home or on the road, you can clean and sanitize your dishes quickly and easily. And for those traveling with kids, you’ll appreciate that one of its 5 cycle settings will allow you to put whole fruit items into the handy basket then run it through a gentle rinse for a cleaner clean than you could ever get by hand washing. It features an easy to use LED digital control panel, roll-out racks for easy loading and unloading of dishes and a magnetic latch for a solid, reliable seal. An automatic Air Refresh feature boosts air circulation to improve drying time.  It’s the perfect compact dishwasher for camping, boating, or for up at the cottage.

Pros:

• 5-liter self-contained tank, so no hook-ups needed
• 5 wash programs
• Steam cycle sanitizes glassware
• Easy to read, LED digital controls.
• Automatic water level indicator

Cons:

• Not as powerful as some of the larger models
• Holds just 2 settings of dishes, cutlery and glassware.

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3. Best Budget: Gasland Chef DW106W Portable Dishwasher

The Gasland chef portable dishwasher is a highly affordable option that best serves a small kitchen with no more than two people. Gasland Chef’s DW106W comes equipped with five wash programs, slightly fewer than other comparable models. They cover ECO, normal, intensive, rapid, and glass modes. With that said, some of the individual settings really impressed. In particular, the rapid cycle does a great job of cleaning your dishes in a lightning fast 25-minutes. Other brands are much closer to 29 or 30 minutes. Gasland’s countertop dishwasher also uses an impressively low 1.3 gallons of water per wash cycle.

We also really liked Gasland’s combination of quality-of-life features, especially at this price point. The countertop dishwasher only runs as load as 52 decibels, or about the volume of an inside-conversation. It also comes with an automatic heat-dry following the wash cycle at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the same temperature as the water during the wash. It also includes a triple-filtration system to avoid gumming up any mechanisms or effluent lines with food debris. Finally, Gasland includes a both a child-lock and ships with an Amazon basics 1-year limited warranty.

Pros

• Five wash programs with one-touch control: ECO, normal, intensive, rapid, and glass.
• Triple-filtration to remove food debris loosened during the wash.
• Uses 1.3 gallons per wash cycle.
• Remarkably quiet at 52 decibels, or about conversation level.
• Includes automatic heat dry at 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Equipped with a child-lock.
• Comes with a 1-year Amazon basics limited warranty.

Cons

• Tray layout is a bit awkward, large bowls and plates won’t really fit.
• Watch out for the front left corner near the detergent compartment – if you block this feature you’ll end up with soapy residue.

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4. Best Built-In Tank: Aikoper Portable Countertop Dishwasher with Built-In Water Tank

Aikoper’s portable countertop dishwasher comes with several much appreciated, automatic features. First and foremost, among these is an automatic door-release at the end of the wash cycle. If enabled, this allows for additional airflow. Even if this isn’t something you’re interested in this setting can be disabled and left to the internal fan motor instead. However, using both the fan and that automatic door release does speed up the drying process somewhat. The Aikoper countertop dishwasher also comes with a standard 5-cycle set of wash modes: normal, hygiene, fruit, glass, and rapid.

One thing we liked about the Aikoper was the extra 1-inch or so of extra space due to its width and slimmer sides. This allows for one 12-inch frying pan, or similarly sized pot, to be run through. We wouldn’t suggest any more than that as things get quite cramped. In terms of in-puts the Aikoper countertop dishwasher comes with both a faucet connection and a 6L built-in water tank. This allows you to both set and forget or manage the water line yourself.

Pros

• 5 wash cycles: normal, hygiene, fruit, glass, and rapid.
• Automatic drying using an in-built fan motor.
• Auto-opening door to release heat during the end of the cycle to aid in air flow.
• Large horizontal capacity compared to other units, allowing for a 12-inch frying pan.
• Includes both manual and automatic options.
• Uses a 6L built-in water tank

Cons

• Not really designed for frying pans or pots. Although it’s great that you can fit one of these in you’ll struggle to add anything else.

