Happy Holidays to Me!!! This was my gift to myself when I came into some unexpected cash. It arrived on 12/29/15. It's brand new and so I will come back and update after I've had it for a while, but here are my thoughts and observations so far...
The Outer box did have a gouge in it, but the inner box was in perfect condition and the unit itself is well protected. The unit was in perfect condition coming out of the box.
So far I love my new SPT countertop dishwasher. I've had full sized dishwashers in the past and I've lived in situations where I had to hand-wash dishes. Like most people, I prefer a dishwasher partly because doing dishes is a chore and partly because a dishwasher just gets the dishes cleaner than you ever will doing them by hand. I've been hand-washing for the last 6 months. I'm renting a small house that was built in the 1920s and there is no room in the kitchen for a full size dishwasher and so I began researching countertop options. I was pleased by the number of positive reviews for this unit, and it was on sale so I went ahead and got it. It arrived a full day before Amazon said it would - that's always nice!
OK, I'm going to go through a pretty thorough review here because it seems that many people don't provide accurate or complete information. So, this is accurate and as complete as I can be...
UNIT MEASUREMENTS
The unit as it measures in my home: 17.25 (H) X 21.5 (W) X 19.75 (D).
The power cord is about 65" long (it has many bends from how it's packaged and so it cannot be completely straightened)
The hoses (which come already connected to the sink attachment and are also coiled and will not straighten completely) are about 60" long.
The length of the power cord and hoses allows for some flexibility in placement relative to the sink, but you will not be able to set it up across the room from the sink unless you're planning to put it near the sink for each use.
According to the product description, the unit weighs 48 lbs. I lift 30-lb bags of dog food with some regularity, and also just bought a 50-lb bag of ice melt. From comparison (without putting it on a scale), I'd say it is right around the 50-lb mark. This is empty, with no dishes and no water inside. So as you decide where you're going to put it, if you're using a portable rack or other device, make sure it can hold at least 100 lbs - 50 for the unit, plus 8 or 9 lbs for the water, plus the weight of your dishes (another 8-10 lbs) - total about 70 lbs when full and in use, plus some cushion just to be safe.
UNIT NUANCES
The door has a very secure snap closure and you must pull with a pretty good force to open it. I'm hoping that will loosen up just a little as time goes on because right now I have to put downward pressure on top of the unit in order to open the door - I've got my unit sitting on a thin-legged metal rack (see pics) and so the rack wobbles a bit if I pull hard without the downward support to hold the rack still. The shelf unit I'm using has metal mesh shelves. In order to create a flat surface, I also put a piece of plywood down and covered that with aluminum foil to create a moisture barrier to the wood. Then I put a towel down just be a little more attractive to look at.
My dinner plates are 11 inches in diameter. Slanting them forward a bit allows them to fit just fine. The description for the unit indicates that 10-inch plates will fit without a need for slanting. I would say that's accurate.
DETERGENT/DRYING AID
I'm using Cascade Complete gel packets. This product has Jet Dry in it and so I do not need to add extra drying agent. This packet fits perfectly into the larger side of the detergent compartment. NOTE: because you are not using an extra/separate drying agent (if you use a product that has it already included), the light telling you that you are low on drying agent will be lit every time the power is on. Ignore it.
WASH TIMES
Many people have complained about the length of the cycles. I'm not sure why there is so much complaint or confusion. It takes as long as a full sized dishwasher to clean the dishes. And furthermore, the instruction manual has a page (see pics I've included) that tells you exactly how long each cycle type will take. There are several cycles:
Heavy/Pots & Pans (100 minutes)
Normal (85 minutes)
Light (75 minutes)
Glass (70 minutes)
Speed (45 minutes)
and Pre-wash/soak (10 minutes).
The Heavy cycle has a double wash cycle.
The Heavy, Normal, Light and Glass cycles all include a heated dry cycle.
The speed and the pre-wash do not include any drying.
The other major difference in the cycles is the temperature of the wash/rinse water:
Heavy and Normal having the highest (wash 131*F and rinse 149*F)
The Speed has the lowest temperatures (wash 122*F and rinse 131*F).
Even the heavy and normal options are not technically reaching a temperature that is considered sterilizing (170* or hotter), but it's much closer than you could get compared to hand-washing.
I've only used the Normal cycle, which according to the manual is an 85-minute wash. I've done 3 loads so far. The first I did with hot tap water. I made sure the water was at its hottest before turning off the tap to connect the hose and turning it back on. The dishwasher will heat the water to the correct temperature for the option you've chosen, but clearly starting with already hot water will shorten the time to heat the water. So, starting with very hot tap water, the Normal wash cycle from the moment I pressed the start button to the moment the end-of-cycle beep happened was 87 minutes. The next load I did, I used the cold tap water. I was curious to see if there would be a major difference. There was. This time it took 125 minutes (just over 2 hours). So using cold water is an option, but it will add a little more than 30 minutes to the process because the unit needs to first heat the water in order to properly wash the dishes. The third load I did (yesterday) I used the hot tap, though I didn't give it time to get to its absolute hottest. This load took exactly 90 minutes - just 5 minutes longer than the manual suggests. Again, this is the typical length of a full-sized dishwasher on a normal cycle as well.
