We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

cathy > wrote:

>We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
>of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
>sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
>guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

We have 4 in our family, soon to reduce to 3 when the son moves.
Whenever I happen to do the cooking, I wash stuff up as I go along,
and the only thing left after the meal is what's on the table. And
maybe others don't, but we rinse and wipe off dishes in the sink
before we put them in. A few years ago I would say get one. Now, we
rarely eat together, and when we entertain, it's the wash-as-you-go
method. I would think it's relatively expensive to run, as we use the
heater to get water temp high enough, and the heat dryer cycle. I
know you're pressing your luck if you take a shower while it's
running. If it died today, I wouldn't get one unless the wife
threatened death.
The Doc says my brain waves closely match those of a crazed ferret.

"cathy" > wrote:
> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy of
> me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do sometimes
> find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining guests. I
> don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

I'm a "family" of one, and I still use mine. But I end up using it
differently than a normal family might. I think it would be very wasteful
(though not necessarily expensive) to be running it every day. I think I end
up running it every 3-4 days, so I have full loads. That requires some
planning and a different kind of usage. I mostly only use it for dishes,
silverware, and everyday glassware. No utensils, pots or pans. I still hand
wash those. One of the problems is I will probably need a lot of these
things on the following days before the dishwasher gets run again. I won't
need any of the table ware since there are obviously multiple pieces of
those, plus I have two sets of eight place settings on most items. On the
cookware, a fair amount of mine are anodized aluminum exterior or raw cast
iron, which can't go in the dishwasher anyway.

I believe if you use the energy saver setting and just let the dishes air
dry, it might actually be more cost effective to use the dishwasher than
wash by hand (full loads, of course). I've read that washing by hand ends up
using more water than by machine. I'm not sure if things are different on
more modern dishwashers that heat their own water and such, but the
electricity used to run the motor and pump are quite minimal. The heated
drying was the big energy user.

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be
> lazy of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I
> do sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after
> entertaining guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any
> thoughts?

There are only my husband and myself and I wouldn't be without one.
We don't run it every day, but we still have as many dishes as when
all the kids were here so we don't have to. We just bought a new home
and a dishwasher was among the appliance purchases we made.

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy of
> me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do sometimes
> find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining guests. I
> don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

Don't know how I'd live without one. Our kids are gone so it is just the
two of us but we still use the DW on a regular basis. -

A DW will save energy. You use less water to run a load that to do them by
hand. They are more sanitary because of the hotter water and stronger
detergents.

No, it is not lazy of you. It does save some time, but just my opinion,
you'd be passing around less germs because of the sanitation, have less
concerns about contamination from raw meats, etc. The time save is better
spent with your kids that standing over the sink.

You can spend from about $350 to $1500 depending on brand and model. Even
the low end does a pretty good job. As the price goes up, so do the
features and soundproofing and usually reliability. New machines are very
quiet.

If there is no DW in place, you will need to run a hot water line,
electricity and tap into the drain line. If you have a garbage disposal, it
probably has a drain connection on it. If not, you will need to buy a piece
for the undersink drain that has a tee for the DW drain hose. Overall, not
a big project.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

"AlleyGator" > wrote in message
> I would think it's relatively expensive to run, as we use the
> heater to get water temp high enough, and the heat dryer cycle.

Do some research You are using more water to do the "wash as you go" method
in most every case. Modern machines are rather energy efficient. I will wash
large pots or the huge SS mixing bowls as we go because they take up so much
room, but everything else goes into the machine.

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy of
> me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do sometimes
> find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining guests. I
> don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?


A lot depends on your family and cooking/eating habits. Do you like to do
elaborate cooking that creates a lot of dirty dishes? Do you entertain
regularly? Do you have enough glasses, flatware, plates, etc. so you can
wait a couple of days to fill the DW without running out of things? A fully
loaded DW is supposedly more efficient than washing by hand.


--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

>
> Don't know how I'd live without one. Our kids are gone so it is just the
> two of us but we still use the DW on a regular basis. -
>
> A DW will save energy. You use less water to run a load that to do them by
> hand. They are more sanitary because of the hotter water and stronger
> detergents.
>
> No, it is not lazy of you. It does save some time, but just my opinion,
> you'd be passing around less germs because of the sanitation, have less
> concerns about contamination from raw meats, etc. The time save is better
> spent with your kids that standing over the sink.
>
> You can spend from about $350 to $1500 depending on brand and model. Even
> the low end does a pretty good job. As the price goes up, so do the
> features and soundproofing and usually reliability. New machines are very
> quiet.
>
> If there is no DW in place, you will need to run a hot water line,
> electricity and tap into the drain line. If you have a garbage disposal, it
> probably has a drain connection on it. If not, you will need to buy a piece
> for the undersink drain that has a tee for the DW drain hose. Overall, not
> a big project.

