Thinking of getting a new dishwasher, we pre-rinse/wash before every load right now

[Astronut325]

Hey folks, I have a really old dishwasher. About 15ish years old. It's lasted a long time but it can't clean that well at all. If we don't have the plates and bowls practically clean, they'll come out dirty. The dishwasher is what came with the house.

My main question: Do modern dishwashers need the same pre-rinse/wash still? What are the important features or functions I should be looking for? Anyone here recently replaced a really old dishwasher for a new one? If yes, how do you like the new one?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Necrokey]

I moved into a place a year ago with a new dishwasher. I dont know its model but its been pretty nice because in the past i had shitty dishwashers. I honestly hand wash a bit especially if there are any tough residue from cooking on a pan and such but if there is anything loose i can just rinse it off and put it in the dishwasher really quickly and turn it on. I wish i had more specifics but the way the dishwasher is installed i cant really see anything to identify it but it sure as shit is new to me.

 

[lemming]

Mine does not clean well if the dirty in the dishes/cups dry up.
I try to let everything sit in the sink with a small amount of water until it is time to prep and turn the dishwasher on.

 

[Nothing Loud]

Am I not supposed to scrub and rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? I've never tried putting them in completely dirty before

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Generally with good detergent, there is minimal need for pre-rinsing. I typically use Cascade platinum and rarely have food stuck on after a cycle.

As far as features, I honestly have a pretty basic one that was already in the house when I bought it. A Whirlpool model that probably cost around $550. The most fancy feature on it is probably the sanitation rinse.You could maybe spring for a model with stainless steel racks, digital timer displays, etc. But they're all going to be highly efficient - usually just a few gallons of water per cycle.

 

[CrankyJay]

Eh I still pre-rinse. I think of the dishwasher more as a sanitizer.

Next dishwasher I might get one of those Bosch quiet ones.

 

[Charizard]

Our oldass dishwasher did need the dishes to be kinda clean to begin with but our new one washes dirty stuff fine as long as nothing is like practically glued to the dish. Most stuff you can just stick in and it comes out squeaky clean.

 

[Cyclonesweep]

Eh I still pre-rinse. I think of the dishwasher more as a sanitizer.

Next dishwasher I might get one of those Bosch quiet ones.

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Don't do it. They are cheaply made and have simple parts that are prone to break.
If you do get one, make sure you get one that the door actually latches

 

[PrivateWHudson]

I think all of that "no need to rinse, throw them in with crap all over" is only if you are running it right after every meal. If you let dishes sit until it's actually full enough to run, the dried up food won't come off in normal mode.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

I think all of that "no need to rinse, throw them in with crap all over" is only if you are running it right after every meal. If you let dishes sit until it's actually full enough to run, the dried up food won't come off in normal mode.

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Not in my experience. I sometimes let plates or whatever sit for a couple days to let it get full, and clean dishes still come out. Like I said, I think at this point, it's more about the detergent selection as long as you're going with a decent mid range model.

 

[davepoobond]

I always pre-rinse. Most people don't have industrial dishwashers that can take the paint off a house

 

[Deleted member 13645]

Not in my experience. I sometimes let plates or whatever sit for a couple days to let it get full, and clean dishes still come out. Like I said, I think at this point, it's more about the detergent selection as long as you're going with a decent mid range model.

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That's been my experience as well, I use that same detergent. There's some that won't get clean but it's usually predictable what ones I need to let soak for a while before the dishwasher. Oddly it's silverware that most often will come out with smudges and such that didn't get cleaned. Might just be the positioning of the silverware rack on mine though.

 

[Deleted member 6582]

It's what you'd reasonably expect. If you let stuff cake up and dry, or you have chunks, or the thing is an awkward shape they won't clean well. The biggest "feature" tends to be rack space and configuration. I'm using a Bosch 800 series and it's not magic even if it does a good job.

 

[Socivol]

If there are stains that can dry up I will rinse if it's just small bits of food I just throw it in the dishwasher. My last place had a brand new dishwasher and it was amazing. You just put the dishes in with no extra work and it cleaned everything.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

That's been my experience as well, I use that same detergent. There's some that won't get clean but it's usually predictable what ones I need to let soak for a while before the dishwasher. Oddly it's silverware that most often will come out with smudges and such that didn't get cleaned. Might just be the positioning of the silverware rack on mine though.

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Yeah I'm also a stickler about positioning the dishes to ensure they're not sitting on each other and everything has space so water can get to it. But like you said, on occasion, one or two items or silverware needs a quick hand wash after.

 

[Astronut325]

We generally start a full load every night. If not, it's in the morning with the dinner stuff and breakfast stuff. Would drying overnight be a major problem for new dishwashers?

 

[GoldenEye 007]

We generally start a full load every night. If not, it's in the morning with the dinner stuff and breakfast stuff. Would drying overnight be a major problem for new dishwashers?

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Doubtful. As long as it's loaded correctly and everything has full exposure to the water jets. And you're using a good detergent.

Now if something is truly caked on like borderline burnt onto a pan, yeah, that might cause an issue.

 

[Tuppen]

If you get a decent dishwasher it's perfectly fine to just scrape the food of the plates and put them in the dishwasher.

