Whirlpool’s 18″ 
GE Profile 18″ dishwasher
Both available at Lowes, these built in models are Energy Star rated,
For those of you with smaller kitchen areas, on boats, in dorms, bars and lab/medical facilities, take heart! You do not have to forgo the convenience and health conscious sanitizing capabilities of dishwashers at all! Nor do you need to sacrifice any of that precious counter space to employ one.
You have pretty much ALL of the options available as a user of standard sized dishwashers, so step right up and I will help you review the features.
A standard dishwasher is 24″ wide, you will be sacrificing and entire cabinets worth of storage space using one. This be gotten around by using one of the sleek, attractive, and modern 18″ Dishwashers available at select upscale retailers. Usually coming in at around $350 all the way up to the $500 and more range, you can opt for a simple, down to earth model, or go ‘whole hog’ to create a designer look that is very cosmopolitan.
Some things to look for while shopping are:
- Energy Star rating – you can save hundreds of dollars over the life of your appliance by this simple step. ONLY BUY ENERGY STAR products, and never be unhappy about how much power they use.
- CEE Rating - The Consortium for Energy Efficiency is a recent arrival in the consumer reporting of energy matters, and is a great complement to the Energy Starcertifications we all rely on. Partnering with government agencies and manufacturers, they provide incentives for producing energy efficient appliances such as the
Super-Efficient Home Appliance Initiative (SEHA) which provides a definition of super efficiency by assigning tier certification to washers, refrigerators, dishwashers and air conditioners that qualify. They use a TIER RATING system. eg: a tier III would be super efficient, while a tier I, well, not so much.
- Garborator - this amusing title is also referred to as as hard food remover. it is a system where bits of food, residue, and just plain “glop’ are filtered out of the water before the rinse cycle, preventing their being redeposited on your dishes.
- Stainless steel water arms – far more durable than plastic, stainless washing/water arms will outlast plastic ones by a very long time.
- Quiet operation – some manufacturers have “quiet packages”, at additional cost. Look INSTEAD for models that are inherently quiet, and have been designed to be so.
- Water delivery – Some models have water sprayed from the bottom upwards only, this is a poor option in a rich market. Spend the bit more cash to get one with a minimum of two sprayer locations, preferably from top downwards, and bottom upwards. Some manufacturers offer 3 tier water sprays, usually at increased price. You will experience better cleaning with 3, and if you know that rinsing and scraping may get sloppy, this a great choice for your home.
| Characteristics of ? | 18 inch | 24 inch |
| Depth – height – width | 22” deep, 32.5” high, from 17 ½” to 18” wide | 24” deep, 35” high,24” wide |
| Controls | Either rotary or electronic | Either rotary or electronic |
| Capacity | Usually good for 2 to 3 people | 4-6 people |
| Hard food removal? | Yes, check from unit to unit | Yes |
| Number of cycles | From 4 to 6, look for those that have good results on a NORMAL setting to minimize operating costs. | Look for those models that feature a good strong pot/pan cycle |
| Durability | Remember to consider cost of repair when making a selection | The single favorite model in full sized dishwashers is the SearsKenmore 1374 (2) per CONSUMERS REPORTS * |
| Operating noise | The more costly the unit, it seems the quieter it runs.Sorry to have to report this. | Same thing here. There are packages available to dampen noise further that the regular level, at additional cost. |
*source: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=3359708&page=1
18 dishwasher
18 dishwashers