If you've already renovated a kitchen or are just beginning the process, you know how overwhelming the details can be. Our Fittings and Material Spotlights are quick guides to basic kitchen fixtures to familiarize you with terminology, pros and cons, and relevant reader reviews. Today we look at dishwasher drawers:
Dishwasher Style: Drawer
Overview: Dishwasher drawers came onto the market a few years ago. Fisher-Paykel launched the style, and it was followed up in recent years by other major kitchen brands. Standard dishwasher doors drop down to load, but drawer dishwashers (available in either single- or double-drawer models) pull out horizontally.
Manufacturers: Fisher-Paykel, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag. Note: the first generation KitchenAid dish drawers from a few years ago were licensed from Fisher-Paykel, but they no longer are. Kenmore and Maytag dish drawers are manufactured by Fulgor for Whirlpool, and not Fisher-Paykel.
Pros: Drawer dishwashers are compact and great for small kitchens. You can run smaller loads more frequently, and the machines are very quiet.
Cons: Fisher-Paykel in particular has a bad customer service track record. We've read numerous complaints that the machines break down often and are problematic when overfilled. Other complaints say it's difficult to fit dishes into the drawers, and the machines won't clean properly if the dishes aren't rinsed thoroughly first.
Price range: $500+
Kitchn Reader Reviews: Read more reviews here and here.
I've had my Fisher & Paykel Dish Drawers since a 2002 kitchen re-do and I have to say I still love them. In our 2 person household I can clean an evenings batch of dishes and glassware in one drawer (always on the eco setting). I use the bottom drawer frequently (sometimes I'm too lazy to empty the top), and it's really handy during a dinner party: you can load one drawer with dishes from the first course and have then washing while your serving and eating the main course. I wish I had had the space to install one drawer on either side of the sink as I have seen elsewhere. The only drawback I've experienced is the need for service annually as soon as the warranty expired. - storeboy
My parents have [a Fisher-Paykel version] and while it's convenient and yes, quite silent, it seems to break an awful lot. Like three, four times in a year. My regular old (I don't even remember the brand) dishwasher that came with my condo hasn't broken once in the same period. The other thing is, it's hard to find someone to repair a Fisher-Paykel. My dad's lucky, because he can do it himself, but someone who wasn't so handy might have a real hard time with it. -Rose Campion
I had two in my kitchen until I sold my house. Both were from Fisher Paykel and they absolutely did not clean like an original sized one...i had the repair man tell me i needed to use a special liquid detergent and that the plates had to be virtually cleaned and rinsed prior to placing them in the drawer. Plus the drawers held a lot less dishes...truly one of the good things about selling my house was losing those dishwasher draweres...not to mention that mine were among the first from Fisher and they learned from their mistakes as the markings quickly eroded away. - Natalie Luffer Stzern
Related Kitchn Posts:
• Resources and Helpful Advice on Installing a Dishwasher
• Miele to Bosch: Are Dishwashers Over $1000 Worth It?
Readers, do you have a drawer dishwasher? If so, tell us what brand and share your experience.
COUNTERTOPS
• All About: Stainless Steel Countertops
• All About: Butcher Block Countertops
• All About: Quartz Countertops
• All About: Granite Countertops
• All About: Synthetic Solid Surface Countertops
• All About: Lava Stone Countertops
• All About: Paper Composite Countertops
• All About: Concrete Countertops
• All About: Soapstone Countertops
• All About: Ceramic Tile Countertops
FAUCETS
• All About: Dual or Two-Handle Faucets
• All About: Single-Handle Faucets
• All About: Pull-Out or Down Spray Faucets
• • All About: Pot Filler Faucets
• All About: Restaurant-Style Semi Professional Pre-Rinse Faucets
FLOORING
• All About: Real Linoleum Flooring
• All About: Cork Flooring
• All About: Bamboo Flooring
• All About: Ceramic Floor Tiles
• All About: Hardwood Flooring
• All About: Rubber Flooring
• All About: Terracotta Kitchen Floor Tiles
RANGE HOODS
• All About: Under Cabinet Range Hoods
• All About: Chimney-Style Hoods
• All About: Ductless Range Hoods
SINKS
• All About: Undermount Kitchen Sinks
• All About: Drop-In Kitchen Sinks
• All About: Farmhouse Kitchen Sinks
• All About: Double Bowl Kitchen Sinks
• All About: Bar or Prep Sinks
• All About: Stainless Steel Sinks
• All About: Copper Sinks
• All About: Enameled Cast Iron Sinks
• All About: Enameled Steel Sinks
• All About: Fireclay Sinks
(Image: Fisher-Paykel)
Yuck: A Fourth Grader Reveals What School Lunches Really Look Like
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Floral Drink Dispen...
Erica's Tiny Two-Bedroom
Juan's Garage Turned Modern Guest House
I was delighted that our condo came with a Fisher-Paykel drawer dishwasher. (Second home, used infrequently by friends and family.) When it required service, I became less thrilled. Because of design issues and lack of access to parts, no local appliance company would work on it - I had to contact the manufacturer's own national repair service. (How does that work out of metro areas???) The technician seemed competent and was pleasant. However - the very design of electronic boards and controls in between two water-using appliances is problematic, and I'm sure contributes to the poor service record. The second time I had the appliance repaired, the technician informed us that the new repair would not last forever, and when it failed I would need to replace the appliance. It did and I have - I now have a GE. Pros: nice to do small loads. Cons - poor loading flexibility - small design is more limiting than one would think. Design is not bulletproof; it is not even water proof! Summary: I would never purchase or recommend a drawer unit to anyone, for any purpose.
We had one of those drawer dishwashers for a while. In the very beginning it was great. Until it started leaking all over the floor. And you can't wash really large pots in them. We finally wound up with a KitchenAid:
http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/product/KUDS30IXSS/
We couldn't be happier with it. It's so quiet that I often find myself checking to see that it's really running.
That drawer thing sounded like a good idea for a 2-person household, but not only did I wind up having to wash the big pots, but it was noisier and then it began to piss all over the kitchen floor...
Groan. The apartment we've just bought has these - and yeah, they're Fisher-Paykel.
Wonder if we can ask to get them replaced...
We absolutely loved our FP DD603 in our first house. Ours never had any mechanical problems, but the drain tube on the upper drawer did get clogged once - an easy self fix. The internal mechanism is so simple a trained monkey could repair it. When we remodeled our second kitchen, we put in a standard style Bosch. It didn't clean as well and wasn't as quiet as advertised. Now that we're in our 3rd house, we'll be going back to our dish drawer when the time comes.
Pros: Both drawers combined could hold a lot more than a standard dishwasher. The convenience of washing a single drawer was incredibly handy. Excellent for stemware. Uses less water and electricity vs. a standard machine. Two drawers means that you don't have to immediately unload it to put dirty dishes in. For someone with a disability, its easier to reach items in the top drawer without bending so a single drawer mounted up high could be a good solution (or perhaps a single drawer down low for wheelchair access).
Cons: Plastics didn't dry all the way. Long wash cycle times. Plates have to be scraped cleaner than other standard washers (but pre-rinsing isn't necessary).
I just (one month exactly!) moved into a condo with KitchenAid drawers and I LOVE them. It's just me making dirty dishes, and I love being able to run smaller loads. The two drawbacks are that I had to switch from using Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Packs (in delicious-smelling basil) to Cascade loose detergent. Also, I have to hand-wash bigger stuff (giant popcorn bowl, plastic cutting boards, etc). But so far, I like it enough to keep it.