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Here at Comet, we know what a big difference a quality dishwasher can make - especially if you have a big family!
Whether you need to quickly clean some plates and cutlery from an evening meal, or have a whole heap of pots, pans, trays and dishes from a Sunday roast to clean, we’ve created a collection of the best dishwashers at the best prices.
But, what type of dishwasher is right for you? Let’s take a look…
Freestanding dishwashers
If you’re looking for a dishwasher that can stand by itself and be placed anywhere there’s an appropriate water and power connection, then you’ll want a freestanding dishwasher.
Freestanding dishwashers are very much the ‘traditional’ option and have been around for decades. As such, you can buy freestanding dishwashers in a frankly dizzying array of sizes, capacities and finishes.
Here at Comet, our range spans everything from smaller freestanding dishwashers that can hold around 10 place settings, through to more spacious dishwashers that’ll hold up to 15 place settings.
Tip - one place setting typically refers to; a large dinner plate, a small plate, a cup, saucer, bowl, drinking glass, and set of cutlery (knife, fork, two teaspoons). As you can see, a dishwasher that can accommodate up to 15 place settings has a considerable capacity!
When it comes to ‘looks’, freestanding dishwashers tend to be available in a larger range of colours and finishes as more of their surfaces are visible (e.g. the sides and top). So, if you’re thinking about getting a black dishwasher or silver dishwasher - you’re almost certain to find a freestanding model that fits the bill.
Integrated dishwashers
With the rise of fitted kitchens over the last 50 (or more) years, we have seen the emergence of ‘integrated dishwashers’.
These are dishwashers - which function exactly like other types of dishwashers - but which are visually designed to blend in with your kitchen units. In other words, when you close the door of an integrated dishwasher, it’s visually indistinguishable from the rest of the units in your kitchen.
Naturally, when you’re buying an integrated dishwasher, you need to ensure you have a spare door panel from your kitchen units that can be affixed to the front of the dishwasher.
Whilst integrated dishwashers are functionally almost identical to other types of dishwasher, they do tend to have ever so slightly smaller capacities than their freestanding counterparts.
Nevertheless, it’s still entirely possible to purchase integrated dishwashers that can accommodate 14 place settings - that’s an impressive amount of items that can be washed in one go!
It’s important to note that integrated dishwashers have their controls located within the inside lip of their ‘face’, meaning you can only make adjustments to the washing cycle when their door is open.
Semi-integrated dishwashers
Next we come to the ‘half-way-house’ of dishwashers - the semi-integrated dishwasher.
As their name suggests, these are dishwashers that are designed to fit seamlessly into fitted kitchens, but don’t have their front faces covered by a kitchen unit panel.
To put it another way - semi-integrated dishwashers are designed to slot into a fitted kitchen, but feature a standard dishwasher ‘face’. These types of dishwashers allow you to enjoy the sleekness of an integrated dishwasher, but with easy access to the controls and settings (that you don’t get with fully integrated dishwashers).
As with fully-integrated dishwashers, semi-integrated dishwashers are slightly more compact than their freestanding siblings, so you’ll find they have slightly smaller capacities. Even so, it’s still entirely possible to buy semi-integrated dishwashers with the capacity to hold 13 place settings - a sizable capacity!
Slimline dishwashers
As technology has progressed (particularly since the advent of digitalisation) home appliances have become slimmer, sleeker and lighter. And, dishwashers are no exception to this trend!
So, no prizes for guessing that slimline dishwashers are… well, slim dishwashers!
To clarify, however, slimline dishwashers are dishwashers that are narrower (when you look at them face on). This means they can be fitted in smaller kitchens where space is at a premium.
To provide some context, your typical slimline dishwasher will be on average around 45 cm wide, whilst a standard freestanding dishwasher will be around 60 cm wide.
This does mean that slimline dishwashers have to sacrifice a little capacity, but will still be able to accommodate around 10 place settings on average.
Dishwasher features
Aside from all the major types of dishwashers, our range also includes dishwashers with the latest features and technologies that are increasingly becoming ‘non-negotiable’ for many people.
These features include:
- Eco-mode - many of our dishwashers feature eco-modes that help you to save money on your electricity bill every time you use them!
- Baby-mode - some of our dishwashers feature a ‘baby mode’ which provides an extra intense clean to get things like dummies super clean.
- Quiet operation - a growing number of dishwashers feature low-dB features making them extra quiet when in operation.
- Automatic dosing - where the dishwasher figures how much detergent is required automatically.
- Smart features and Wi-Fi - the ability to remotely control the dishwasher using a smartphone. Handier than you may first realise!
Dishwasher dimensions
When choosing a dishwasher from Comet, don’t forget to check you’ve got sufficient space in your kitchen to accommodate it!
Remember, freestanding dishwashers are typically 60 cm wide, with a depth of 60 cm. They also typically need a gap of around 7 cm at the rear so there’s enough space for piping and cables etc.
As you’d expect, slimline dishwashers are narrower, being only 45 cm wide. Their other dimensions are typically the same as freestanding dishwashers.
Spread the cost with Comet
We know that buying a new dishwasher is a big investment for many homes. That’s why Comet offers a range of easy, flexible payment options to help you spread the cost of your new dishwasher.
With Klarna Pay in 3 or PayPal Credit, you can spread the cost of your dishwasher across three simple, interest-free payments. Easy!
We also offer a large goods delivery service, where our team will deliver your new dishwasher, unpack it and take away the packaging for recycling - all within a convenient three-hour time slot.