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DEAL WATCH: Keurig K-Express | 22% off $69.99

Keurig has changed the face of coffee, and snagging one of these for less than $70 is a solid deal. Read Review

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  • Introduction

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  • Introduction
  • Introduction
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Introduction

Introduction

If you’re the kind of person who just loads the dishes in the dishwasher and pushes the start button without changing any settings, you might be spending more money or time washing dishes than you need. We went through the data from our 12 most highly rated dishwashers to give you a rundown of what all these dishwasher settings actually do, how long they take to do it, and how much it costs.

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This is the setting consumers use most often. Based off our 12 highest rated dishwashers, the cycle usually takes between 1 1/2 to 2 hours to complete and costs an average of 13.8 cents per wash. It gets the job done, but isn't designed to get rid of hard water marks, get off heavy food, or sterilize your dishes.

The general perception is that the Heavy cycle gets off more food than the Normal cycle, and the Normal more than Quick. However, a deeper statistical analysis shows that the Heavy cycle will not get your dishes significantly cleaner than the Normal wash. Additionally, the Normal cycle will get your dishes significantly cleaner than the Quick cycle. Statistically, we are 95% confident in these numbers.

The chart below is an example of this trend among dishwashers, showing the cleaning score for the LG LDF7932ST

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With the China/Crystal/Delicate setting, you’ll get a wash designed to shoot more water with less force onto your dishes. It provides extra rinsing to keep hard water stains from forming. It won’t get really dirty items very clean, and it isn’t designed to, so don't expect it to clear away your heavy, caked-on food deposits.

Only a few or our 12 most highly rated dishwashers have a China cycle. The China cycle is generally shorter than your normal cycle, but only a few dishwashers we've reviewed will save you more than half an hour.

|_. Washer Name|_. Normal Wash Time|_. China Wash Time|_. Difference|
|Edgestar DWP61ES | 1 hour 25 minutes |1 hour 12 minutes|13 minutes|
|Frigidaire Gallery FGHD2433KF | 1 hour 42 minutes|1 hour 34 minutes|8 minutes|
|GE GLDT696TSS | 2 hours 4 minutes| 1 hour 29 minutes|35 minutes|
|KitchenAid KUDE60FXBL | 2 hours 25 minutes| 1 hour 48 minutes|37 minutes|
|Maytag MDB8959SAS | 2 hours 42 minutes| 1 hour 43 minutes|59 minutes|
|Maytag MDC4809PAB | 1 hours 36 minutes| 1 hour 11 minutes|25 minutes|
|Samsung DMT800RHS | 1 hours 32 minutes| 1 hour 50 minutes|_+18 minutes_|

So how much does the China cycle cost per wash?

|_. Washer Name|_. Cost Per Normal Wash|_. Cost Per China Wash|_. Difference|
|Edgestar DWP61ES | 8 cents | 7 cents | 1 cent|
|Frigidaire Gallery FGHD2433KF | 14.27 cents|13.11 cents | 1.16 cents|
|GE GLDT696TSS | 12.94 cents| 9.91 cents | 3.03 cents |
|KitchenAid KUDE60FXBL | 13.21 cents | 19.42 cents | +6.21 cents|
|Maytag MDB8959SAS | 21.23 cents | 15.67 cents | 5.56 cents |
|Maytag MDC4809PAB | 11.69 cents | 9.86 cents | 1.83 cents |
|Samsung DMT800RHS | 13.53 cents | 24.34 cents | +10.81 cents |
|**Average**| 13.55 |_**14.18**_|

Most of the dishwashers we've reviewed with a China cycle will save you money, and a few will save you substantial time. If you relax in the evening with a glass of wine, washing those glasses on the China setting on a regular basis could help you in the long run.

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Manufactures might have different names for their Heavy setting (Pots and Pans, Jet Clean, etc.), but it’s all designed to cut through those tough, caked-on bits of food. As we previously discussed, based off of our 12 most highly rated dishwashers, the heavy cycle statistically doesn't get your dishes cleaner than the normal cycle. Even if your own model not in our reviews can get your dishes a little bit cleaner, how much does it cost to use the heavy cycle?

In our most highly rated dishwashers, the heavy cycle cost more money, sometimes more than twice as much per load. Using the Heavy cycle over Regular will add up over time.

|_. Washer Name|_. Normal Cost Per Load|_. Heavy Cost Per Load|
| Asko D5434XXLS | 10.29 cents | 14.55 cents |
|Edgestar DWP61ES | 8 cents | 10 cents |
| Electrolux EIDW5905JS | 13.9 cents | 23.28 cents |
|Frigidaire Gallery FGHD2433KF | 14.27 cents | 22.90 cents |
|GE GLDT696TSS | 12.94 cents | 19.12 cents |
|KitchenAid KUDE60FXBL | 13.21 cents | 22.76 cents |
|LG LDF7932ST | 20.64 cents | 22.42 cents |
|Maytag MDB8959SAS | 21.23 cents| 31.8 cents |
|Maytag MDC4809PAB | 11.69 cents | 20.87 cents |
|Samsung DMT800RHS | 13.53 cents | 36.98 cents |
|Whirlpool WDT790SAYW | 11.74 cents | 18.39 cents |