We live on a small-holding and have our own bore-hole water, so the cost
of water is not an issue. I still don't like to waste water, however.

I have a big kitchen/laundry area with all the required water lines and
drains etc., so that's not a cost issue either as we could just 'plumb
one in'.

Most people have said that they only use it when it has a full load,
which makes sense, but I was thinking that that could take awhile with
just 3 of us! I have heard that dishwashers are great for glassware
though. I have a lot of stainless-steel cookware. I assume that it's
suitable for dishwashing? (excuse my ignorance).

On Sat, 07 May 2005 13:29:17 +0200, cathy > wrote:

>We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
>of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
>sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
>guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

Let's rephrase:
Q: Are dishwashers worth it for one person?
A: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!

As soon as I could after I moved here I had a dishwasher installed.
There wasn't one already in place so it was a bit of a pain to prep
the area, but worth every single minute and dollar.

By myself, I run it every other day; with the resident college
student, I run it at least once a day, sometimes twice, depending on
meal activity for that day. When cooking for guests, I have been
known to run it three times in a day. Of course, my philosophy for
kitchen items is "if it can't go in the dishwasher, I don't want it"
:> It's particularly valuable in being a space to get used utensils
and dishes out of the way when you're working. No more stopping to
wash dishes; no more looking at dirty dishes in the sink.

My water consumption went way down after I bought it. I use the "air
dry" feature so the electric part is a non-issue. You can also use it
for non-dishes, eg. delicate glass chandelier parts and glass light
fixture globes. They will come out sparkling. Same thing with a lot
of plastic storage boxes. Don't dust 'em, put them in the dishwasher
on the quick wash cycle.

If you buy one, don't go cheap, though you don't have to get a top of
the line European design. Steel interiors are premium and not
required. Do your homework first for price and features. I bought a
middlin' Kenmore and it's great. Sears often has sales, especially
the 0% for a year, free delivery type.

With the late-model dishwashers, you don't have to rinse or pre-wash
the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. They do an
excellent job. I suppose if you burn stuff a lot it might be a
problem. When in doubt, I put it in the dishwasher. Rarely do I have
to wash it when it's done, but if I do, it's now essentially clean
anyway rather than a greasy mess. Load the dishwasher as recommended,
that can make a difference.

Look for "quiet," and adjustable racks so you can wash big items.
Look for one with a separate washer arm for the top rack and clips to
hold small pieces.

Have it professionally installed. You will need electrical access as
well as the plumbing services. Before you buy, make sure the site you
want it has the correct dimensions. If you have any inclination to
have a garbage disposal, buy it and have it installed at the same
time. Nothing less than 3/4 horsepower.

The first time you are able to sit down after dinner and watch TV, or
work on crafts or read a book, rather than spend time in the kitchen
washing dishes, you will love it. Sometimes while I'm doing something
else and the dishwasher is sloshing away, I reflect on how much I love
it ;>

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be
> lazy of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
> sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
> guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

I have also read that a dishwasher uses less water than washing in the
sink. We got a new dishwasher last year, and I was thrilled to find out
that we don't need to rinse our dishes before putting them in. We do
scrape, and if we have something *really* stubborn like pesto I will
rinse those a bit, but for the most part, we just throw 'em in.
Occasionally I will throw in pots and pans, too, but not non-stick stuff
or my good knives.

Peter Aitken wrote:

>
> A lot depends on your family and cooking/eating habits. Do you like to do
> elaborate cooking that creates a lot of dirty dishes? Do you entertain
> regularly? Do you have enough glasses, flatware, plates, etc. so you can
> wait a couple of days to fill the DW without running out of things? A fully
> loaded DW is supposedly more efficient than washing by hand.
>
>

Wouldn't call it 'elaborate' cooking, but we do cook everyday. We like
to use the electric wok for stir-fries, etc. quite often. I also like
oven bakes, so I use a lot of oven-proof glassware too. I have a fair
amount of crockery and plenty of glasses, but I have my favourite pots
and pans that I like to use every day.