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5. Best Lightweight: AIRMSEN Countertop Dishwasher

AIRMSEN’s countertop dishwasher is one of the most light-weight options on this list, but compromises on very little functionality in exchange. The biggest overall capacity is slightly reduced place-setting– although you can still just about fit a 12-inch frying pan into place. We also really liked both its minimal water consumption at 1.3 gallons and electrical savings at 0.135 to 0.430 kWh per cycle. The AIRMSEN dishwasher is also slightly quieter than average at its price point, although it’s still about conversation level. It also works both via a standard faucet hook-up – not a pull-down unfortunately – or via the in-built water tank. We also liked the fact that there’s a blue back-light during the wash cycle, although this has no impact on performance.

The AIRMSEN countertop dishwasher comes with 5 wash cycle options. These include fairly standard normal, speed, glass, fruit, and baby-care settings. One special note when discussing wash cycles. Despite its name baby-care mode is designed as to be the most heat-intensive option. All together, the AIRMSEN will do 4-alternating cycles of cold and hot water, hitting temperatures of 167 degrees Fahrenheit, specifically to deep clean baby bottles, toys, and heavily soiled dishes (like from an unintentional face-plant). Finally, the AIRMSEN comes with a 60-minute extra drying function and a 72-hr automatic air-drying ventilation cycle.

Pros

• 5 wash cycles via a minimalistic interface: normal, speed, glass, baby-care, and fruit.
• Includes an extra-drying function for a minimum of 60-minutes, and up to 72 hours of automatic ventilation.
• Uses 1.3 gallons per wash cycle.
• Only 0.135-0.430 kWh draw per cycle.
• Quieter than average by a small margin at about 50.2 decibels.
• Works both via a 5L built-in water tank or through a faucet-hook up.
• A silly thing, but the blue backlight during washing turns this unit into a very, very minor form of entertainment.

Cons

• Small size means that pots and pans are a tight fit unless you devout all available space.
• Incompatible with “pull down” faucets – you need a solid ¾ inch connection in general.

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6. Best Eco-Friendly: HomeLabs Compact Countertop Dishwasher

The HomeLabs, eco-friendly countertop dishwasher is a great, green-focused space-saver for those in small apartments or with limited access to amenities. It is an EnergyStar certified product, which means that the dishwasher generates on average 35% less green house gas emissions than comparable non-certified products. HomeLabs also equips their counter-top washer with 6 wash cycles: normal, heavy, ECO, glass, speed, and rinse. This includes a delayed wash-start, although you do need to be around for the end of the cycle.

All told, HomeLab’s countertop dishwasher is much more affordable than the competition. However, this does bring with it some quirks that you need to be aware of before buying. Firstly, space really is limited. This is a single-tier washer, meaning that you’ll be able to handle 6 medium to small plate-settings. It can just about handle and 11-inch frying pan, but if you go much further up you’ll have some difficulties. Additionally, when using the tap connection you’ll need to be around to shut it off manually as there is no automatic shut-off. HomeLabs also doesn’t include a heat-dry function so you’ll need to dry your dishes by hand, or let them air-dry.

Pros

• EnergyStar certified.
• 6 wash programs: heavy, normal, ECO, glass, speed, and rinse.
• Includes wash-start delay button.
• Compatible with round faucet outlets.
• 1 gallons per wash cycle.
• Standard ¾ inch supply hose.
• Affordable

Cons

• No heat-dry settings, meaning you’ve still got to dry by hand.
• Requires the tap to be running during cycles unless you have a direct water line with shut-off.

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Your Perfect Dishwasher May Surprise You

While we’ve always envisioned a kitchen reno to include slick new stainless-steel appliances, not all homes have the space and not all reno’s have the budget for this type of upgrade.  If you have your heart set on a dishwasher and you’re finding it hard to give up the cabinet space you’re going to need to install a built-in model, consider a countertop version. It’s an affordable, versatile option that doesn’t require adding pricey plumbing to your reno expenses. Better still, some models are light enough they can be put up onto the kitchen counter when needed, then simply lifted down and stored in a pantry when not in use.  By not being hard-plumbed into your water system, you have a time-saving appliance that adapts to your needs.