 

[Deleted member 27938]

Mine came with the house, it is a bosch. I have no idea what model # or year it's from but I hardly have to pre rinse or wash. The only exceptions are obviously caked on stuff but for standard level of dirty, no pre rinse or wash required.

I learned like 2 weeks ago that dishwashers have a filter that needs to be cleaned, I've lived here for 6 years not knowing that. I found and cleaned out the filter and was surprised it was only calcium buildup, no food or yucky buildup at all. OP, before buying a new dishwasher have you cleaned the filter?

 

[Ravelle]

Am I not supposed to scrub and rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? I've never tried putting them in completely dirty before

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I think it depends on the washer, our new one is good enough it's not officially needed but I pre-rince anyways because there's stubborn stuff now and then refusing to be washed off, sometimes because the angle or because it's been cemented on to plates or pans. Especially yogurt and bowls of porridge need to be rinced if it's gonna be sitting there until the night wash.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Mine came with the house, it is a bosch. I have no idea what model # or year it's from but I hardly have to pre rinse or wash. The only exceptions are obviously caked on stuff but for standard level of dirty, no pre rinse or wash required.

I learned like 2 weeks ago that dishwashers have a filter that needs to be cleaned, I've lived here for 6 years not knowing that. I found and cleaned out the filter and was surprised it was only calcium buildup, no food or yucky buildup at all. OP, before buying a new dishwasher have you cleaned the filter?

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Solid point on the filter.

 

[sAbobo]

I just picked up one of the "Bosch fancy ones" just over a week and a half ago and it is like night and day compared to the old Kenmore I believe it was. Cycle is a lot longer but the dry is amazing in comparison, with even plastic being dry. Scrap off bulk seems to be sufficient except for frond on stainless steel. Shows a red laser on the ground when running because is legit too quiet to hear running at times. Took the cats a whole five minutes to notice...

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Oh and I always turn the heated dry off. Waste of energy.

 

[StrangerDanger]

I just picked up one of the "Bosch fancy ones" just over a week and a half ago and it is like night and day compared to the old Kenmore I believe it was. Cycle is a lot longer but the dry is amazing in comparison, with even plastic being dry. Scrap off bulk seems to be sufficient. Shows a red laser on the ground when running because is legit too quiet to hear running at times. Took the cats a whole five minutes to notice...

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Hell yea. Updated to a Bosch too and love how quiet the thing is, sometimes I forget that it's even on.

But it still doesn't clean well if I leave dishes in there for a few days with food crumbs that dried. So have to pre rinse a little before putting dishes in there. Then again it could be because the food I'm eating is South Asian, so perhaps that stuff is harder for the jets to hit off when it dries or something.

 

[Whitemex]

I strongly recommend the cascade platinum with the new dishwasher. I was buying the generic store brand for a while and would always have to pre rinse. Now I could put in a pirex that had meatloaf in it without rinsing or scraping and it'll come out clean

 

[Deleted member 17092]

Any dishwasher is eventually gonna get clogged up with food if you don't rinse your shit, I guess unless you get one with a built in disposal. Even then I think it's generally just not great to be putting a bunch of food waste into the plumbing of your house and then the sewer system.

 

[Astronut325]

I'll look into the filter. Have not cleaned it! Didn't know that needed to be done. We use the cascade complete pods.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Any dishwasher is eventually gonna get clogged up with food if you don't rinse your shit, I guess unless you get one with a built in disposal. Even then I think it's generally just not great to be putting a bunch of food waste into the plumbing of your house and then the sewer system.

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Dishwashers have filters. Big chunks can't get into the plumbing.

 

[Starshine]

Always better to scrape off chunks of food and rinse off sauces and small debris to ensure that if they sit for half a day before washing that no caking or hardening occurs; which will allow the items to come out clean because the washer doesn't have to have time to "melt" the "cake".

Also, if you use a tablet style and load up the washer very full it can help to also use a liquid detergent in the pre-wash "compartment" to give the dishes that have any film a chance to soak and have exposure during the first phase of the wash.

 

[just_myles]

I just picked up one of the "Bosch fancy ones" just over a week and a half ago and it is like night and day compared to the old Kenmore I believe it was. Cycle is a lot longer but the dry is amazing in comparison, with even plastic being dry. Scrap off bulk seems to be sufficient except for frond on stainless steel. Shows a red laser on the ground when running because is legit too quiet to hear running at times. Took the cats a whole five minutes to notice...

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I got one a few months ago and it is literally night and day. Now we just gently rinse and place them in the dishwasher. It is insanely quiet and the red light on the ground is a nice touch. Worth every penny.

 

[Deleted member 17092]

Dishwashers have filters. Big chunks can't get into the plumbing.

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Some filters are better than others. I've personally seen people misusing disposals and dishwashers result in completely backed up plumbing, and I've cleaned out clogged dishwasher filters. It's not fun.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Some filters are better than others. I've personally seen people misusing disposals and dishwashers result in completely backed up plumbing, and I've cleaned out clogged dishwasher filters. It's not fun.