As for entertaining, we don't do it that often, but when we do, its hard
to do the 'wash up as you go along' thing. Too busy talking to the
guests! That's when I end up with a pile....

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
>
> Most people have said that they only use it when it has a full load,
> which makes sense, but I was thinking that that could take awhile with
> just 3 of us! I have heard that dishwashers are great for glassware
> though. I have a lot of stainless-steel cookware. I assume that it's
> suitable for dishwashing? (excuse my ignorance).

Yes it is -- I didn't know, either, until one day my husband decided to
throw a bunch of it in there. Comes out great!

"wff_ng_6" > wrote in message
news:Qe2fe.3647$_g1.1518@trnddc04...
> "cathy" > wrote:
>> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
>> of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
>> sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
>> guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?
>
> I'm a "family" of one, and I still use mine. But I end up using it
> differently than a normal family might. I think it would be very wasteful
> (though not necessarily expensive) to be running it every day. I think I
> end up running it every 3-4 days, so I have full loads. That requires some
> planning and a different kind of usage. I mostly only use it for dishes,
> silverware, and everyday glassware. No utensils, pots or pans. I still
> hand wash those. One of the problems is I will probably need a lot of
> these things on the following days before the dishwasher gets run again. I
> won't need any of the table ware since there are obviously multiple pieces
> of those, plus I have two sets of eight place settings on most items. On
> the cookware, a fair amount of mine are anodized aluminum exterior or raw
> cast iron, which can't go in the dishwasher anyway.
>
> I believe if you use the energy saver setting and just let the dishes air
> dry, it might actually be more cost effective to use the dishwasher than
> wash by hand (full loads, of course). I've read that washing by hand ends
> up using more water than by machine. I'm not sure if things are different
> on more modern dishwashers that heat their own water and such, but the
> electricity used to run the motor and pump are quite minimal. The heated
> drying was the big energy user.
>
During periods when a dishwasher is not functional in the house (family of
just 2 washing a load every day) I have spent so much time washing dishes
that I couldn't wait to get the dishwasher back in order. It only takes a
couple of bouts like this when you realize how important the dishwasher can
be in time-saving labor. Perhaps it depends on how much you cook and how
many dishes you have to wash. I cook a lot and I also have so much
hand-washing that goes along with it. Recently when we had a hot-water
heater replaced due to its malfunction, it took them 10 days to replace it;
but all that time we were able to use the dishwasher, as it heated the water
inside the dishwasher. I don't know what the savings are (if there are
indeed any) on keeping your hot-water heater on a lower setting and letting
the dishwasher heat the water while it is washing.
Dee

"FREECYCLE MOM" > wrote in message
...
>
> "cathy" > wrote in message
> ...
>> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be
>> lazy of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I
>> do sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after
>> entertaining guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any
>> thoughts?
>
> There are only my husband and myself and I wouldn't be without one.
> We don't run it every day, but we still have as many dishes as when
> all the kids were here so we don't have to. We just bought a new home
> and a dishwasher was among the appliance purchases we made.
>
My dental hygienist just built a new home -- 3 dishwashers in the kitchen (2
are half-sized dishwashers which I've never seen before).
Perhaps a half-sized dishwasher might be in order for the original poster.
Dee

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "AlleyGator" > wrote in message
>
>> I would think it's relatively expensive to run, as we use the
>>heater to get water temp high enough, and the heat dryer cycle.
>
>
> Do some research You are using more water to do the "wash as you go" method
> in most every case. Modern machines are rather energy efficient. I will wash
> large pots or the huge SS mixing bowls as we go because they take up so much
> room, but everything else goes into the machine.

Yep. We fill ours over a few days and run it when it's full. I don't put
pots in mine because the soaps are so caustic that they score them.
Glass, over time, will also be scored and the surfaces dulled. Our
everyday dishes are glass and restaurant-cheap, so who cares.

The uptown stuff (Waterford, Noritake, Spode,, etc.)is hand washed.

Pastorio

cathy wrote:

> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
> of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
> sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
> guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

There are only two of us here now and I can't remember the last time we
used the dishwasher. We have a dish rack that fits nicely in one side of
the sink can can easily hold all the dishes, glasses, pots and pans from a
meal. I find it much easier to just do the dishes by hand than to load the
dishwasher, wait until there are enough dishes in it to run a cycle and
then unload it. It doesn't take any longer for me to do the dishes by hand
than it does to load the dishwasher, and doing it in small amounts seems to
make it more manageable.

