Which? Don't Buy dishwashers

Buy a bad dishwasher and you'll end up having to fall back on washing up by hand, or you'll have to run the dishwasher again, wasting more time, energy and money.  

The worst dishwashers we've seen have poor filters that need cleaning every week, they can't tackle food and drink stains and leave dishes far from dry at the end of a cycle, or covered in streaks and watermarks. 

We've tested hundreds of dishwashers and found Best Buys starting from around £300 that will leave your dinnerware sparkling, as well as Don't Buys that cost a staggering £1,000.  

It can be tempting to splurge on a dishwasher with exciting features or a chic retro design, but it's worth doing your research first to help you find one that appeals to you without sacrificing your need for pristine plates.

Join Which? now to see the dishwashers we've ranked as Don't Buys.

Separating the best from the worst dishwashers

You might think you've found a great dishwasher deal, but it's false economy if the model you're planning to buy is so poor at cleaning you need to wash everything twice because it just can't cope with common food and drink stains.  

And it's not always cheap dishwashers that do badly in our tests – we've found disappointing expensive models from big-name brands, too.

• Our extensive tests have uncovered dishwashers that leave plates and silverware with a grimy coating of food.
• The worst models leave dishes and cutlery dripping wet or covered in streaks and water marks.
• Some dishwashers we've tested burn through energy and water, costing you hundreds of pounds over the machine's lifetime, and are irritatingly loud.

The best dishwashers on the other hand will leave your crockery and cutlery sparkling clean and bone dry, without driving your utility bills sky-high or making a loud racket while cleaning. 

Dishwashers that do poorly in our tests can't be relied upon to get your dishes clean. Our list of Don't Buy dishwashers will help you avoid picking a dud. 

How we test dishwashers

We test tens of dishwashers in our specialist lab every year, cleaning thousands of dirty dishes, glasses, cups and cutlery. 

• Our lab experts assess how well each dishwasher cleans by dirtying a range of crockery and cutlery. After washing, we inspect each item and score for cleanliness, dryness, and if the dishwasher leaves watermarks.
• We see how easy they are to use, and this includes cleaning the filter, filling and emptying to capacity, using the controls, opening and closing the door, as well as refilling the salt and topping up the rinse aid.
• We run energy and water use tests and calculate running costs for every model on the auto and eco program. The dishwashers that perform well in our cleaning tests while also being efficient and long-lasting are Eco Buys. An Eco Buy could save you more than £30 a year in energy costs.

Which? is independent meaning we work for you, the consumer. We buy all the products that go to our test lab, so you can be sure that our dishwasher recommendations are influenced only by our test results and not by manufacturers.

Curious which dishwasher we've ranked as Don't Buys and Best Buys? Join Which? now to find out.