Small Doesn’t Mean You Lose Cleaning Power

You may be thinking that a smaller, countertop unit means sacrificing the calibre of cleaning you bought a dishwasher for in the first place. But you’d be wrong. Today’s designs take advantage of UV light and increased wattage that allows them to super-heat water and employ high heat drying for better hygiene. You’re never going to find yourself inspecting plates and having to re-wash because they’re still covered in food particles.

Cleaning Fine China Doesn’t Mean Washing by Hand

Today’s compact dishwashers offer a multitude of settings that range from heavy-duty for crusted on foods to delicate for glassware and finer items such as china. These settings tend to use cooler water and lower water pressure to prevent damage. That said, antique, hand-painted or china with a gold or silver edging should be hand-washed as any mechanical washing can cause fading.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a portable and a countertop dishwasher?

A portable dishwasher is larger, on wheels / mobile and can be loaded with more dishes, including bulky pots and pans.  With the counterpart model, it’s designed to stay put and is sized to fit on the average kitchen counter. While its less cumbersome, it’s also not capable of holding more than a few sets of dishes and definitely not large pots and pans.

How much counter space do I need?

Most countertop dishwashers fit into a space that’s less than 2 square feet. What you need to be aware of is that not all heights are appropriate for sliding under your kitchen cupboard – which will typically allow an 18-inch clearance. Be sure to do your measurements before purchasing.

Can they clean as well as a full-sized dishwasher?

Today’s designs incorporate the latest technology to get your dishes sparkling clean. From 360-degree wand sprays to super-heated water to high heat drying systems that not only dry your dishes, but sanitize them too.

Isn’t it more eco-friendly to wash dishes by hand?

You might be surprised to learn that while machine washing your dishes does use electricity, it saves on water.  Doing your dishes by hand uses up to 27 gallons of water on average. A countertop dishwasher typically uses around 2 to 3 gallons per load.

Are they good for large families?

They’re great for large families. While it may take more than one cycle to wash all the dirty dishes from a big family dinner, these compact units are ideal for doing a quick clean-up of all the prep utensils, pans and bowls. And because most units run super-quiet, you can still enjoy your dinner without any distracting noise.

Do I need to monitor this type of dishwasher while it’s running?

No, you don’t. Today’s models are designed to draw water directly from your sink faucet and deposit the waste water back into the kitchen sink and down the drain. Some countertop dishwashers are even plumbed directly into your hot water system so you never need to turn the tap on or off.  What you should do is watch the water flow for the first few seconds after activation. Make sure the hoses are properly secured to the faucet and there are no leaks in the hose. Also, ensure your sink’s drain cover is not secured as that will prohibit proper drainage.

Do all countertop dishwashers need to be hooked up to the sink?

Typically, yes, and they will come with connectors that makes it fairly quick and easy to accomplish. Of note is that not all faucet aerators can be removed for connecting with a dishwasher hose.  Check before purchasing your dishwasher. And there are even some models – including the HSRG mentioned earlier – that come with a removable tank. You fill the tank (think coffee-maker), and the unit draws and heats that water.

Conclusion

If you’re still sitting on the fence and thinking you don’t have the room for a countertop dishwasher or you’re not convinced they can do a really great job of cleaning dirty dishes, it’s time to think again.  We’ve shown that this super-convenient, time-saving device not only takes up less than 2 square feet of counter space but it delivers exceptional cleaning results that go above and beyond what you would achieve with handwashing. We’ve done the leg work for you, shared some of the latest technology and ranked what we think are the best of the best when it comes to compact units. And we chose these particular models because of the wide range of value-added features they offer to you as the consumer. From inexpensive to purchase to inexpensive to run, enviro-conscious and even portable units for those on the go. While your needs, space and budget will be unique to you and your family, we hope we’ve opened the door (and your eyes) to what’s trending in the world of small kitchen appliances.