K. Reece wrote:

>
> What do you want to spend your time doing? Washing dishes or doing
> something with your child? You can load the dishwasher and then go off and
> do something else while it runs.
>
>
> Kathy
>
> Well, if you put it that way, you have a point.... keep going with the good reasons, so I can talk myself into buying one

On Sat 07 May 2005 04:29:17a, cathy wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
> of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
> sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
> guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

We are only 2 in our family (well, 7, if you count the cats), and I probably
wouldn't cook if we didn't have a dishwasher to clean up afterwards.

I'll be the first to admit I'm lazy, but I'd rather expend my energy in
creating a meal, not cleaning up after it.

Two non-personal points... I believe studies show that it's actually less
expensive to use a dishwasher than to wash everything by hand. Second, I
believe the dishes come out cleaner and more sanitary, regardless of how
thorough you are at hand washing.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

"Curly Sue" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 07 May 2005 13:29:17 +0200, cathy > wrote:
>
>>We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
>>of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
>>sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
>>guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?
>
> Let's rephrase:
> Q: Are dishwashers worth it for one person?
> A: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!
>
> As soon as I could after I moved here I had a dishwasher installed.
> There wasn't one already in place so it was a bit of a pain to prep
> the area, but worth every single minute and dollar.
>
> By myself, I run it every other day; with the resident college
> student, I run it at least once a day, sometimes twice, depending on
> meal activity for that day. When cooking for guests, I have been
> known to run it three times in a day. Of course, my philosophy for
> kitchen items is "if it can't go in the dishwasher, I don't want it"
> :> It's particularly valuable in being a space to get used utensils
> and dishes out of the way when you're working. No more stopping to
> wash dishes; no more looking at dirty dishes in the sink.
>
> My water consumption went way down after I bought it. I use the "air
> dry" feature so the electric part is a non-issue. You can also use it
> for non-dishes, eg. delicate glass chandelier parts and glass light
> fixture globes. They will come out sparkling. Same thing with a lot
> of plastic storage boxes. Don't dust 'em, put them in the dishwasher
> on the quick wash cycle.
>
> If you buy one, don't go cheap, though you don't have to get a top of
> the line European design. Steel interiors are premium and not
> required. Do your homework first for price and features. I bought a
> middlin' Kenmore and it's great. Sears often has sales, especially
> the 0% for a year, free delivery type.
>
> With the late-model dishwashers, you don't have to rinse or pre-wash
> the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. They do an
> excellent job. I suppose if you burn stuff a lot it might be a
> problem. When in doubt, I put it in the dishwasher. Rarely do I have
> to wash it when it's done, but if I do, it's now essentially clean
> anyway rather than a greasy mess. Load the dishwasher as recommended,
> that can make a difference.
>
> Look for "quiet," and adjustable racks so you can wash big items.
> Look for one with a separate washer arm for the top rack and clips to
> hold small pieces.
>
> Have it professionally installed. You will need electrical access as
> well as the plumbing services. Before you buy, make sure the site you
> want it has the correct dimensions. If you have any inclination to
> have a garbage disposal, buy it and have it installed at the same
> time. Nothing less than 3/4 horsepower.
>
> The first time you are able to sit down after dinner and watch TV, or
> work on crafts or read a book, rather than spend time in the kitchen
> washing dishes, you will love it. Sometimes while I'm doing something
> else and the dishwasher is sloshing away, I reflect on how much I love
> it ;>
>
> Sue(tm)
> Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Yes, yes, yes, I agree. My dishwasher had been broken for years and I had
no intention of replacing it as there are just the two of us. I know how
many sinks of hot water I ran to get the dishes and pots and pans we used
clean. I grew accustomed to the ugly sight of dirty stuff sitting around
the sink while I was preparing and eating a meal. I grew accustomed to
coffee mugs with slightly dingy interiors and vinyl/plastic cutting boards
that never really lost the smell of garlic and onion. My Mellita manual
coffee maker always smelled like coffee oils. My husband surprise gifted me
a dishwasher recently. He chose the one recommended by Consumer Reports--a
Kenmore. I read the operator's manual and couldn't believe what I was
reading. It was no longer necessary to 'clean' the dishes before putting
them in the dishwasher. I tested that out right away. The only thing I
found that the dishwasher cannot remove is the film left on the knife I used
for peanut butter that the dog licked clean--that knife has to be rubbed
under running water first. Peanut butter-Dog spit is a powerful barrier ;o}
My dishwasher has a smart wash feature that monitors the amount of soil in
the load of dishes as it washes and adjusts the length of the cycle
accordingly. According to the operator's manual, I could use much less
dishwasher soap--depending upon the hardness of the water used. I need only
half of the fill cup of detergent and the dishes are brilliant when
finished. The new dishwasher soaps and rinses are such a great improvement.
The one feature that I am totally in love with is the newer, larger capacity
tub. These dishwashers have the one-piece front instead of that panel
across the bottom. Because of the larger tub, I can wash large serving
platters, odd-shaped utensils and stuff that I used to have to do by hand.

