Best budget dishwashers 2024: efficient cleaning under £500

After a hectic family dinner, tackling a sink full of dirty cups, plates and cutlery is unlikely to be high up on your wishlist. For many of us, however, the perceived high investment of buying the best dishwasher is enough to keep us washing the dishes by hand. 

If you’re sick of spending your evenings standing at the kitchen sink, you’ll be pleased to know that these days, it is entirely possible to find dishwashers at a budget-friendly price. While you’re unlikely to get premium brands such as Miele for under £500, many leading brands offer entry-level appliances that offer excellent value for money. Perhaps surprisingly, the majority of them include many of the features found on more expensive appliances, such as flexible shelving, quick wash cycles and floor light indicators to show when the dishwasher is in use. 

To help you choose the best cheap dishwasher for your home, we’ve tapped into the tried-and-tested reviews of Mumsnet users, gathering their feedback on budget-priced freestanding and integrated dishwasher brands that they’ve used in their own homes and would happily recommend to others. Through combining this research with analysis of wider consumer feedback on retailer sites and the views of consumer champions, we’re confident we’ve found the best budget dishwashers to suit every kitchen - providing fast and efficient cleaning without the eye-watering price tag. 

Looking for more Mumsnetter-approved ways to spruce up your kitchen? See our guides to the best glass cleaner and oven cleaner.

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What features to look for in the best budget dishwasher

Buying a cheap dishwasher doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on features and functionality. Here are some factors you may want to consider when choosing an affordable appliance:

• Space maximisation: Regardless of the number of place settings, making the most of the available space is key to ensuring effective performance. Not all dishwashers have flexible loading options, with the best affordable dishwashers offering height-adjustable shelves, moveable racks or space-saving drawers to help you maximise and tailor the space to your contents. 

• Programmes and cycle length: Does the dishwasher offer faster cycles for when you’re short on time? Are there cycles that can tackle heavily soiled pots and pans? It’s worth considering both the range and overall length of the programmes, including eco programmes which can save energy and water consumption.  

• Drying features: Does the dishwasher offer a drying programme or use residual heat to dry the contents? If not, you may find plates and cutlery need a quick wipe-over before loading them away. 

• Light indicators: If you’re opting for an integrated dishwasher, a light indicator can be useful to prevent you from opening the door mid-cycle. The best budget dishwashers tend to include a red or white spot that projects onto the floor below. However, cheap appliances don’t generally project the time remaining. If that’s high up on your wishlist you may need to invest a little more or opt for a dishwasher with smart connectivity such as the Bosch Series 4 above. 

• Noise level: You should consider the dishwasher’s decibel level – the lower it is, the quieter it’ll be during use. Those with a rating in the early-40dBs are best suited to open-plan kitchen spaces. 

How much do dishwashers cost to run?

How much your dishwasher costs to run will depend on several factors, including the size and wattage of the appliance, the programmes you use and how often you tend to use it. 

According to the Energy Saving Trust, dishwashers typically cost between £40 to £80 (35 to 65kgCO₂e) a year to run (or slightly less for a slimline model). Research by Which? also found that dishwashers are on average four times more energy efficient than washing by hand, while WaterUK advises that the average modern dishwasher uses 14 litres of water per cycle or 10 litres per cycle on an eco setting.

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Are dishwashers energy efficient?

The energy efficiency scale for household appliances was revised in March 2021; energy ratings are now ranked from A to G, with A being the most energy efficient score. Due to the high volume of water used, dishwashers aren’t particularly energy efficient overall, with a rating of C or D on the energy efficiency scale being considered as good. It’s not uncommon to find dishwashers with an E or even an F rating, particularly on budget appliances, as more efficient dishwashers usually come at a premium price.

Over recent years, however, dishwasher brands have worked hard to combat energy and water consumption. To reduce the overall energy consumption of your dishwasher, it is recommended you use the eco cycles wherever possible, which although take longer, use less energy and water than the ‘auto’ and quick cycles. 

Does my dishwasher need salt?

Adding salt to your dishwasher can prevent the build-up of limescale, which can affect the overall performance and longevity of your dishwasher. 

Whether you need it depends on the hardness of your water. If you live in a hard water area (where your water has a higher mineral content), it’s important to invest in some dishwasher salt to keep your dishwasher running effectively. For areas with softer water, all-in-one dishwasher tablets may be sufficient without the need to add additional salt. 

What is the best budget dishwasher?

The Beko BDIN16430 Integrated Dishwasher is our top-pick budget dishwasher. While it’s not the cheapest on the market, this full-sized integrated Beko dishwasher offers excellent cleaning performance and has a wide range of programmes including eco cycles and speedy cycles for when you’re short on time. 

With 14 place settings and flexible shelves, it’s convenient and easy to load, even with non-standard plate sizes, while the handy light indicator helps prevent you from accidentally opening it mid-cycle. 

How we chose the best affordable dishwashers

Real recommendations from parents

To bring you our definitive list of the best budget dishwashers, we first sought the trusted opinions of Mumsnet users, getting their feedback on the affordable dishwashers that they rate, recommend and use in their own kitchens.

We also looked out for any negative reviews, where Mumsnet users highlighted appliances that they felt were poor quality, overpriced or performed badly when returning dishes to their former glory.

Expert opinions

Next up, we considered reviews and feedback from trusted industry experts. We want to be confident that the products we recommend are fit for purpose, so we looked out for award-winning dishwashers or those that were well regarded in the marketplace, including those recommended by consumer champions and home tech experts.

Authentic consumer reviews

Finally, to bring you our definitive list of the best budget dishwashers on the market, we thoroughly investigated genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, Currys, AO and John Lewis to get wider consumer experiences regarding the products on our shortlist.

About the author

Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in family and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.  

A regular user of her own slimline dishwasher, Lucy knows only too well the benefits that a clean and high-performing dishwasher can bring when juggling family life. Always keen to sniff out a bargain, Lucy loves looking for budget-friendly appliances and has also written several Mumsnet dishwasher round-ups including the best slimline dishwashers, integrated dishwashers and dishwasher cleaners. 

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find products that real parents rate.

Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.

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