The Essential Appliance Guide: Dishing the dirt on dishwashers

When choosing a dishwasher, there are many factors that can, and should, influence your decision. It's not just about price, colour and energy efficiency any more.

The new generation of dishwashers go beyond that. Here are some of the basics:

• When choosing a machine, don't just look at the overall efficiency reading (from A, the most efficient, to C), take notice of what the reading is for its washing and drying cycles, generally stated individually on the energy label.