If you have no idea what a dishwasher drawer is we don't blame you. Dishwasher Drawers are relatively new to the appliance market. Fisher Paykel (owned by GE Appliances, now Haier) invented the "DishDrawer" and released it around 1998. After a few hiccups with quality and service, Fisher Paykel dishwashers are now incredibly reliable and efficient. In this article you will learn how to choose a drawer dishasher to fit the way to clean your dishes. We even prepared a video with great visuals to help you make the best selection for your home.
Why Choose a Dishwasher Drawer?
Energy Efficiency - Fisher Paykel dishwasher drawers can run simultaneously or independently based on the need. If you feel guilty about wasting water and energy running a half empty dishwasher that is no longer a problem.
Versatile - Dishwasher Drawers give you the capabilities of two dishwashers in one unit. If you entertain a lot, we have seen customers serve appetizers and drinks and fill one drawer and then fill the other drawer with pots and pans after dinner has been served. After dinner unload the appetizer drawer and fill with dinner plates. Gone are the days of hand washing dishes after everyone has left since there is not enough room in the dishwasher. You have many design options with dishwasher drawers. You can use a full size 2 drawer unit or get a single drawer or place 2 drawers next to each other.
Quiet - Fisher Paykel has designed their dishwasher drawers to be extremely quiet (at or below 45 dB). In addition to having a quiet noise rating during the wash cycle, the water pump and drain pump, usually the loudest parts of a dishwasher, are engineered to run far quieter than the competition. We covered most quiet dishwashers in our earlier blog post.
Space Savings - When you open the door on a traditional dishwasher the open door sticks out about 21 inches. If you live in a urban environment or have a galley kitchen that 21 inches can block the walkway in your kitchen. With a Fisher Paykel DishDrawer you can partially open the drawer and still have access to loading and unloading the dishes
Great Service, Industry Best Warranty - In the last 10 years they have totally revamped the way their dishwashers are engineered and eliminated the quality issues that plagued their brand when it first launched. They are so confident in the quality of their product they now offer a free 5 year extended warranty
Which Dishwasher Drawer Should I Buy?
If you are tired of lingering dishes in your sink, you may find Fisher Paykel drawer dishwashers handy. Single drawers save space in a tight urban kitchen as it will allow you to have cabinet space under the dishdrawer. On the other hand, double drawers will allow you to run each drawer independently to save valuable sink and counter-top space.
All Fisher Paykel dishwashers are energy efficient and use less than 4 gallons of water per wash cycle. You will notice the interior of the dishwasher is not stainless steel, rather a custom molded plastic. When we asked our contacts at Fisher Paykel why the interior was not stainless steel we received an interesting response. Fisher Paykel molds the interior of their dishwashers to reflect water at just the right angle so that every dish is cleaned. This in turn makes more room in the tub to fit large size plates as there is no need to have a spray arm on the top of the tub. At this time, the particular tub can only be made using custom molded plastic. Also, Fisher Paykel found that water bouncing off of stainless steel is louder than water bouncing off of plastic in a drawer setting.
Fisher Paykel drawer dishwashers have been in the US market for the past 20 years. As much as we love these products both in terms of form and performance, we noticed that manufacturers' catalog is cumbersome and not easy to follow. Below you will find a quick breakdown of the product line to help you choose the perfect dishwasher drawer for your home.
At this time, Fisher Paykel only makes dishwasher drawers. In case you are eyeing a standard dishwasher please check out our latest dishwasher buying guide.
Option 1 (Most Popular) - Double Drawer Dishwashers
Double Drawer Dishwashers have the same dimensions as traditional dishwashers. This makes swapping one for another effortless. Some people refer to these dishwashers as "two drawer dishwasher" as each drawer can operate independently or simultaneously.
Fisher Paykel makes four different series of double drawer dishwashers.
1. Standard Height
2. Tall Tub
3. Tall Tub with Water Softener
4. Panel Ready
Top Picks Table 1) Standard Height Fisher Paykel DD24DAX9N 24" Double DishDrawer Product Place Holder
Standard height DishDrawers can be adjusted between in height from 32 5/16" and 34 5/8". 32 5/16" will fit under even the shortest counters sometimes found in older homes.
Quick Summary
Quiet at 45 dB Fan assisted high performance drying 23 9/16" W x 22 9/16" D (excl. handles) x 32 5/16"-34 5/8" H (adjustable) 14 Plate Settings 6 Wash Cycles, 6 Wash Programs Available in 3 colors: Stainless Steel DD24DAX9N, Black DD24DAB9N, White with Recessed Handles DD24DAW9N 2) Tall Tub Height Fisher Paykel DD24DCTX9N 24" Double DishDrawer Product Place Holder
Tall Tub Dishwasher Drawers share all features of the regular height units but are slightly taller to allow for larger plate sizes (13" Large Plates). They still fit under a standard counter. Their height can be adjusted between 34" and 36 3/8".
