Own a prewar co-op with a way cramped kitchen. My unit was most likely the coal scoopers unit at one point in time. Looks great, fits everywhere, cleans thoroughly and easy to use. The top can also function as additional prep space. I keep those flat plastic cutting mats on it to keep it looking decent. Runs quiet.
Out of the box, the unit comes with a metal tap adaptor that locks onto a plastic faucet adaptor on the unit. There are two hoses; one to bring water to the washer and the other to drain. The instructions say to use cold water which I do because I lack experience, this is my first dishwasher and I am frugal about my hot water use. Normal setting runs about two hours. Speed setting runs an hour and two minutes. I do not know if the water is heated.
I always use cold water from the tap, the speed setting, rinse aid and an all in one tablet with good results. I space and place efficiently most of the time. The dishwasher is plenty hot at the end of the cycle. The guide states to crack open the door for a few minutes after washing to allow for a more complete dry. There is a dryer heat element lining the bottom of the washer. You can get a pretty good facial putting your face by the door after a load. For what its worth there is a rinse cycle and that for sure does not heat the water nor do I think engages the drying element.
Unless there is some really caked and baked stuff on there my wash, often including at any given time an combination of coffee maker elements, goblets (mugs, glasses and wine glasses), the pitcher I use to feed as well as my Zero Water 23 cup dispenser itself, pots and pans, the occasional hefty flimsy leftover plastic thingies, Modell sports water bottles, my go-to utility plastic strainer and of course dishes and flatware come out spotless and dry. Not a thing has melted in there yet. Every now and again I need to put the water bottles on a drying rack because like life, those things are complicated and who wants to wash a water bottle only to have the sitting water harbor biologics?
Be cognizant to empty the outlet hoses after use. In the last five months, I had to run a load with Finish machine cleaner once after a heavy use period when the unit get a tinge of funk scent. Worked like a charm and I still have my two emergency bottles sitting on tap. Pretty sure experiences may vary though. I am big on the sanitary thing. My pre-war brass pipes and budget faucet (literally less that like thirty bucks and I have to admit that thing looks good but kind of feels rickety) have held up so far. God willing and knock on wood. Keep the fittings on the adaptor snug but please do not be a rookie and over tighten. No need.
Obviously, I recommend this dishwasher.
We've been dishwasher-less for years because we have a small kitchen. Finally decided to go with this portable SPT model because it wasn't permanent and we could move it around. It's somewhat of a hassle to attach it everytime but the time it saves to manually washing dishes doesn't compare. The attachment to the faucet is actually easy to use. No leaks. Dishwasher cleans great but I do have the drying issues that others have mentioned and I use the the jet dry rinse aid. I think most dishwasher perform the same way when their is standing water on top of dishes. Value wise this is a slam dunk. Get it if you dread washing your own dishes everyday. Worth not standing in front of your sink for a 30 to 40 minutes washing dishes the old school way.
I had this dishwasher for a few months and it is awesome. It is small, but fits quite a bit when you organize it well. For our family of 6, I run the dishwasher at night, but I wash all my large bowls, pots, and pans by hand. Someone in the Q&A posted the brilliant suggestion to replace my spray hose with a 2nd faucet for the dishwasher, so you can still use the sink while the washer is running. So I load the dishwasher, start it, and then wash the rest of the dishes by hand since I still have my main faucet free. After the cycle is done, I leave the washer open for a bit to dry - most of the plates are dry and I put things that need to dry more in my dishrack. We had a dishwasher for years and we moved into a house that didn’t have one. I resisted getting one for months bc we are going to do renovations, but one night it took me two hours to do the dishes and once we hit another delay in our renovation plans, I bit the bullet and bought it. So glad I did!
package arrived on time. Was a bit worried I would have to do some mucking about to hook up since I have a pull out faucet, but the included attachment worked perfectly with it. Machine functions great right out of the box and is easy to setup. Had some dishes with old dried on food I ran through to test it and they came out clean. Can hold a days worth of dishes (including cooking pots/pans) for our family of three quite easily. Noise is minimal.
