Last updated on March 16th, 2022
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If you don’t have the space or the need for a full-size dishwasher, one of the tabletop dishwashers in this review might save you from having to wash and dry your dishes by hand. These types of dishwashers basically come in two sizes, and I recommend the best in each size. They’re great for a variety of situations including simply not having the room for a full size built-in dishwasher but there also great for use in a caravan, motorhome or even camping because they don’t all need a water feed or an outlet plumbing in.
I list their pros, cons and features, and write a recommendation for each model. The Buyer’s Guide highlights the ONE thing to know before making your purchase decision and discusses why measuring your space is so important.
Before you begin, a few options you need to be aware of. All the worktop dishwashers in this review can be connected to the plumbing under your sink for a water source, easy enough to do and most connect to a standard 3/4″ connector like your washing machine or any other dishwasher does. You can also connect to most taps by unscrewing the aerator and connecting a suitable adaptor such as a 3/4″ x 1/2″ bush or 22mm x 3/4″ coupler, depending on your tap and if and what aerator it has. Waste outlet pipes can also be plumbed in underneath the sink or simply placed into the sink or a bucket.
Best Pick – Small
Best Pick – Large
Best Table Top Dishwashers Reviews
1. COMFEE KWH-TD602E-W Freestanding Compact Dishwasher
Best Pick – Small
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The COMFEE KWH-TD602E-W Freestanding Compact Dishwasher has a smooth white appearance with the start button and two lights on the left side of the front panel and the black touch control panel on the right side. It doesn’t have viewing windows so what goes on inside this dishwasher remains a mystery, just like most built-in models. You hook this unit up to a sink for water input and waste output.
The interior of this unit is large enough to hold three place settings as you can see in the picture above. As usual, the largest plate possible to fit nicely inside is 25cm in diameter so this is important to take into account. You can always buy new crockery if your plates are too big or eat off smaller plates.
Your choice of six washing programs is standard. Intensive takes care of heavily soiled dishes; Universal is for moderately soiled items while ECO is twice as long and looks after everyday use; 90 Min is for lightly soiled things; Glass looks after lightly soiled glasses, and Rapid is for things you need in an emergency.
You delay any washing program by bringing the timing delay into play. Put things off for between one and twenty four hours which is handy. This is useful if you fill the dishwasher and are likely to forget to turn it on at the appropriate time.
Indicators inside the dishwasher let you know if the levels of the rinse aid or the dishwasher salt are running low. Keep an eye on these and refill when directed to ensure the dishwasher does its best job.
This is probably the quietest tabletop dishwasher in this review at only 47dB.
Pros
- Sleek white table top dishwasher with a black touch control panel and display on the right side at the top.
- Holds three place settings; largest plate of 25cm.
- Six washing cycles identified by icons.
- Indicators for when rinse aid or salt refills are needed.
- Timer delay for up to 24 hours.
- Noise level is 47dB.
- Energy efficiency class A+.
- Dimensions: 55cm (width); 50cm (depth); and 43.8cm (height).
Cons
- Plates can be a little aukward and won’t stand up.
Our recommendation
The COMFEE KWH-TD602E-W Freestanding Compact Dishwasher holds three place settings with up to 63 pieces of tableware. Its six cleaning cycles cover most dirty dish eventualities, and you can delay the start of these by up to 24 hours. It’s a quiet dishwasher with an A+ energy class rating so I think it’s about as good as these tabletop dishwashers get.
The COMFEE KWH-TD602E-W Freestanding Compact Dishwasher is my Best Pick for Small Table Top Dishwasher that you can plumb in permanently like you would a regular full size dishwasher but on a smaller scale. Overall, it’s a great model well worth considering.
2. Cookology Mini Countertop Dishwasher
Best Pick – Large
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Cookology Mini Countertop Dishwasher has a minimalist style with the silver colour only being interrupted by the black LED touch control panel along the top of the front panel. This dishwasher is said to hold six place settings, and there’s a diagram of how to load this on the sales webpage. But note that the largest plate that fits in is 25cm diameter – this is a common issue with all tabletop dishwashers.
Using this model is easy as you can connect it to your kitchen tap or plumb it in fully. The waste pipe likewise can be directed down the kitchen sink, into a bucket or plumbed in. You do need to buy a suitable adapter if using this dishwasher on the tap but this piece of kit is readily available at local hardware stores such as B&Q or just jump on amazon and find the suitable fittings if needed.
