Dishwasher Basics 01: Is it worth buying for Indian Kitchen?

In India, the concept of dishwashers is slowly arriving, we are so used to house-helps and maids for washing utensils that we have neither felt the need nor thought of any alternatives for the job. If you are wondering whether it is a smart decision to invest in a dishwasher in India or the pros and cons of buying one, you are at the right place.

During the Pandemic, we did not have domestic help and a lot of us chose to not keep one post-pandemic as well. There were a lot of times we wished for a machine that could do our share of the dishes, well there is and though it might seem like a very western concept, it is not.

Let's first see why a dishwasher might be a good decision for your Indian kitchen and close with the pros and cons of buying one.

Advantages

1. Save Water: One of the biggest advantages of adding a dishwasher in your life is actually almost ten times reduced consumption of water. As compared to washing utensils by hand, there is much less water usage for the same amount of vessels. So imagine the part you will play in water and environment conservation! An additional value is the reduction of the water bill, don't forget.
2. Save Time: Another priceless commodity that dishwashers will save for us is time. Whether it is you washing utensils or waiting for the maid to finish their work so you can leave the house, you spend a lot of time in utensils washing. Imagine just keeping the utensils into a machine and having them self-cleaned so you can do your work with no ties to the kitchen!
3. Save Money: Though it might seem like a very heavy investment, it could prove to be cheaper in long term. It would last long and save water and electricity as well as the domestic help's cost once installed!
4. Effective: In Indian kitchens, stains on our 'desi bartan' is a given. Scrubbing for hours with different scrubs can be very taxing, but not for dishwashers. Dishwashers are more effective than manual washing of utensils and easily remove the stains and marks from our vessels.
5. Utensil Friendly: Don't go on the name, the dishwasher is not only for dishes, in fact, it is also for glasses, bowls, pans, and even kadhai!
6. No Noise: Imagine you are in a meeting working from home and your maid starts scrubbing and banging utensils into each other, it won't be pleasant at all. Now imagine an appliance silently washing all your utensils for you while you sit in a meeting smoothly delivering your presentation.
7. Happy Family: No more fights in the family over washing duties when the maid is not around.
8. Germ-Free: Dishwashers wash vessels with hot water and are ideal for deep cleaning, it doesn't just ensure cleanliness but hygiene too.

Read here: The Secret To Having a Safe and Hygienic Kitchen

Disadvantages

1. Space: A dishwasher needs a lot of space so you need to be prepared to add a heavy appliance to your kitchen.
2. Not Completely Autonomous: A lot of dishwashers need rinsed utensils and like washing machines, dishwashers need the addition of soap tablets and sometimes water softeners.
3. Placement: A huge restriction to Dishwashers is that they require a place that is connected to electricity, water supply and sewage, it becomes a headache to find such a place in tiny kitchens.
4. Minimum Requirement: Dishwashers have a minimum number of utensils to be put in to be used so if you are living alone or eat out too often, then there would not be a sense of purchasing a Dishwasher. Apart from that, you might need to pile up utensils until it reaches minimum requirement (which isn't a huge problem in a desi household though)
5. Cleaning: Dishwashers need their filters to be cleaned regularly

You might not expect but there are a lot of things that need to be cleaned regularly that we are absolutely unaware of!

Verdict

Finally, it would make sense for you to invest in a dishwasher, though it might mean that you will see less of your gossiping house-maids but it would be a valuable addition if you are a large family. For small families though, it won't make sense as much.

Read here for a compiled pros and cons list: