Dishwasher Buying Guide

Making light work out of washing up, dishwashers are one of the handiest home appliances out there. But there’s a lot to consider when shopping for a new one. Today, dishwashers are available in a range of sizes, and they come with a whole host of useful features to benefit busy households. If you’re wondering what to look out for, read on: here’s a handy buying guide to help you decide which one to buy.

At LG, you’ll find freestanding and built-under dishwashers that are designed to fit seamlessly into your kitchen for a modern finish. Below is an overview of each type, so that you can decide which one will work best in your home.

Our freestanding dishwashers can be placed anywhere in your kitchen, although they do need to be plumbed in. They’re easy to install and a good option for renters or those who move frequently, because you can take it with you when you leave.

Built-under dishwashers are designed to sit neatly under your countertop. These dishwashers are installed into a dishwasher cavity; they cannot be used as standalone appliances, and they can’t be removed as easily as freestanding models. Instead, these types are intended to become a permanent fixture in the home, so they’re great for homeowners or those who don’t move often.

Our built-under dishwashers are not fully integrated, so you’ll still be able to see the front panel (unlike fully integrated styles, whereby the appliance is hidden behind a cabinet door that matches the rest of your kitchen). However, they’re usually built into the kickboard, so the base of the dishwasher will be concealed behind your cabinetry for a seamless, semi-integrated finish.

Dishwashers are available in a range of sizes, so it’s a good idea to really think about how big or small you’ll need a dishwasher to be to suit your household needs.

The external dimensions will be listed in the product specifications, so make a note of these when you’re shopping around. The width of a standard dishwasher is 600mm, and these are usually referred to as ‘full size’. You’ll also be given the depth and height; be sure to compare these measurements against the space that’s available, regardless of whether you’re buying a freestanding or built-in model.

The capacity of a dishwasher – that is, how much tableware it can clean in one go – is measured by the number of place settings it can hold. A ‘place setting’ refers to the dishes, cutlery and glassware used in a three-course meal. However, since tableware comes in all shapes and sizes, this measurement should be taken as a guide only.

At LG, you’ll find 14 and 15 place dishwashers, which are sufficient for households of almost any size, including larger households of four or more people.

Today, dishwashers come with an energy rating that indicates how efficiently it uses energy. The more stars an appliance has, the more energy efficient it will be.

You’ll notice that dishwashers are also given a ‘WELS water rating’ (WELS stands for ‘Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme’). This indicates how water efficient a particular model is, based on a six-star rating system; the more stars on the label, the more efficiently it uses water.

Our dishwashers are packed with lots of handy features that are designed to make the after-dinner clean up even easier: here are a few of them.

Our TrueSteam™ dishwashers use steam to penetrate food residue thoroughly to clean dishes with fewer water spots*. TrueSteam™ dishwashers are designed to reach a final rinse temperature greater than 80°C to reduce bacteria on dishes by 99.999%*.

*800C final rinse and E.coli, Listeria & Salmonella bacteria reduction tested using "Eco" cycle with High Temp and Steam options. Water spot reduction tested using "Eco" cycle with Steam option and using the inbuilt water softening system (dishwasher salts).

LG’s QuadWash^® technology cleans from multiple angles to provide a more thorough clean. Our QuadWash^® dishwashers are equipped with four spray arms instead of two, which is what you’ll find on most other dishwashers. These spray arms spin and rotate to clean your dishes; two of them have an oscillating nozzle to deliver jets of water at different angles, too, so you can expect thoroughly clean dishes after just one wash.

This technology also offers a unique Dual Zone option, which adjusts the spray intensity across the top and bottom racks on the same cycle. This means that fragile items like glassware get a gentler clean than heavily soiled items on the lower rack, such as pots and pans.

Some of our dishwashers come with Auto Open Dry technology, whereby the door pops open at the end of a wash cycle. This allows steam to escape from the dishwasher cavity, so your dishes can dry properly. You’ll hardly have to reach for the kitchen towel before storing your plates away!

LG ThinQ^® allows you to manage, monitor and connect compatible LG appliances – including selected fridges, washing machines and, yes, dishwashers – via the ThinQ^® app*.

Selected models of our QuadWash^® dishwashers come with ThinQ^® compatibility, enabling you to personalise your wash cycles and download new ones; you can also troubleshoot any issues on your smartphone, and set reminders to run the cleaning cycle*, so that your dishwasher stays fresh and continues to perform optimally.

*LG ThinQ^® app available on Android or iOS smartphones. Compatible smartphone with Android 4.1.2 (Jellybean) or later or iOS 9 or later required for LG ThinQ^® app. Phone and Home Wi-Fi Data connection and product registration on the ThinQ^® app required. Smart features and voice assistant product may vary by country and model. Check with your local retailer or LG for service availability. Features and services may be changed by LG without notice.

Our Direct Drive Motor is designed with fewer moving parts, meaning these dishwashers operate quietly and reliably.

Adjustable racks allow you to configure the internal layout of the dishwasher, so that you can clean a variety of tableware and utensils with more flexibility. Our EasyRack Plus^® feature lets you adjust the height of the upper rack to three different levels, for example, to maximise space and accommodate a range of items, including oddly shaped dinnerware and larger utensils like spatulas, whisks and salad tongs. LG dishwashers also have folding tines on the bottom shelf to help create space to fit dishes large and small.

Whether you’re cooking a three-course meal or a one-pot midweek dinner, dishwashers take the hassle out of cleaning up. Browse our full range of dishwashers online today.

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