I run the dishwasher everyday and we are using less water and electricity
according the utility billings. This dishwasher is so quiet I can't believe
it. I use the dishwasher to hide all the dirty stuff throughout the day.
If I've got a bake day or something similar going on, I'll run it as often
as I want to get all that mess out of the way. Hurrah!!! Not one day goes
by that I don't remark that I'm crazy about the dishwasher and I've been
using it now for about 6 months. Oh, according to the owner's manual the
daily cost to run the dishwasher is less than the cost of a postage stamp.

Janet

On Sat 07 May 2005 07:17:21a, Dog3 wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Wayne Boatwright > wrote in
> :
>
>> On Sat 07 May 2005 04:29:17a, cathy wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>>> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be
>>> lazy of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I
>>> do sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after
>>> entertaining guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any
>>> thoughts?
>>
>> We are only 2 in our family (well, 7, if you count the cats), and I
>> probably wouldn't cook if we didn't have a dishwasher to clean up
>> afterwards.
>>
>> I'll be the first to admit I'm lazy, but I'd rather expend my energy
>> in creating a meal, not cleaning up after it.
>>
>> Two non-personal points... I believe studies show that it's actually
>> less expensive to use a dishwasher than to wash everything by hand.
>> Second, I believe the dishes come out cleaner and more sanitary,
>> regardless of how thorough you are at hand washing.
>>
>
> There are only 2 of us (4 total counting the dog and cat) living here.
> Like you, I am lazy and prefer cooking to cleaning. I would spend all
> day cooking and doing dishes if I didn't have the dishwasher. The only
> problems I encounter are with the SO. He bitches if the dishes are not
> clean before putting them in the dishwasher. LOL... you should see his
> face when I put a dirty pot in the machine without first taking a brillo
> pad to it.
>
> Michael
>

My reply to the SO would be, "here, you scrub it if you want it scrubbed!"
I'll be damned if I'd do just because he thought it should be done. I
usually scrape things with a rubber spatula, but I never pre-rinse or scrub
anything unless it's burned on. In that case, I soak it first.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

In article >, "Dee Randall"
> wrote:

> During periods when a dishwasher is not functional in the house
> (family of just 2 washing a load every day) I have spent so much time
> washing dishes that I couldn't wait to get the dishwasher back in
> order. It only takes a couple of bouts like this when you realize
> how important the dishwasher can be in time-saving labor. Perhaps
> it depends on how much you cook and how many dishes you have to wash.
> I cook a lot and I also have so much hand-washing that goes along
> with it.

This is pretty much what I was going to mention. Our house was built
in the 50s and had no dishwasher. It also had no place to hook up a
dishwasher unless we wanted to spend lots of money on remodeling and
installation. We didn't. Rich thought it would be nice couple time to
wash and dry dishes together after dinner, unwind and talk about our
days, etc. After about two days of that, he was right there with me on
getting a dishwasher. We bought the kind that plugs into the wall and
hooks up to the sink for water, but since we have our washer and dryer
in the kitchen, we got a splitter for the washing machine water and it
sits in a line with them. We spent less than $250 including tax, save
quite a bit of water, time and energy and are able to unwind and relax
by talking together on the couch.

Regards,
Ranee

--
Remove Do Not and Spam to email

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

See my Blog at: http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/

On Sat 07 May 2005 04:29:17a, cathy wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
> of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
> sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
> guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

Cathy, you've had comments, both pro and con, about having and using a
dishwasher. My vote, posted earlier, was definitely pro.