The only things I could complain about is the water and power cords are relatively short which means it needs to sit right up against the kitchen counter. The top doubles as a counter though so space isn't really lost. You also cant use the spigot while washer is running, but that is not a fault of the product just a result of how it operates.
One thing to note, dishes did not seem to dry well inside washer even with the door cracked open. But as this product does not have an electric dryer I cant really complain about that. Just note I've found I need to unload the clean dishes into a drying rack if I want them to dry fully.
Fun and Easy:
I am pleased with this dishwasher. Of course I love great appliances like my blender and espresso maker. But making dish washing fast, fun and non-toxic ranks up there in life improvement with 1080p TV.
Doesn't poison your blood:
Hand washing is not only tedious and time wasting, studies have shown Americans have significant levels of detergent in their blood, potentially a serious health risk. Dish washing detergent IMO is a likely source. Even if you have the discipline to wear gloves you are going to get some exposure. If you rinse the dishes in a sink of water you have rinsed other dishes in, there will also have to be some residue left on them.
Sanitary:
The high heat of dishwasher can help sanitize disease causing germs and viruses. Some dishwashers have a very high heat sufficient to really sanitize but they are expensive and built-in. You can just add a sanitizing chemical to any dishwasher, though, and get the same effect. I sometimes use hydrogen peroxide, you can also use bleach (sodium hypochlorite) although you have to be more careful about that damaging interior metal or plastic parts (check with manufacturer). Both H202 and bleach completely evaporate leaving no toxic residue; they are inexpensive too. Since this model has a stainless steel lining- highly desirable- chlorine bleach is not suitable. You could also try adding non-corrosive sanitizer cleaners that say "kills 99.9% of germs and viruses" (often some kind of benzyl ammonium chloride).
Save the Environment:
These kind of dishwashers use just a few gallons or less of hot water- a lot less than I use washing by hand. Most studies conclude a dishwasher is much greener than hand washing, as well as far more sanitary and faster.
Did a lot of research on all brands of portable dishwashers before purchase including Consumer Reports (that doesn't cover this model) and user reviews. I have been using it daily for two months. (Update: after 1 full year of daily use, unit looks and works like new. It has had zero problems.)
Pros:
It is extremely quiet. Makes a gentle, soft, comforting sound.
Washing dishes used to be a tedious bore, soaking hands in hot water and toxic detergents. Now it is fun to do and fast, dishes get much cleaner this way too.
Glassware comes out sparkly and gleaming.
It has as small a footprint as any model but it holds a lot of big things.
The top basket cleans very well due to a clever system of feeding water to an upper sprinkler hanging under the top rack. That sprinkler slides into a water feed when you push the top rack in, you want to make sure to push it in all the way until you feel a click.) The two levels of sprinkler is a big plus for cleaning the top rack well.
It has a limited digital read out panel, only the remaining time. But that is all I need to know, not all dishwashers show it. I recall it also shows diagnostic error codes, but I have never gotten any.
The dishwasher also quietly but noticeably beeps to indicate some things, like starting, ending, errors and powering off. After the dishes are done it beeps periodically to remind you. Once I forgot to turn on the hot water faucet and the dishwasher kept beeping in warning and did not start the cycle. Good error detection is a big plus.
It has a stainless steel liner:
"A stainless steel dishwasher tub resists corrosion and is more durable than plastic. Stainless steel can withstand more heat than plastic, meaning the water can be heated to a higher temperature. It also retains heat better, increasing the efficiency of the drying cycle and saving the homeowner money." It is also insulates sound much better, for quiet operation.
It has a lot of cycle choices. The buttons are easy to figure out and use, LEDs show the selection.
The door is very easy to open and close but seals well.
Very easy to hook up to the faucet, no leaking.
Dries well without having a heat dry cycle that uses electricity.
I have fairly soft water so I don't need a rinse aid (What? Spray a toxic chemical all over the dishes as the final step in cleaning them?). I rarely get spots, using the cheapest generic dishwashing powder. See tips.
The top is convenient counter space.
Very easy to clean inside and outside.
I rinse the dishes of visible food particles so I only have the clean the filters every few months. The filters are very easy to remove and clean.