DRY DISHES
The Normal cycle that I'm using includes dry time. I've made a point to be standing at the dishwasher when the end-of-cycle beep sounds so that I could see if the dishes are in fact dry. I've interrupted the beep to open the door. The ceramic dishes (plates, bowls), metal dog food bowls, plastic cups and silverware are all dry to the touch (and baked hot). The tupperware type pieces tend to still have some water/steam on them. But that is also typical of most full size dishwashers. Letting the dishes sit in the rack, with the door open for 20-30 minutes and all dishes are completely dry and cool enough to put away.
NOISE
The sound of the unit in cycle (the swish of your dishes being cleaned) is very quiet. I cannot hear it outside the kitchen, even from the adjacent room. The only time it seems loud is when it's draining water into the sink. It sounds like someone just turned on your tap to full - so if you have a metal sink, it's water hitting metal. If you have a porcelain sink, it's water hitting porcelain. If you want to assess that volume before you buy, just turn your tap on full and walk into the next room. Better yet, be in the other room and have someone else turn it on so you can hear what that initial water-hitting-surface sounds like because that's the loudest moment.
The end-of-cycle beep is a repeated beep that lasts just 8 seconds. I was awake and listening for the beep from my bedroom (just 2 rooms away) and almost missed it. It definitely would not disturb sleep unless you're sleeping in the kitchen or are super, hyper-sensitive to any kind of noise while sleeping - and I'm a light sleeper.
GETTING IT HOOKED UP
OK, so I'm a 5'2" woman. I was able to lift the unit from the floor to a step stool and then from the stool to the rack on which it sits (see pics). It would definitely be easier with a second person because it's a bit bulky and awkward. But I didn't have anyone available to help and I was able to manage. I used the door handle and the metal lip at the top of the back of the unit for hand-holds. Remember to LIFT WITH YOUR KNEES - it is heavy enough to cause pain or injury to a back if you are already weak in that area or have a previous injury.
The adapter has TWO washers - a thin one that is well-seated into the adapter and a thicker one that easily falls out. When I first connected to my faucet, I thought the thick one was from my faucet and so removed it out of the way. The test run leaked a lot around the faucet. I then put that thick washer on top of the thin one and reattached the adapter with both washers in place. NO MORE LEAKING at the faucet!!!!
I connected the hoses to the back of the unit as directed. I hand-tightened both. I ran a 10-minute pre-wash cycle to test for leaks. The drain hose leaked. I disconnected it, turned the unit for better access, rather than trying to just reach behind, made sure the connection was seated properly, hand-tightened and then used a pliers to gently tighten. I got another full turn (or 2) before it felt fully tightened - careful not to over tighten as it is plastic and that can break if tightened too far. I also wrapped that connection with some plumbers tape just for good measure. I ran another pre-wash (10-minute) cycle NO LEAKS anywhere! Now I was ready to do a proper load of dishes.
CLEANING THE DISHES
I feed my dogs using a food puzzle toy (Kongs) which involves mixing their kibble with soft foods such as pumpkin puree or yogurt. It's difficult to get that all out and properly cleaned by hand. I had several of those that needed cleaning. I also washed their regular food bowls - the green one (in the pic) had fish oil and cranberry powder residue that I've been unable to get fully cleaned off for the last 6 months (that's 6 months of residue!). The Kongs and the bowls (and the rest of the dishes) came out looking like new! The residue was gone and there was no weird film that others have mentioned they've experienced. I think they may be using too much detergent, or not using any kind of drying aid at all.
You will need to rinse off all large food particles. Remember, this portable unit is not connected to a garbage disposal and so cannot cope with large chunks of food particles. But, sauce residue, chocolate powder caked on a spoon, cheese and egg stuck on a spatula - all came off no problem.
There is a 3-part filter system and you will likely need to clean it with some regularity (every few months) to keep the dishwasher from getting gummed up.
BETWEEN USES
The hoses are pressurized and so you only need to turn the faucet on a little to get it set. You can leave the faucet on all night if you start the dishwasher at bedtime as you will not be using/running water all night due to the pressurized hose.
Be sure to TURN OFF THE FAUCET before you try to unhook the hose from the faucet. Also, be sure to PRESS THE RED BUTTON and wait for the water to drain before disconnecting the hose from the faucet. Once disconnected, you'll want to hold the end down and the length of the hose up to drain the last of the water that's in there before tucking the hose into its storage position - this is simply to avoid drips.
Final note: the unit was a little damp inside as were the hoses upon arrival. I believe this is from testing at the factory before packaging. Many have mentioned it. Also, the unit and the hoses smell like new appliance. I can't smell it unless I'm right next to it, and I expect that after I've had it out and in use for a month or two, that smell will be gone.
So far, I am super happy with this unit - the ease of setting up, the quality of the clean. I will check in again in few months to update.
- Amazon Business: Make the most of your Amazon Business account with exclusive tools and savings. Login now
- Amazon Business : For business-only pricing, quantity discounts and FREE Shipping. Register a free business account
