There are two types of dishwashers today, namely free standing and built-in categories. Smaller, portable units are also available but they may not have many of the special features as seen in the bigger varieties. Place setting is the term to indicate the capacity of the dishwasher. It is a vague expression used in global markets. One place setting represents the space required to accommodate one dinner plate, one soup bowl, one desert plate, one glass tumbler, one tea cup & saucer and a set of knife, fork and spoon. Different sizes of dishwashers are of 4 to 15 place settings. As mentioned earlier sizes of dishes and plates vary and therefore the capacity as indicated in terms of place settings may not be very accurate. For practical purposes shoppers choose dishwashers on the basis of length, breadth and height of the gadgets. To explain this aspect it can be said that a small family of 2 or 3 members can manage with an 18 inch dishwasher which is almost equivalent to 6 to 8 standard place settings.
The principle of the machine is spraying of hot water on the dirty dishes applying pressure. Jets of hot water will be sprayed from different directions. Detergents are also used in the process. Water and energy consumptions are the two factors that are to be taken into account while considering the economic viability of the dishwasher. Water will have to be changed during successive cycles whenever the quality of water deteriorates. Energy is consumed for heating water and for running the machine. The consumer should take care to choose dishwasher with statutory energy label, to reduce the running costs. Modern machines have been incorporated with new techniques to reduce the level of water consumption. Environmentalists warn that both energy and water will become scarce and expensive resources in the near future.