Gets the water pretty hot, going by the steaming plates when I open the door. My tap water is not particularly hot.
Don't have to soak my hands in detergent washing by hand. Saves a lot of time even with rinsing (which is not necessary unless the food particles have dried hard.)
Very flexible basket racks with tines that can be lowered, to allow easy stacking of all kinds of dishes. The tines have taken a lot of beating and bending in the last year with no visible effects.
I can put large pots that cover the bottom sprayer and the top basket still gets clean.
I have washed wood and plastic items in the lower basket, no problems.
Tips:
Unpacking I just sliced through the multiple layers of cardboard and foam along the edges, so the top and sides fell away on all sides. Then I bundled the many large pieces together for disposal. A lot of trash. (I actually stored the compact bundle for 30 days in case the machine had a problem, to take advantage of Amazon's generous return policy.)
With fairly soft water, I don't need rinse aid. However natural, cheap and safe rinse aids are described on the internet.
Expensive detergent doesn't make a difference for me. Cheapest generic is fine and does a great job of cutting grease. I put 0.5 - 1 teaspoon of liquid manual dishwasher detergent on top of the powder because it seems to make glass sparkle, a claim I found online, but it could just be placebo effect.
I purchased a few "baby item" baskets to use for things like small bottle tops, chopsticks, gaskets, and other items too small to stack in the baskets (You don't want them to fall into the rotating sprayers). These two work fine for various size items but there are many options:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P1VMVAK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0771FFJ21/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
When I open the door, some dishes are still slightly damp. A very few with strange shapes have a few drops of water on top. They are hot so they dry quickly in the air after I pull out the two sliding racks... it might take up to half an hour to completely dry for some things. They will also dry if you leave them inside the closed machine when the cycle is done because it is quite warm inside.
If a dish has something dry and hard, like dried oatmeal, it won't get removed. I soak those in water for a while first. Even a short soak can loosen dried food so it just wipes off. This is likely true for all dishwashers, since they don't work by forceful jets of water but by long cycles of very gentle, dissolving sprays with corrosive detergent. Basically if I don't rinse dishes immediately I at least fill them with water to soak.
I took the removable top off half the flatware basket to hold items with handles too big for the silverware slots. This also works for spatulas, serving spoons, etc.
I always use the long cycle which has an extra final rinse. May work fine on shorter cycles but I like making sure to get rid of all the detergent which is highly toxic.
I am also careful not to get the detergent powder on my hands or spill it on the floor.
I was able to drape a few shirts over the baskets and wash them using very small amount of clothes detergent. I turned on the cold water and used the rinse cycle to avoid any hot water. I have to repeat the rinse cycle once or twice to rinse, and hang dry the items. Could be a convenient way to wash a few items right away once in a while.
Points of concern:
At first a small pool of rinse water remained in the bottom of the dishwasher. This is normal for many brands. Some of it gets ejected at the start of the next load. Yet leaving a small pool of water in it for any length of time does not seem hygienic. Since the first week I have not noticed any standing water, but if I was not going to use it for a while I would check and empty any water in the bottom.
When it arrived, well packed, the box was intact. Yet when I opened it up the top of the dishwasher was covered in wet, coarse gravel. Very strange but the dishwasher was clearly brand new and undamaged. A mystery I have seen reported in other places.
One exterior sheet metal screw, of many, was missing, does not cause any problems.
All dishwashers seem to have high failure rates, some brands much more than others. Yet research showed insurance was not worth it. Nor is warranty repair if the customer has to pay shipping. Some companies use local home-visit repair people, but it can also be hard to get a company to honor their warranty (for example a very short list of approved vendors). I don't believe this brand has great warranty service, but I took a chance that if it lasted 30 days it would be good for a while, since most failures happen right away. I kept the packing materials (cut up and bundled to save space) just in case I needed to take advantage of Amazon's generous return policy. I have been using the dishwasher daily for two months with no problems (now 1 year).
If you live in a very humid climate, the lack of a heated drying cycle might possibly be a problem. With my relative humidity 30 - 50% the dishes come out pretty dry and then air dry the rest of the way in half an hour..
