Dishwashing Condundrum Series 2 - Bowls

I'm back again on the topic of dishwashing. I've learned a lot from the previous post.

In series 1 I asked if we should get one.

Series 2: Dishwashing for bowl users.

How are you using the dishwasher effectively, efficiently if your family primarily use bowls?

Dishwashers are mainly for washing dishes as someone pointed out.

With big bowls for soups, and smaller for rice, it may otherwise mean that dishwashers may not be energy and water-saving after all because our bowls have occupied too much space. You may be saving energy and water more from hand-washing instead?

ps. Family of four. Freestanding dishwasher.

Bosch 6 seems to be an Ozbargain's fav. This seems like a pretty old model and I don't see any of the upgraded series on retail sites

Comments

  • +3

    *Conundrum

    • oh! haha big typo!

  • +6

    It all comes down to rinsing at neat stacking.

    As long as hot water and detergent can get between all the dishes you will have success.

    So much stress over a dishwasher. What's your address I'll send you one for free? It's just a dishwasher FFS.

    Alternatively - keep washing by hand. Your parents won't care. They probably don't even want it. They are just being nice more than likely.

    • +1

      hahaha yes pls send me one! They are expensive so I gotta plan it out I know, But yeah, I stress even over the littlest things :( Been told and I gotta work on it.

      Interesting that you can still save water and energy vs handwashing w bowls.

    • +1

      Not entirely sure if this is what MS Paint is saying but you generally don't need to pre-rinse.
      However, 'shadowing' is the key issue for everything in dishwashers - especially bowls.

      • OP only cooks Asian cuisine. Rice and dishwashers don't blend well hence my suggestion rinse.

        • +1

          yeah regardless of cuisine, I prefer to avoid putting solid food residue into the dishwasher - less filter cleaning required, and less chance of the spray heads clogging up.

          Another big no-no is paper-based stickers (eg. on jars). Just don't do it.

          • @andresampras: I shove everything into my dishwasher, scrape the plates down but that's it. Thing is still going like a champ. 5 years old, gets used about once a day.

    • Pretty please, can you send me one too?

      • +5

        Done.

        I've sent it via Australia Post so look out for it in 2023.

        • lucky he didn't send via couriers please…i just might not get there

  • We normally use plates, but for when bowls need washing (breakfast cereal), the most efficient way space wise I've found it to have them on their side instead of upside down.

    From an efficiency perspective, you can wash a lot more plates but no issues with bowls getting washed.

  • +1

    This is the same as your other post. Move out of home, then your parents won't have to put a dishwasher on the floor next to their marble table.

  • +1

    OP do you actually have a dishwasher? Or is this all in the planning stage?

    • all planning..I'm about to go with my bowls to test

      • +4

        You.
        Are.
        Overthinking.
        This.

        • someone suggested this and said staff said it's not uncommon they see ppl coming in w bowls

          • +1

            @PeeDee: Just buy something you can afford, with the features/warranty you want.

            Whatever dishwasher you buy, you will almost certainly make adjustments to your placement strategies as you use the thing. Just because bowls fit a certain way during your in—store test doesn't mean they will come out sparkly.

            I'll say it again - based on your multiple posts, you are overthinking this. It's just a dishwasher, it's not going to be perfect in every way. My advice (without meaning to come across as dismissive) - Buy a decent one and get on with the rest of your day.

            • @andresampras: okay. thank you. I'm gonna head off and practice mindfulness.

  • +1

    Preference is on the cup/mug top drawer, facing down.

    If there is room on the bottom drawer, I'll put the big bowls down, leaning 45 degrees, avoid bowl rim touching another bowl.

    Edit: bowls come in different shapes. Get bowls which are more eliptical than spherical, so you can stack them sideways more efficiently

  • +2

    You need to count how many dishes you fit per load. Then calculate wash cost per dish per load.

    Compare this to time per dish by hand. As well as cost of water, water heating costs, and dish soap cost.

    Then choose which you prefer.

    Or just buy a dishwasher.

  • Bowls are fine, the only issues are

    • they use up a lot more space so in a rack that might fit 12 plates, you can only get 3 or 4 bowls

    • as mentioned, rice can clog up or end up hard coded onto the bowl (if its not washed off, then the dry cycle harden the starch into glue). So a brief rinse fixes that. But pretty much rice /other starchy food only; other food is fine

    Will it save water given you have to wash more often? No idea, but it saves a heap of time. So efficiency goes up a huge amount; cleanliness probably goes up as well

    Once you have a dishwasher you will never go back

    source: my dishwashing cycle will typically have 4-6 plates and 8-10 bowls every single time.

  • i think i said it in the other post…

    if you have alot of plates, bowls and utencils.
    you need to prioritise dishwasher space..

    it also comes down how things are stack before they go into the dishwasher.. one of my pet hates is putting a cup that was used for only drinking water in the sink mixed with other oily dishes. same with things like chopping boards that have only cut fruit or bowls that only carried fruit.

    i sort the dishes as i clear the table.
    - not oily goes in one pile on the bench next to the sink…
    - oily gets wiped off with the paper towel along with an other scraps left behind like sauce.,
    - stubborn baked on.. or stain plates gets a quick scrub under the tap
    - then it's clever stacking into the dish washer. depending on how much there is will determine how spaced and tightly it is packed…
    - on most days break fast and lunch in one wash…
    - dinner and supper is another wash.

    the hardest part is training your parents not to hand wash and stack the dishwasher instead. my in laws sometimes still just washes by hand because they just see a few bowls and plates and just does it and doesn't think that more dishes and stuff will accumulate later. it's been 4 years. hard to change a habit they have been doing for 50+ years.

    also you cant overload the dishwasher either..

  • +1

    I used to have bowls that stacked nicely in the dishwasher. But the mrs has to have modern looking crap that wastes twice as much dishwasher space and fits less in the bowl. Quite annoying.

    • -1

      haha be honest. You love that about her.

  • +2

    I choose my items based on how well they'll stack in the dishwasher.

    I have a cupboard of "non qualifying" items that get used only when absolutely necessary.

    I SAID, ONLY WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!

    /walks off mumbling and fills bottom rack with 4 large bowls :(

    • oh, I'm sorry to hear that! Have you thought about whether the top rack and fill the bowls as well?

      also walks off mumbling and tries to stack the bowls on top and bottom. So much space wasted cries :(((

  • It is not a magic box. You don't just toss things in and magically they all come out squeaky clean.
    If you are tossing in a bowl, saucepan, etc, give them a rinse under the tap. Stop being so lazy.

    Does the door open automatically?

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