For those who either don't have a dishwasher and don't want one, or for those
who have one and don't use it, I can only say that one's willingness to wash
dishes by hand is a huge factor. I hate washing anything by hand, and put
every item in the dishwasher.

If you haven't had one or used one, you have no idea what a great convenience
and time saver it can be.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy of
> me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do sometimes
> find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining guests. I
> don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

What do you want to spend your time doing? Washing dishes or doing
something with your child? You can load the dishwasher and then go off and
do something else while it runs.


Kathy

On Sat 07 May 2005 07:28:41a, Dog3 wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Wayne Boatwright > wrote in
> :
>
>> On Sat 07 May 2005 07:17:21a, Dog3 wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>>> Wayne Boatwright > wrote in
>>> :
>>>
>>>> On Sat 07 May 2005 04:29:17a, cathy wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>>>
>>>>> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be
>>>>> lazy of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I
>>>>> do sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after
>>>>> entertaining guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any
>>>>> thoughts?
>>>>
>>>> We are only 2 in our family (well, 7, if you count the cats), and I
>>>> probably wouldn't cook if we didn't have a dishwasher to clean up
>>>> afterwards.
>>>>
>>>> I'll be the first to admit I'm lazy, but I'd rather expend my energy
>>>> in creating a meal, not cleaning up after it.
>>>>
>>>> Two non-personal points... I believe studies show that it's
>>>> actually less expensive to use a dishwasher than to wash everything
>>>> by hand. Second, I believe the dishes come out cleaner and more
>>>> sanitary, regardless of how thorough you are at hand washing.
>>>>
>>>
>>> There are only 2 of us (4 total counting the dog and cat) living
>>> here. Like you, I am lazy and prefer cooking to cleaning. I would
>>> spend all day cooking and doing dishes if I didn't have the
>>> dishwasher. The only problems I encounter are with the SO. He
>>> bitches if the dishes are not clean before putting them in the
>>> dishwasher. LOL... you should see his face when I put a dirty pot in
>>> the machine without first taking a brillo pad to it.
>>>
>>> Michael
>>>
>>
>> My reply to the SO would be, "here, you scrub it if you want it
>> scrubbed!" I'll be damned if I'd do just because he thought it should
>> be done. I usually scrape things with a rubber spatula, but I never
>> pre-rinse or scrub anything unless it's burned on. In that case, I
>> soak it first.
>>
>
> You are much too kind <g>. My remarks to him are much more scathing. I
> do scrape off the crusty bits on the pots but the pot scrubber option on
> the machine does a wonderful job. Oh Gawd, and I put the dog and cat's
> bowls in the machine (alone without any other dishes in it) to sterilize
> them. I do it often. He almost has a stroke when I do it. I usually
> tell him if he doesn't like it, he is more than welcome to do all of the
> dishes by hand.
>
> Michael
>

LOL! I even put the cats' food dishes in the dishwasher right along with
out dishes. I figure the sanitizer cycle has got to be good for something!
Actually, David and I are in total agreement about our use of the
dishwasher. The only thing he looks askanse at is my running partial
loads. I don't do it often because there's usually enough to fill the
machine. I will do it, though, rather than leaving a half-filled machine
sit overnight.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

cathy wrote:
> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
> of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
> sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
> guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

Interesting question, just before mothers day

"cathy" > wrote in message
...
> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy of
> me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do sometimes
> find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining guests. I
> don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

A few hundred bucks and worth every penny. If they save you 30 minutes per
day for 5 years that is 800 hours. What's your time worth?

del cecchi

Wayne Boatwright wrote on 07 May 2005 in rec.food.cooking

> If you haven't had one or used one, you have no idea what a great
> convenience and time saver it can be.
>

That statement is kinda misleading. Yes a dishwasher frees up YOUR
time...but seems to take forever if you are waiting for it to finish.
Mine takes just over a hour to do a load of dishes. I live alone and at
maxium do 3 dishwasher loads a week, unless it's holiday season (Oct
thru Dec) then all bets are off, with all the extra baking and the
large meals.