Conclusion:
The only better way to do dishes is to eat out. If you don't have a dishwasher, don't have a lot of extra space in your kitchen, and don't want to pay $500 to have a dishwasher permanently installed (taking up storage space), I recommend getting a portable one like this. Hooking it up to the faucet takes a few seconds.
Post Script:
Research on the internet. All plastics leak toxic chemicals into food, BPA free may be even worse (see Mother Jones on this). Almost all glazed ceramics leak heavy metals (look up third party research on this). A very few brands of ceramics use lead free glazes (e.g. Fiesta, Certified International). Some peer reviewed studies show even silicone plastics can leach toxic additives. I mostly use Corelle dishware (it's made of glass but very light and durable using a special construction method), borosilicate glassware (durable, crystal-like shine, most resistant to thermal shock, from freezer to microwave.) or stainless steel.
Feature Product
- Time Delay Feature: 1-24 hours
- 6 Wash Programs: All-in-1, Heavy, Normal, Light , Rinse and Speed
- Adjustable upper rack to accomodate larger plates/pots. Water consumption (normal cycle):3.65 gallons
- Faucet adapter included for quick and simple connection. The faucet adapter fits standard-sized Aerator openings for both male and female connections. Size: Male 15/16 inches, Female 55/64 inches
- Stainless Steel Interior. Depth with door fully open:49 inches. Refer to the PDF attached below in Technical Specification for User Manual.
Description
Spacious cavity loads up to eight standard place settings. Features easy controls, durable stainless steel interior and water temperature up to 154°F. Quick connect to any kitchen faucet eliminates the need for direct plumbing or permanent installation.
Features and Functions
· Time Delay Feature: allows you to program operation at a later start time (1-24 hours)
· Error Alarm: displays fault codes
· Rinse Aid Warning Indicator: refill reminder on rinse aid.
· Stainless Steel Interior
· 6 Wash Programs: All-in-1, Heavy, Normal, Light , Rinse and Speed
· Faucet adapter included for quick and simple connection
· Automatic detergent and rinse agent dispenser
· Up to 8 standard place settings
· Concealed heating element
· Adjustable upper basket to accomodate large pots/plates
· Energy Star
Specifications
Input voltage: 120V / 60Hz
Energy consumption: 295kwh/yr
Water consumption (normal cycle): 3.65 gallons
Power consumption: 110W
Noise level (normal): 55dB
Drain tube length: 3 ft
Unit dimension: 17.72"W x 25.98"D x 36.02"H
Depth with door fully open: 49 inches
Package dimension: 31 x 21 x 40 inches
Net weight: 121.3 lbs
Gross weight: 136.7 lbs
Works better than expected. I sell appliances for a living, but where I work does not offer a compact unit like this. It is very quiet, cleans well, and is very easy to use. It is as good as the full size dishwashers I sell every day.
I bought this little gem during a Christmas sale (on another site, so be sure to shop around) because I was having carpal tunnel release surgery on both of my hands. I chose the smaller portable model because my kitchen is early 1950's small and I wanted a dishwasher that would fit into my snug little space as well as to function as an island. This is perfect. I've run it several times and the dishes come out dry, clean, and spotless. It is quiet and my dishes feel so clean, they're practically sterilized.
The machine arrived at the store where I picked it up. The box looked like it had been through hell, but I inspected everything after unpacking and there were no scratches, dents, or wheel problems. With the help of a series of 3 YouTube videos, I was able to set it up, plug it in, fill it, and run it right away!
So far, it doesn't leak and holds a lot more dishes than you would think it could. Doesn't leak (some reviewers have said that theirs did) and is pretty quiet.
I have washed plastic, glass, silverware, wood, and pots and 12" pans in here without any problems. I mostly use the dirty dish/slow wash setting (about an hour and a half) because I want my dishes as clean as possible and I run mine over night, but I'll bet the lower/faster setting (about 45 minutes) would work just fine. If I try it and it doesn't, I'll update.