And as you might expect, the Heavy cycle is going to take more time than Normal.

|_. Washer Name|_. Normal Running Time|_. Heavy Running Time|
| Asko D5434XXLS | 2 hours 7 minutes | 3 hours 23 minutes |
|Edgestar DWP61ES | 1 hour 25 minutes | 1 hour 43 minutes |
| Electrolux EIDW5905JS | 1 hour 33 minutes | 2 hours 14 minutes |
|Frigidaire Gallery FGHD2433KF | 1 hour 42 minutes | 2 hours 31 minutes |
|GE GLDT696TSS | 2 hours 4 minutes | 2 hours 8 minutes |
|KitchenAid KUDE60FXBL | 2 hours 25 minutes | 2 hours 48 minutes |
|LG LDF7932ST | 2 hours 11 minutes | 3 hours 2 minutes |
|Maytag MDB8959SAS | 2 hours 42 minutes | 3 hours 25 minutes |
|Maytag MDC4809PAB | 1 hour 36 minutes | 2 hours 14 minutes |
|Samsung DMT800RHS | 1 hour 32 minutes | 2 hours 23 minutes |
|Whirlpool WDT790SAYW | 1 hour 29 minutes | 3 hours 6 minutes|

So is the heavy cycle really worth the time and money? You should experiment with your own model washer to see if it gets your dishes cleaner than normal, and see if that little extra money a year is worth scrubbing those pots less.

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Maybe you’re like my old roommate and only own three soup bowls. If all three are dirty, your hunger doesn’t want to wait for a dishwasher to labor away, and your laziness doesn't want to hand wash it. Enter quick wash.

Of the top 12 dishwashers we've reviewed, 11 can cut down your wash time. Here's how all the times pan out.

|_. Washer Name|_. Time of Normal Wash|_. Time of Quick Wash|
|Asko D5434XXLS | 2 hours 7 minutes|1 hour 11 minutes|
|Edgestar DWP61ES | 1 hour 25 minutes |53 minutes|
|Electrolux EIDW5905JS | 1 hour 33 minutes|31 minutes|
|Frigidaire Gallery FGHD2433KF | 1 hour 42 minutes|53 minutes|
|GE GLDT696TSS | 2 hours 4 minutes| 1 hour 19 minutes|
|KitchenAid KUDE60FXBL | 2 hours 25 minutes| 1 hour 2 minutes|
|LG LDF7932ST | 2 hours 11 minutes| 1 hour 18 minutes|
|Maytag MDB8959SAS | 2 hours 42 minutes| 35 minutes|
|Maytag MDC4809PAB | 1 hours 36 minutes| 1 hour 2 minutes|
|Samsung DMT800RHS | 1 hours 32 minutes| 1 hour 7 minutes|
|Whirlpool WDT790SAYW | 2 hours 29 minutes| 1 hour 2 minutes|

The Maytag MDB8959SAS stands out from the crowd, because it cuts down its 2 hour 42 minute normal wash time (the longest of the 12 washers) to a 35 minute quick wash (the second-shortest).

So with less time washing, you would expect it to cut back on the amount of money spent per wash. Well, that's a mixed bag. Basically, whether or not the quick wash will save you money depends on your model dishwasher.

|_. Washer Name|_. Cost Per Normal Wash|_. Cost Per Quick Wash|
|Asko D5434XXLS | 10.29 cents |11.45 cents|
|Edgestar DWP61ES | 8 cents |7.8 cents|
|Electrolux EIDW5905JS | 13.9 cents |12.49 cents|
|Frigidaire Gallery FGHD2433KF | 14.27 cents |12.48 cents|
|GE GLDT696TSS | 12.94 cents| 14.43 cents|
|KitchenAid KUDE60FXBL | 13.21 cents| 13.41 cents|
|LG LDF7932ST | 20.64 cents| 14.51 cents|
|Maytag MDB8959SAS | 21.23 cents| 12.06 cents|
|Maytag MDC4809PAB | 11.69 cents| 14.1 cents|
|Samsung DMT800RHS | 13.53 cents| 9.1 cents|
|Whirlpool WDT790SAYW | 11.74 cents| 10.82 cents|

As we mentioned before, our statistical analysis shows that a quick wash will get your dishes significantly less clean. But if you have an item which is mostly clean and just needs to be soaped down, it could be a good option to save you some time, and maybe money, too.

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Reviewed Staff

Reviewed Staff

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The Reviewed staff is based in the heart of Cambridge, MA. Backed by our knowledgeable writers and rigorous test labs, we're working hard to make sure you can make the right decisions about what to buy.

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