Jullie asks: I’ve been looking into getting a new dishwasher and have narrowed down my selection to two models. I have a lot of money to splurge and want a newer model. So the two I’m choosing between are the Blanco 15 Place Setting Dishwasher and the Ariston 14 Place Setting Dishwasher. Which would you recommend?
What a good time it is to be alive. Most people starting their own homes have never needed to wash their dishes by hand in the sink or a tub. Usually that’s reserved for expensive dishes and large pans but even that is changing nowdays.
Firstly it helps to know a few some terminology. Place setting refers to the volume of utensils it can hold. According to Reevoo, a place setting is a dinner plate, soup plate, dessert plate, a glass tumbler, tea cup and saucer, a knife, fork, soup spoon, dessert spoon and a teaspoon.
Depending on how meticulous you are, the difference between a 14 place setting dishwasher and a 15 place setting dishwasher is minimal. The average number of place settings is 12, so both of these dishwashers are above average. Depending on the size of your family, either of these should be more than fine.
So now, let’s get onto the specifics about each dishwasher:
Ariston 14 Place Setting Dishwasher
Price: $1598
Placesettings: 14
Wash programs: 8
Energy rating: 4 stars
Blanco 15 Place Setting Dishwasher
Price: $1709
Placesettings: 15
Wash programs: 10
Energy rating: 4 stars
The first thing you want to consider is the number of wash programs and what this means to you. The Blanco 15 Place Setting dishwasher has two more wash programs. It’s a shame the websites don’t go into depth about which wash settings are available. It may be worth it to contact your local outlet about what specific programs are available.
However I personally wouldn’t choose one dishwasher solely because it has two more wash programs. Although it may seem like a good idea to choose a dishwasher with lots of programs, in reality you will likely use just one or possibly two of these settings.
Next you want to consider costs. At first there doesn’t seem like there’s a lot to consider in terms of cost – the Blanco model costs $1,709 (plus product care) and the Artison model costs $1598. But as any economics student knows, there is a lot more to cost than a price tag.
Take for example the costs of water consumption. The Blanco model has a water efficiency rating of 6 stars on the WELS scale. Whereas the Artison model only has a rating of 5.5 stars. A difference of 0.5 stars doesn’t seem like much. But a dishwasher is a long term investment. And over the long term this difference definitely does add up.
The Blanco model gives a lot more in terms of specs. We’re told the number of filter stages, wash arms and whether or not the cutlery basket is adjustable. Unfortunately the Artison model doesn’t mention any of these – perhaps there are good reasons why they are unwilling to share
Price doesn’t seem like much of an issue for you. The Blanco model is roughly $100 more expensive. And for all the extra benefits, I would say this is well worth the cost.
The verdict: I would personally choose the Blanco model. A dishwasher is a long term investment – so make it count.