You have the choice of seven washing cycles with this unit. The Intensive cycle is for heavily soiled items and Normal works on normal or lightly soiled ones; ECO is the standard program that’s also the most efficient; Rapid is a short wash for those items you need immediately and doesn’t need drying; 90 Minutes is just what it says and works well on normally soiled dishes; Glass is for, well, glasses; the Self-Cleaning cycle cleans the dishwasher itself.
If you don’t want to start the washing program immediately, use the timer that lets you delay the start for up to 24 hours. And your dishwasher lets you know when it’s running out of rinse aid or salt through the indicator lights.
And if you’re bothered by the sounds of kitchen appliances working, you’ll be pleased that this is one of the quietest dishwashers in my review.
This model also comes in white.
Pros
- Silver tabletop dishwasher with black control panel along the top.
- Can be plumbed in or connected to a tap for water intake.
- Waste pipe can also be plumbed in or directed down the sink.
- Capacity is six place settings.
- Fits on a countertop or inside a cupboard.
- Seven programs including an eco-friendly one.
- Maintenance indicators for rinse aid and salt.
- Has a 24-hour delay timer.
- Noise level is 48dB.
- A+ energy rating.
- Dimensions: 55cm (width); 50cm (depth) and 44cm (height).
Cons
- Difficult to connect to tap.
Our recommendation
The Cookology Mini Countertop Dishwasher has a wide range of washing cycles for however messy your crockery and pans get. It can also self-clean. We like the indicator lights that let you know when the rinse aid, salt and water softener are running low. Plumb this unit in on a permanent basis or hook it up to the tap if you’re in rented accommodation.
The Cookology Mini Countertop, Tabletop Dishwasher, Silver is our selection for Best Pick – Large in this review.
3. Cookology CMDW2BK Mini Portable Dishwasher
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Cookology CMDW2BK Mini Portable Dishwasher is a smaller dishwasher that has a couple of surprises in the available washing cycles. This is a smart black unit with a transparent glass window in the door so you can sit and watch your crockery and cutlery becoming cleaner. The touch control panel is under this window and the icons are clearly visible.
This dishwasher holds just two place settings so it wouldn’t suit a family or a couple of people who use up a lot of dishes in one day. It’s definitely designed to be portable/temporary because you can use it by hooking it up to your tap/sink or by filling it up manually. All the programs take just 5L of water, so it’s economical on water use as well as energy. The waste pipe can be directed into the sink or into a bucket.
With this Cookology dishwasher, you don’t even have to have it near a sink to use it. However, if you do choose to fill the dishwasher manually (using the included jug), be aware that the place to pour the water into is at the top of the unit. You have to leave room for this underneath the worktop or cupboard, under which you place the dishwasher.
Your choice of six waking programs is where the surprise comes in. The usual programs are there: P1 is an ECO program of 2.5 hours; P2 lasts for one hour; and P3 for 30 minutes. There’s also a glass cycle (90 minutes).
But the unusual ones are for washing fruit and veg, and for cleaning babies’ bottles. You can use hot water to wash sturdy fruit (12 minute cycle) or cold water for soft fruit (6 minute cycle). Note that a fruit basket is included in your purchase.
The program to wash babies’ bottles (two hour cycle) and other accessories use steam, as does the glass cycle.
The delay timer lets you put off starting the selected washing program for one to 24 hours. You can be out of the house when the dishwasher kicks in as this is not one of the quietest models in our review.
Pros
- Black tabletop dishwasher with touch control panel towards the bottom of the front panel.
- Attach to the tap or fill with water manually; drains into the sink.
- Six programs, two with steam.
- Delay timer of up to 24 hours.
- All programmes use 5L of water.
- Capacity is two place settings.
- Clear door so you can see your dishes becoming clean.
- Noise level is 58dB.
- Dimensions: 42cm (width); 43.5cm (depth); and 43.5cm (height).
Cons
- Manual water intake in an awkward place.
- No compartment for Rinse Aid.
Our recommendation
The COMFEE Mini Plus Dishwasher TD305-W is a small, two place settings, tabletop dishwasher with some interesting wash programs. If you like to thoroughly wash your fruit and veg or to have perfectly clean baby bottles, this is the model for that.
Two of the programs use steam for extra sterilisation and getting your items sparkling clean. Using only 5L of water per program, this COMFEE Mini Plus isn’t difficult to fill up manually with water and it’s gentle on your water bill.
4. COMFEE Mini Plus Dishwasher TD305-W
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The COMFEE Mini Plus Dishwasher TD305-W is a dishwasher that holds three place settings, according to the sales blurb. However, the diagram on the sales webpage of what goes into this looks more like two place settings. Regardless of its place settings size (check the dimensions instead), this tabletop dishwasher has some unique features that others just don’t say they have.
This is a white dishwasher with a smart black LED touch control panel all the way across the top of the front panel. All the icons for the six programs are easily readable as is the large countdown clock in the middle of the control panel. Beneath this is the window through which you can view what’s going on inside.
This is definitely a dishwasher for a temporary installation because you can’t plumb it in permanently. Your choice is to hook it up to your kitchen sink tap/drain or to fill it up manually with water and then drain it into the sink or a bucket. You don’t even have to place the dishwasher near a water source to use it. But be aware that the placement of the filling gap for the water is on the top of the unit so you can’t place it underneath a worktop or cupboard. (Unless you want to pull it out each time you use it.)
Your choice of washing programs is fairly standard. The Hygiene cycle is the hottest one and inhibits bacteria growth; then there’s the Intensive program for heavily soiled items and the ECO cycle that’s the normal one for most of your dishes; the Glass program is for your glasses and lightly soiled crockery; the 58 Minute wash if you’re in a hurry; and the Rapid wash for something even faster and for items you don’t need to be dried.
This dishwasher specialises in drying whatever you’ve washed. The fan drying function circulates air around the wet dishes to dry them quickly. In addition, the door automatically opens so that the warm air in your kitchen also helps to dry everything.
And to make sure any young children in the household don’t start up the dishwasher or change the settings, there’s a childproof lock. No other dishwasher in our review claims to have this feature.
Pros
- White tabletop dishwasher with the controls in a black touch panel at the front top.
- Clear window in door to watch the cleaning going on.
- Hook up to tap or add water manually; drain into sink or bucket.
- Holds two/three place settings.
- Six washing cycles for varied cleaning options.
- Delay timer for up to 24 hours.
- Double drying – fan and the door automatically opens.
- Indicators for when you need to add rinse aid and dishwasher salt.
- Takes 25cm plate as the largest size.
- Noise level is 58dB.
- Energy efficiency class A.
- Dimensions: 43cm (width); 42cm(depth) and 46.5cm (height).
Cons
- Inconvenient placement of manual water input hole.
Our recommendation
The COMFEE Mini Plus Dishwasher TD305-W is a small tabletop dishwasher that holds two place settings – but no plates larger than 25cm in diameter. You don’t have to be near a water source to use this model: use it hooked up to the tap or fill it up manually, and drain it into the sink or a bucket. The six washing programs cover most dirty dish situations and the double drying feature is a bonus.
5. Russell Hobbs RHTTDW6W Freestanding Compact Dishwasher
Buy on Amazon.co.uk
The Russell Hobbs RHTTDW6W Freestanding Compact Dishwasher is a model that hides in the background with its minimal and sleek white appearance, broken only by a small black touch control panel. There’s only one way to use this particular dishwasher – connect it to your kitchen tap or another source of cold water. You can’t plumb it in or fill it manually.
The capacity of this unit is six place settings, so it’s quite large. But as with all the other dishwashers in this review, the largest plate it takes is 25cm in diameter. Chances are your dinner plates are bigger than this, so you need to wash them by hand or eat off smaller plates.
You don’t have to start the washing process after you’ve loaded the dishwasher. Just set the program and then the timer for a delay from one hour to 24 hours.
You have a choice from six cleaning cycles. Intensive is for heavily soiled dishware while Universal is for run-of-the-mill everyday use; ECO is an efficient cycle and Glass is especially for when you’ve had a drinks party; use Quick 90 Minutes for a fast but thorough wash and Rapid 30 Minutes for when you need an item cleaned NOW.
This model is also available in white.
Pros
- Sleek white tabletop dishwasher with black touch LED control panel and three buttons on the upper right front side.