I didn't get water softener salt, but I did get Finish brand (liquid and quantum soap powdered gel packets). Some have said that powdered soap doesn't work in this machine, but I haven't had a problem at all. Maybe because the whole compressed tablet drops at once? I also absolutely don't open mine early in the wash to let the door fully open like it does in the video...I just start it and walk away.
This thing has quickly made its way into the top 5 all time must-have-can't-live-without appliances in my kitchen. Anyone trying to take this would have to pry it from my (literally) cold, dead hands. Lol!
*mine is a Danby portable -- which this was when I posted originally.
**UPDATE: three years later and still running strong. No repairs required (knock on wood). Dishes clean, no leaks, no problems.
We've had this for about six months. The run times do seem pretty long, and the time displayed is definitely not accurate. We've learned to just use the Speed setting as we rinse our dishes first anyway. Overall, I am happy to have it.
This dishwasher works. It's very heavy, but it's easy enough to maneuver on a flat surface, and both the set-up and typical usage are very straightforward.
My partner and I were looking for a new place, and the moment I stepped into this charmingly old-fashioned apartment I knew it was perfect. Unfortunately, as we toured the place, my partner noticed the lack of a dishwasher. This was a dealbreaker for him because he really loathes handwashing dishes. I was determined to convince him that this place would be worth it—look at the delightful facade! the convenient location! the lovely little neighborhood! the hardwood floors! the pleasant balcony! the gorgeous light in the living room! he basically shrugged it off.
I actually started googling portable dishwashers while we were still touring the place, and I was able to determine that 1) they exist, 2) they can be pretty affordable, and 3) they do actually work. I managed to convince my partner as well, and we agreed to take the apartment, so long as I would ensure we would have a dishwasher as soon as we moved in.
When it arrived, my partner and I managed to get the dishwasher into our second floor walk-up, but it wasn't easy. As a petite woman who weighs roughly the same as this dishwasher, I genuinely cannot imagine getting this up any stairs at all by myself. I can't even imagine my partner making any progress by himself, and he is a 6ft tall dude. Basically, even a short staircase will probably be a tough job for two people, so make sure you have help.
Once we got it up to our kitchen, the dishwasher has been perfectly easy to use and set up. There have been no issues with leakage, and it cleans pretty well (at least as well as our last dishwasher did). It has plenty of room inside, and even with two of us we don't usually produce enough dishes to run it every night. The racks inside are a little awkward. There is nowhere that fits bowls very well, and the space for cups is weird? The basket for the utensils slides around a little oddly. Ugh, I am having a hard time explaining this but I just feel like this dishwasher was made for someone whose cups are all very short (or maybe very tall?) and whose bowls are all extremely shallow, and who maybe has some newfangled dishes I've never even heard of that this accommodates beautifully. Look, I've been able to use it just fine, it's just awkward. Also, it smelled a bit odd inside when it arrived (not bad, exactly—just weird), and that smell has mostly-but-not-entirely gone away.
The normal cycle does take two hours, which is longer than a regular dishwasher, and it's attached to the tap for the duration, so that is something to keep in mind. I don't find it overly noisy, especially compared to the built-in dishwasher at my previous apartment, which (I swear) did a surprisingly faithful rendition of the baseline of "We Will Rock You" every time it ran (*boom boom swish*, *boom boom swish*).
To summarize: this dishwasher is perfectly adequate, and I would gladly recommend it to someone who was unable to have a regular dishwasher installed in their kitchen.
So i have now had it 5 days and used it around 10 times. (Twice a day) It came damaged. Water bubble on top and a crack on the back. It’s cosmetic which is why we are choosing to keep it, but still annoyed it’s almost $500 and came damaged but could be worse. Easy to install. A bit heavy to get in the house though. Also someone else mentioned water on there dishwasher when both boxes were bone dry. Mine too had water inside, and on top of which is what cause the water damage on top. But As far as cleaning goes everything has come out clean with the exception of a baby bottle. Silverware is always sparkling. It’s very small for people wondering how many dishes it could possibly hold. We are a family of 4 and it gets run once in the morning and once after dinner. Overall extremely happy with the purchase just wish it wasn’t damaged!
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