The dishwasher is a major appliance and so it is always important to take a look at all the available options before you make your decision. The main categories are freestanding, integrated and semi-integrated. Have a read of this outline below and you will be able to see which one seems like it would suit your requirements the best.
INTEGRATED DISHWASHER
An integrated dishwasher [link to our range] is designed so that it fits into the style of the rest of your kitchen cabinets in a seamless fashion. In this way, when the dishwasher is closed, you should not be able to see from the external design which section is the dishwasher. This isn’t just because you want to trick visitors! What it offers is a chance for you to have an overarching theme which runs through the whole of your kitchen.
When an integrated dishwasher is closed, you will just see the same outer panel and finish that all the kitchen cabinets have. The controls will be tucked away inside on the top of the door so that you can access them when you have opened the dishwasher. Although there is no single size for integrated dishwashers, there is a general range within which they tend to fall. This is roughly measuring within 81-85cm in height, 54-57cm in depth, and 58-60cm in width. As this can vary, it is important to be on top of your measurements as you make your plans. When you are making measurements for the depth, make sure you take into account that around 3cm of this space will need to be used for pipes.
It is important to know also that integrated dishwashers are basically permanently fixed into the kitchen. In this way, they are not the best option if you are going to be moving house. They are however a potentially great way of building up a kitchen if you have settled down into your home for the foreseeable future.
SEMI-INTEGRATED DISHWASHER
Fear not: there is a half-way house! This is the semi-integrated dishwasher [link to our range]. The general idea is the not unlike a fully integrated unit, as a predominant section of the dishwasher will have the same finish on its outer panel as the surrounding cabinets. However, with the semi-integrated dishwasher, you have the control panel on the outside.
This means that there is still a strip at the top which defines it as a dishwasher. This could be preferable simply for the convenience of having the dishwasher controls on the outside. You may also prefer this more functional aesthetic, where the whole kitchen isn’t held within one completely defined style. If, however, you are keen to develop a smooth, minimalist style in your kitchen, then the fully-integrated approach will be for you.
FREESTANDING
If you are have fewer than 3 people in your place, then you may be able to go for a more affordable option in the freestanding dishwasher [link to our range]. This might be perfect for an apartment or for a home which does not have a family’s worth of dishes to clean every day! They tend to be a fair bit smaller, hitting around the 46-47cm mark in width. Though, as they are not built into your kitchen cabinets, they might be awkward to position should you not have much space in the kitchen.
With that said, what they don’t do is take up storage space. This means that, where otherwise a built-in dishwasher might be placed, you can have more draws and kitchen cabinets for storage. The main plus with a freestanding dishwasher is ultimately that, when you move house, the dishwasher can come with you. This means it is ideal for those who might potentially be moving place in the coming years.