Quick Summary
All of features of the Standard Height Unit PLUS Even quieter at 44 dB Taller height (34"-36 3/8" adjustable) fits place sizes up to 13" 15 Wash Cycles, 6 Wash Programs including quick/express, sanitize and extra-dry Adjustable tines in racks Added Childlock safety feature Available in 3 colors: Stainless Steel DD24DCTX9N, Black DD24DCTB9N and White with recessed handles DD24DCTW9N 3) Tall Tub Height with Water Softener Fisher Paykel DD24DCHTX9N 24" Double Dishwasher Drawer Product Place Holder
If you live in an area with hard water (such as Northern New Jersey) a dishwasher with a built-in water softener can greatly improve your washing results. This dishwasher includes a salt dispenser in order to alter the pH level of your water for optimum washing conditions.
Quick Summary
Same features as the tall-tub version Built-in Water Softener Available only in stainless steel Stainless Steel DD24DCHTX9 4) Panel Ready Double Drawer Dishwashers Product Place Holder
These products are able to accept custom panels to have a flush finish with your cabinets. They come in three configurations: Standard Height, Tall-Tub and Tall-Tub with Water Softener. Panel ready units share the features and dimensions (depth 22 1/2" to be able to accept custom panel) of their respective siblings in categories above
Quick Summary
46 dB Quietness Rating 9 Wash Cycles and 9 Options 23 9/16" Width x 22 1/2" Depth that Accepts Custom Panel Standard Height Custom Panel Ready (DD24DI9N) - (32 5/16"-34 5/8" adjustable height) Tall Tub Custom Panel Ready (DD24DTI9N) - (34"-36 3/8" adjustable height) Tall-Tub Custom Panel Ready with Water Softener (DD24DHTI9N) - (34"-36 3/8" adjustable height) Option 2 (great for smaller households and to save space) - Single Drawer Dishwasher
Single DishDrawers are very unique and offer just the right amount of wash capacity for smaller households or if you are trying to preserve storage space in your kitchen.
1) Standard Height Fisher Paykel DD24SAX9N 24" Single Drawer Dishwasher Product Place Holder
Most popular single drawer dishwasher in the US market. Ideal for apartments with limited kitchen space.
Quick Summary
Quiet at 45 dB Fan assisted high performance drying 23 9/16" W x 22 9/16" D (excl. handles) x 16 1/8" H 7 Plate Settings 6 Wash Cycles, 6 Wash Programs Available in 3 colors: Stainless Steel DD24SAX9N, Black DD24SAB9N, White DD24SAW9N 2) Tall Tub Height Fisher Paykel DD24SCTX9N 24" Tall Tub Single Drawer Dishwasher Product Place Holder
Fit large size pot and pans easily in the tall tub dishwasher.
Quick Summary
All of features of the Standard Height Unit PLUS Even quieter at 44 dB Taller height (17 7/8") fits plate sizes up to 13" 15 Wash Cycles, 6 Wash Programs including quick/express, sanitize and extra-dry Adjustable tines in racks Added Childlock safety feature Available only in stainless steel Stainless Steel DD24SCHTX9N 3) Tall Tub Height with Water Softener Fisher Paykel DD24SCHTX9N Single Dishwasher Drawer Product Place Holder
Quick Summary
Same features as the tall-tub version Built-in Water Softener Available only in stainless steel Stainless Steel DD24SCHTX9N
PRO TIP - Make sure to contact our staff at (888) 714-4938 to inquire about unpublished savings on Fisher Paykel dishwasher drawers.
Conclusion: Is a Dishwasher Drawer right for me?
Ultimately this is a question of personal preference. At Designer Appliances we think the Fisher & Paykel DishDrawers are extremely versatile and offer functionality you just can't get with a traditional dishwasher. If you like to run your dishwasher every day but feel guilty not running a full load, a dishdrawer will give you the piece of mind that you are saving water and energy. If you have a small home and want to save space this unconventional dishwasher might be just want you need make your space functional.
If you have any questions our would like to make a purchase, view our entire Fisher & Paykel Drawer Dishwasher collection.
FAQ's
How can I get a Bosch drawer dishwasher?
At this time Bosch does not make drawer dishwashers. However, Bosch dishwashers are known to be ultra quiet and have superior cleaning performance.
We cover Bosch dishwashers in our blog posts and keep the information up-to-date with ongoing product changes.