- Connect to a source of cold water; waste pipe drains into sink or bucket.
- Capacity is six place settings; largest plate of 25cm.
- Six washing programs including Intensive, Eco and Quick 90°.
- Rinse aid and salt indicators.
- Delay timer from 1 to 24 hours.
- Noise level is 52dB.
- One–year guarantee.
- Dimensions: 55cm (width); 50cm (depth) and 44cm (height).
Our recommendation
The Russell Hobbs RHTTDW6W Freestanding Compact Dishwasher holds six place settings (but check the dimensions anyway). Its minimal appearance helps it fade into the background of your kitchen. It needs to be close to a source of cold water for intake, although you can use a bucket or the sink to capture the waste water.
This model is a good choice if you have a place by your sink to put it.
Buyer’s Guide for Table Top Dishwashers
This Buyer’s Guide covers the one thing to realise before buying a tabletop dishwasher:
Your dinner plates probably won’t fit in
In conducting the research for this review, I came across so many online reviewers who complained that their standard size dinner plates don’t fit into their tabletop dishwasher. It didn’t matter what brand of dishwasher they’d bought, the dinner plates just didn’t fit in easily.
Some people had come up with solutions such as slanting the plates sideways against a side shelf, or putting the plates in at an angle and propping them up with mugs. Others even resorted to going out and buying smaller plates. Or you can use tabletop dishwashers just for small plates, dishes, mugs and cutlery. Unless you’re a Tetris player and are used to juggling differently shaped pieces to all fit together.
It’s all about the dimensions
This is a problem which is part of a larger issue – the size of these dishwashers. They’re smaller than you expect and you need to read their dimensions, both external and internal (if available), extra carefully. And then make your own measurements in your kitchen or whichever space you’re thinking of putting the dishwasher in.
Here are some other size problems you may encounter:
Where you place your dishwasher
This relates to two things: the footprint and height of the unit and where the manual water input hole is (if there is one).
Most dishwasher sales blurbs state that you can put the dishwasher underneath your worktop or inside an existing lower cupboard. To do this, you need to know, to the 1/10th of a centimetre, what space you have and how large the dishwasher is. One online reviewer was heartbroken when the measurements given for the dishwasher they purchased turned out to be not very accurate and his cupboard space was 3/10cm too low.
Manual water input
Along with this is the placement of the manual water input that some dishwashers have, especially the smaller models. This is usually on the top of the tabletop dishwasher and has to be considered when you work out the height of the unit. Otherwise, while the actual dishwasher may fit under your worktop, or on your worktop under a cupboard, you may have to pull it out each time you need to fill it with water.
Number of place settings
While most of the tabletop dishwasher sales blurbs give you the number of place settings they hold, some actually give you a list of the number of plates, cups, cutlery pieces, serving bowls etc. that forms a full load for the dishwasher. This information is more useful than reading “six settings” as (usually) nowhere does it define what a place serving consists of. The best information also tells you the size of the largest plate you can get into the dishwasher – it’s generally 25cm diameter or so.
Knowing all this information about size helps you to find the best fitting tabletop dishwasher for your needs and your limited space.
Final Conclusion
Having limited space in your kitchen or cooking area is now no reason to have to wash up your dishes and pots by hand. Most people find this a chore they’d rather not have to do.
The tabletop dishwashers in this review all hold various numbers of place servings of china along with a serving dish or two. Most of them have at least six different washing cycles including an Eco or rapid cycle for energy efficiency. And they all have a timer that delays the start of washing for up to 24 hours so you can program it to work when you’re not around.
My Best Pick – Small is the COMFEE KWH-TD602E-W Freestanding Compact Dishwasher. This is the quietest dishwasher in this review and holds enough dishes for three people. We like the viewing window as well.
My Best Pick – Large is the Cookology Mini Countertop Dishwasher. Holding six place settings, this model has seven washing programs and is quiet.
We have other reviews of kitchen appliances for those living with limited cooking space.
Read the 5 Best Mini Ovens with Hob – Small Space Cooking review for an appliance that bakes, grills and boils; or how about coming home to a hot stew or casserole with 6 Best Slow Cookers – Quick preparation, Easy cooking; or make use of one of the 5 Best Soup Makers – Soups and Smoothies Quickly and Easily for an easy and filling meal.
Last update on 2024-04-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
