Frigidaire FGBD2431NF Review

Introduction

However, it is very cheap: lower than $370 on sale, and loaded with features that the sub-$300 machines lack. We know it'll get thrown into apartments filled with "builder's package" appliances, and for consumers on a budget it may actually be a decent option. Just know you're getting what you pay for.

Design & Usability

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It's up to you whether the stainless front is class or crass.

Though stainless steel is still the go-to appliance finish, the gratuitous use of stainless reminds us of conspicuous consumption and the housing bubble. In this case, the shiny plastic control panel couldn't contrast more with the stainless on the front of the dishwasher, and the whole effect is—in our opinion—an example of trying too hard, like when someone uses obscure words they don't quite understand.

That's just our opinion, though. If you've already got stainless in your kitchen and need a budget dishwasher replacement in a pinch, this one might just fit the bill. The next-cheapest stainless models with hidden control panels cost about $100 more.

Inside, stainless is conspicuously absent. A plastic interior means less-effective drying and a louder wash. At least the fixed tines on the two racks can hold up to 10 place settings in total.

{{photo_gallery "Front Closed Photo", "Fingerprints Photo", "Controls 1 Photo", "Controls 2 Photo", "Front Open Photo", "Interior Detail Photo", "Top Rack Photo", "Top Rack Detail Photo 1", "Top Rack Detail Photo 2", "Top Rack Detail Photo 3", "Bottom Rack Photo", "Bottom Rack Detail Photo 2", "Bottom Rack Detail Photo 3", "Cutlery Basket Photo", "Cutlery Basket Detail Photo 1", "Cutlery Basket Detail Photo 2", "Cutlery Basket Detail Photo 3"}}

Features

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No, it wasn't exposed to nuclear waste—that third arm is supposed to be there.

Yes, there are dishwashers that sell for under $300, but they lack the features present in the FGBD2431NF: Sanitize, Air Dry, Hi Temp Wash, Rinse Only and Delay Start (two, four, and six hours). A status display indicates the stage in the wash cycle (Washing, Drying, Clean, Sanitized).

A Top Only cycle takes advantage of the third spray arm, mounted on the top of the tub, and is useful if you only have a few dishes to wash.

Performance

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The Normal wash is decent, but overall the FGBD2431NF is pretty slow, lacks a quick cycle, and is just underwhelming.

When it comes to efficiency and wash performance, most of our frustration stemmed from the Heavy Wash, which clocked in at more than three hours and left plenty of waste food still attached to plates. Yuck. The Normal cycle took an hour and 46 minutes, getting big stains off but redepositing small particles of food on formerly clean dishes. A pre-rinse would help, but your water bill may slowly eat up the money you saved by buying a cheaper dishwasher.

Speaking of your water bill, this dishwasher isn't as inexpensive to run as it is to buy. If you've got an average household with average energy costs, you can expect this machine to cost roughly $35.57 per year to operate. We've seen some that cost around $25, so remember that over the course of five years this machine will cost you an additional $50.

Conclusion

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If upfront cost really matters, you could do a lot worse than this dishwasher.

Easily found on sale for under $370, the Frigidaire FGBD2431NF comes with more features than the bare-bones specials you'll find in the sub-$300 range. There's even a stainless exterior, though some may see that as a detriment rather than a benefit.

When it comes to cleaning, the FGBD2431NF is so-so. Avoid the time-consuming and ineffective Heavy Wash cycle and you'll be fine as long as you don't try to get your absolute filthiest dishes cleaned in a hurry. If this Frigidaire is all you can afford, it's not a bad choice, but an extra $100 or so opens the door to a number of better machines.

Science Introduction

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Whether it costs $370 or $1500, we put all the dishwashers that enter our labs through the same gamut of tests: standardized food stain removal, and efficiency testing. The Frigidaire FGBD2431NF didn't excel on any of the tests, but nothing went horribly wrong.

Performance

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The Normal Cycle was acceptable, while the Heavy was not.

The Normal Wash did surprisingly well on our protein tests, namely the baked egg and dried milk stains. It wasn’t as impressive on the spinach test, though. In fact, in both the Normal and Heavy Washes, tiny green flecks could be found scattered throughout the bottom rack.

The Heavy Wash cycle, however, disappointed. For a cycle that took more than three hours to complete and engaged both the Sanitize and Hi-Temp Wash options, you’d expect the clean to be near-perfect. Not so. Nothing was thoroughly cleaned, and it seemed like every plate, bowl, and glass had at least some remnant of a stain. Our baked lasagna test was probably the one exception where the machine exceeded our expectations.

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Effeciency

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Not inefficient, but costs around $10 a year more to run than some greener machines.

The Normal Wash and Top Rack cycles were pretty average in terms of energy consumption (0.64 and 0.62 kWh, respectively); it was the Heavy Wash that was so demanding (a whopping 1.81 kWh). This made for an electricity cost of roughly 6 or 7 cents per wash in the Normal and Top Rack cycles, and an astounding 19 cents per Heavy Wash.

Just like with the electricity use, most of the water consumption was in the Heavy Wash. While the Top Rack and Normal Wash used 3.66 and 4.26 gallons of hot water, respectively, the Heavy Wash drained 9.39 gallons. This made for a water cost of roughly 4 to 9 cents per wash.

Overall, that Heavy Wash will cost you about 32 cents every time you run it.

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Capacity

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