--
No Bread Crumbs were hurt in the making of this Meal.
Type 2 Diabetic Since Aug 2004
1AC- 7.2, 7.3, 5.5, 5.6 mmol
Weight from 265 down to 219 lbs. and dropping.
Continuing to be Manitoban

Jack Masters wrote:
> cathy wrote:
>
>> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be
>> lazy of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
>> sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
>> guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?
>
>
> Interesting question, just before mothers day

Darn, you are onto me! (my SO also also reads this NG)
Cathy

On Sat 07 May 2005 07:56:54a, Monsur Fromage du Pollet wrote in
rec.food.cooking:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote on 07 May 2005 in rec.food.cooking
>
>> If you haven't had one or used one, you have no idea what a great
>> convenience and time saver it can be.
>>
>
> That statement is kinda misleading. Yes a dishwasher frees up YOUR
> time...but seems to take forever if you are waiting for it to finish.
> Mine takes just over a hour to do a load of dishes. I live alone and at
> maxium do 3 dishwasher loads a week, unless it's holiday season (Oct
> thru Dec) then all bets are off, with all the extra baking and the
> large meals.
>

It was MY time that I wanted to save. :-) Once the dishwasher is loaded
and started, I'm usually off to other things and, most often, not even at
home. There are 2 of us, 7 if you count the cats. There's never a day
that I don't run at least 1 dishwasher load. I think my dishwasher
actually takes closer to 2 hours for a cycle.

There are times, of course, when I will piggyback loads. Last Thursday I
was at home and baked 2 loaves of bread, made pizza dough, baked a cake,
made a pot of spaghetti sauce and a pot of chili. I did 3 loads that day,
including the dinner dishes, one right after the other. It save MY time
and the aggravation of hand washing that many pots, pans, utensils, and
dishes. I didn't care how long it took, as I was otherwise occupied.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

On Sat, 07 May 2005 13:29:17 +0200, cathy wrote:

> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
> of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
> sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
> guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?

If I was just a family of one, I'd still have and use a dishwasher.
I'm a klutz and break things when I hand wash... plus I'm lazy.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Sat 07 May 2005 04:29:17a, cathy wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
>
>>We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be lazy
>>of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive. I do
>>sometimes find myself wishing I had one, especially after entertaining
>>guests. I don't know if they are expensive to run. Any thoughts?
>
>
> Cathy, you've had comments, both pro and con, about having and using a
> dishwasher. My vote, posted earlier, was definitely pro.
>
> For those who either don't have a dishwasher and don't want one, or for those
> who have one and don't use it, I can only say that one's willingness to wash
> dishes by hand is a huge factor. I hate washing anything by hand, and put
> every item in the dishwasher.
>
> If you haven't had one or used one, you have no idea what a great convenience
> and time saver it can be.
>
Never had one, so guess I don't know how good it can be. I think I will
put on my list of
"wouldn't-it-be-nice-to-have-this-when-I-win-the-lottery" things.....

Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Cathy

On Sat, 07 May 2005 12:10:24 GMT, wff_ng_6 wrote:

> The heated drying was the big energy user.

I use the Quick Wash cycle.

On Sat, 7 May 2005 09:51:27 -0400, Dee Randall wrote:
> >
> My dental hygienist just built a new home -- 3 dishwashers in the kitchen (2
> are half-sized dishwashers which I've never seen before).
> Perhaps a half-sized dishwasher might be in order for the original poster.

They are as expensive as the full sized ones... so usually the
decision is based on space, not cost.

"cathy" > wrote in message
> We live on a small-holding and have our own bore-hole water, so the cost
> of water is not an issue. I still don't like to waste water, however.

Then a DW is for you. Running full or nearly so, you save water and on the
septic load.


>
> Most people have said that they only use it when it has a full load, which
> makes sense, but I was thinking that that could take awhile with just 3 of
> us! I have heard that dishwashers are great for glassware though. I have a
> lot of stainless-steel cookware. I assume that it's suitable for
> dishwashing? (excuse my ignorance).

It will not take as long as you may think. If you put in baking pans and
large pots, they can take up quite a bit of space. Glassware comes out
spotless, perfectly clean. With just the two of us, it is run most every day
given that we have breakfast and dinner at home, maybe a plastic container
from lunch.

I'm confident you will be very happy with one. Sure you don't NEED one, but
once you have it, you will wonder how you ever got along without one.
Especially if the third person grows a big bigger and eats constantly like
many teenagers do.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

Dee Randall wrote:
> "FREECYCLE MOM" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "cathy" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be
>>> lazy of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive.
>>
>> There are only my husband and myself and I wouldn't be without one.
>> We don't run it every day, but we still have as many dishes as when
>> all the kids were here so we don't have to.
>>
> My dental hygienist just built a new home -- 3 dishwashers in the
> kitchen (2 are half-sized dishwashers which I've never seen before).

Why on *earth* would she need 3 dishwashers? They either have a huge family
or do a heck of a lot of entertaining!!

Jill

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
> "cathy" > wrote in message
>> We live on a small-holding and have our own bore-hole water, so the
>> cost of water is not an issue. I still don't like to waste water,
>> however.
>
> Then a DW is for you. Running full or nearly so, you save water and
> on the septic load.
>>
>> Most people have said that they only use it when it has a full load,
>> which makes sense, but I was thinking that that could take awhile
>> with just 3 of us! I have heard that dishwashers are great for
>> glassware though. I have a lot of stainless-steel cookware. I assume
>> that it's suitable for dishwashing? (excuse my ignorance).
>
> It will not take as long as you may think. If you put in baking pans
> and large pots, they can take up quite a bit of space. Glassware
> comes out spotless, perfectly clean. With just the two of us, it is
> run most every day given that we have breakfast and dinner at home,
> maybe a plastic container from lunch.
>
> I'm confident you will be very happy with one. Sure you don't NEED
> one, but once you have it, you will wonder how you ever got along
> without one. Especially if the third person grows a big bigger and
> eats constantly like many teenagers do.

Heheh, when I was a teenager and hungry after school, Mom introduced me to
the joy of paper plates. Sure, I might dirty a small pan frying a burger
(which I promptly had to wash) but even in the '70's there were things you
could stick in the microwave even if they didn't have "microwave"
instructions back then. One of my after school snacks was (okay, prepare to
cringe) fish sticks and tater tots nuked in the microwave on a paper plate.
Of course, I didn't eat lunch so when I got home at 2:30 I was hungry.

And yes, stainless steel comes out great in the dishwasher. My problem with
dishwashers - I have no trouble filling them up over the course of a few
days but I have this perverse dislike of emptying the darn thing.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
>
> Why on *earth* would she need 3 dishwashers? They either have a huge
> family
> or do a heck of a lot of entertaining!!
>
> Jill
>

Seems as though high end houses are getting two on a frequent basis now. I
guess you have to as Rolex watches have become commonplace so you need a new
symbol. As for three, it may be a Fischer and Paykel drawer unit.. Aside
from not having the need, I'm not willing to give up cabinet space for more
than one.

On Sat, 7 May 2005 11:28:15 -0500, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>Dee Randall wrote:
>> "FREECYCLE MOM" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>> "cathy" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> We are only 3 in our family, and I have always thought it would be
>>>> lazy of me to buy a dishwasher, as a good brand can be expensive.
>>>
>>> There are only my husband and myself and I wouldn't be without one.
>>> We don't run it every day, but we still have as many dishes as when
>>> all the kids were here so we don't have to.
>>>
>> My dental hygienist just built a new home -- 3 dishwashers in the
>> kitchen (2 are half-sized dishwashers which I've never seen before).
>
>Why on *earth* would she need 3 dishwashers? They either have a huge family
>or do a heck of a lot of entertaining!!
>
>Jill

Maybe she has a kosher kitchen?

Well, I don't *need* more than one, but I'd sure like another, or at
least one of those half-size dishwashers to supplement the one I have.

I would also like another "upper rack." So many things I buy are
"upper rack washable," (due, I assume, to distance from the heating
element) that I usually fill up the upper rack first!

Anyway, I don't have the room or the money for another dishwasher, but
when I win the lottery... Of course, the help would be using them :>

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

jmcquown at wrote on 5/7/05 12:33 PM:

> And yes, stainless steel comes out great in the dishwasher. My problem with
> dishwashers - I have no trouble filling them up over the course of a few
> days but I have this perverse dislike of emptying the darn thing.
>


Those half-sized dishwashers would be perfect for you then.
They are 2 drawers. The first thing I thought of when I saw them was "one
for dirty, one for clean".

No unloading, except one at a time, as you would the cabinet you store your
clean dishes in.

If I ever am in a situation where I can install my dream kitchen....THAT's
the kind of dishwasher I would want. The kind you store the clean dishes in.

i won't be without a dishwasher..................EVER!
it is worth every penny, and saves in the long run on hot water use!