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Fair. Yeah I don't generally let massive chunks stay, a quick scrape into the trash for that. But as long as you're doing that and checking the filter periodically, most issues can be avoided.

 

[Buttons]

Modern dishwashers do not need plates rinsed, just scrape off food and then put them in. If the plates are prerinsed, the sensors in some machines will not work properly and automatically do a shorter wash. Not to mention rinsing plates is a massive waste of water.
I can even let my plates sit for a few days and they still come out clean. Don't know anyone who rinse their plates before putting it into a dishwasher, must be a cultural thing.

 

[FinalFanXtreme]

It's funny you posted this. My dishwasher (15 years old) exploded last night and flooded my downstairs. ):

 

[Envelope]

my current dishwasher is actually terrible, doesn't even wash the silverware drawer well

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

Mine is new and I still use soap/warm water before hand to the point where I can't feel any food on the surface. Eventually the filter will get clogged up if you don't.

 

[Muu]

Had the plumber come in cause kitchen sink got clogged. Snaked it w/ a 25foot snake myself first. Am taking no chances now and doing precleans of everything.

 

[Relix]

I have a GE dishwasher. No clue what the model is. I use Cascade Platinum pods and some rinse and..,I absolutely never pre rinse my stuff. Ever. I just put is dirty in there. I do take off food scraps but that's it. I rarely have issues. If anything I put it in heavy mode.

 

[Astronut325]

It's not a cultural thing for my wife and I. We want to just scrape off the major food and sauce bits off plates, bowls, pots and so on. And then just put them in the dishwasher.

Right now we're doing three steps:
1: scrape major bits and chunks off into trash.
2: thorough rinse practicality removing all food from the plates and pots.
3: loading the dishwasher.

Trying to see if we can skip step 2. We tried skipping step 2 several times and the plates come out dirty. We had to hand wash everything over again so many times.

We do use the Cascade Platinum pods.

 

[Syriel]

My main question: Do modern dishwashers need the same pre-rinse/wash still? What are the important features or functions I should be looking for? Anyone here recently replaced a really old dishwasher for a new one? If yes, how do you like the new one?

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Am I not supposed to scrub and rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? I've never tried putting them in completely dirty before

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You should be scraping large chunks into compost, but you should not be prewashing dishes.

 

[Random Painted Highway]

We have a KitchenAid that we bought 4 years ago when switching houses. It's ok, very silent sometimes stuff doesn't quite come clean but it's pretty good. If grit is on the glasses i hand wash and rerun. Have to keep the filter clean. The cycles are very long though, but with cascade platinum or something like that, it's pretty hassle free.

We have to run it twice a day now due to lockdown and alll of the cooking and foodprep-. Regretting not going for a second dishwasher when we remodeled 18 months ago

 

[Engell]

just wash the worst food chunks of the plates, its not really necessary but i just hate cleaning the filter

 

[Palette Swap]

I usually very quickly rinse plates and stuff before putting them in the dishwasher, just to get chunks off. I think the biggest issue is not letting anything crust over.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

It's not a cultural thing for my wife and I. We want to just scrape off the major food and sauce bits off plates, bowls, pots and so on. And then just put them in the dishwasher.

Right now we're doing three steps:
1: scrape major bits and chunks off into trash.
2: thorough rinse practicality removing all food from the plates and pots.
3: loading the dishwasher.

Trying to see if we can skip step 2. We tried skipping step 2 several times and the plates come out dirty. We had to hand wash everything over again so many times.

We do use the Cascade Platinum pods.

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Yeah I think with a modern mid range model, you should be good skipping step 2. Cascade platinum is my go to and I think you're good keeping that.

Will there on occasion something stubborn that won't come off and will need hand washing? Sure. But it's not extremely common and will still save a ton of water versus pre-rinsing everything in the sink.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

My dishwasher does great. Definitely don't pre-rinse or wash.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I recommend Miele or Bosch. I strongly recommend you don't get a Samsung.

Miele and Bosch, both German brands, don't dry too well (often they don't even have heated drying and instead just blast your dishes with a hot rinse and then open up a bit to let evaporation take care of drying) in my experience, but they make up for it by being durable and quiet. My current Miele even has a setting for plastics, where it keeps the temperature at around 110 F, which is super nice.

In terms of whether you need to pre-rinse, I think it really comes down to your detergent. Personally, I like Cascade Platinum.

 

[thefit]

I have a new LG but we still have the kids rinse before a load. I don't do dishes :p

 

[ghostemoji]

We always rinse off anything major stuck to our dishes before putting them in. We're not running the dishwasher constantly, so the idea of sticking a bunch of food bits into a small, humid, confined space never made me feel okay. I wouldn't say we pre-clean them in any appreciable way, just get the major stuff off.

 

[CrankyJay]

Don't do it. They are cheaply made and have simple parts that are prone to break.
If you do get one, make sure you get one that the door actually latches

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oh no. What other brands do super quiet?

 

[Septimus Prime]

Oh yeah, protip: don't want spaghetti sauce with clear plastic. This is an exception where you should pre-rinse, or it's going to tint all your stuff orange.

oh no. What other brands do super quiet?

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Miele. It's maybe a couple dB louder but still quiet.