With the pandemic+lockdown causing disruption in the usual way we run our lives and overall lack of access to household help all across India; the demand for household appliances have shot up.

With people barely flinching at prices to save on time, investments on bigger appliances like dishwashers and washing machines have seen an uptick. So much so, that when we decided to buy a dishwasher we were told that there was not only a shortage, but the more prominent brands in the market like IFB, Bosch and Voltas had stopped taking pre-orders altogether.

Shopping for a dishwasher is something that takes more time, effort and research since in many parts of India hard water is a concern that people deal with on a regular basis. Regular water supply during many months of the year is also a concern along with the worry of a machine getting our dishes and utensils clean and free of the oil and stains of the curry that are a part of our daily diet.

Our search stopped with Hafele for two reasons: 1) It was the only brand which was promising delivery and 2) It wasn’t exorbitantly priced and we had just invested in a robo vac+mop.

Our experiences with our Aqua S12 Freestanding dishwasher has been interesting. It is definitely convenient to have a machine which not only cleans the utensils but also deep cleans them with hot water leading to cleaner vessels and an absence of any kind of residual smell of food. However in terms of efficiency and a few features, we think it could have scored a bit higher. But first let’s see what the product is all about.

Here are the main inputs about this appliance-

1. It needs a 15 amp plug point since there’s a heating element in it.
2. The dimensions are roughly the size of your washing machine so it doesn’t take up too much space- the shape is a square compared to the rectangular one of the washing machine.
3. It needs 3 things to wash items- salt, a rinse aid and detergent for washing the dishes.
4. 6 different washing modes for different loads and different types of stains.
5. Adjustable shelves to accommodate bigger vessels, glasses with stems.
6. Removable spoon caddy.
7. No need to rinse the utensils and then load the machine.
8. Big enough for kadais, big pressure cookers and pressure handi designs.
9. Enough space to store all the dishes, cups, forks and spoons used during the course of a single day.
10. Timer for delayed starts or washing whenever convenient.
11. Smaller loads possible with a shorter cycle when needed.
12. Everything barring aluminium, melamine wear and plasticware which isn’t heat resistant can be cleaned inside the dishwasher.

Here are two aspects where the machine could have been designed a bit better: 1) there could have been a display counter that shows how much time has lapsed in a particular cycle or which part of the cycle is currently active 2) the drying function could be a bit more thorough. For e.g: when some cups, mugs, glasses are kept slightly angled, there is a water left on the top or around it which there shouldn’t be ideally.

The overall investment notwithstanding, the cleaning items needed to run the machine aren’t a big drain on the pocket and very small amounts get used up vs the amount of detergent (bar/liquid) which get used up when the maids wash the dishes or they are washed by hand.

Everything is readily available on Amazon in the form of consolidated washing tablets or separately in the form of rinse agents, detergents and the salts needed to keep the machine functioning smoothly. Click here for buying options on salt brands. Click here to buy dishwasher rinse aids. Click here to buy dishwasher detergents.

We were a bit sceptical about buying Hafele since our notions about it were associated with modular kitchen items, hinges etc. But inquiries made about their after sales service etc gave us a some more information to go on. And while Hafele’s dishwashers haven’t been on the market as long as IFB or Bosch, the cleaning part is quite thorough and once the next bills come in, we’ll know exactly how reliable the information was about the power and water consumption.

This product is available on the following websites:

• Amazon India- click here to buy.
• Vijay Sales- click here to buy.

While many of us still think it’s a better idea to wash dishes by hand and more appliances mean higher power bills, but there is no denying the fact that quite a bit of time gets saved in the process. Not only that, it’s a more hygienic way and safer way to live at this time.

What have been your experiences in buying and using a dishwasher? Share it with us and help more people learn about what are the best options for them.