Cutlery tray
The
compartment for loading cutlery(spoons, forks, knives, etc.) into the dishwasher. Such a device is more convenient than a common basket. It allows you to load cutlery separately from the rest of the dishes, while the contents of the tray are compactly located in the “seats” specially designed for this. And the quality of washing is often higher than when using a common basket.
End-of-cycle signal
Signal indicates that the machine has finished working. Many dishwashers are quiet, and without a special signal, it can be difficult to determine if the programme has ended.
Hot water supply
Possibility of connection of the dishwasher to a source of hot water. With this connection, the water enters the device already heated (unlike the usual procedure, when the machine heats the water to the desired temperature) — thus saving time and energy. However, the hot water supply is quite demanding on the quality of water: in most cases, it must have a temperature of 60-65 °C and flow without pressure drops.
Note that
hot water supply is an option, not the only solution; machines with the possibility of such a connection can usually work according to the standard scheme, from a source of cold water.
Interior lighting
The presence of a
interior lighting in the working chamber of the dishwasher.
The working chambers of modern dishwashers have a large depth. Even when the machine is installed in a brightly lit place, the internal volume of the chamber may remain in the shadows. Thus its contents can be difficult to see because of this. The interior lighting system solves this problem by improving visibility. Moreover, it does not depend on external light sources.
Energy class
The energy efficiency class characterizes the efficiency of the dishwasher's energy consumption. Initially, the classes were designated in Latin letters from
A(high degree of economy) to G (high consumption). However, later, with the development of energy saving technologies, more advanced classes appeared than A (
A+,
A++, A+++). The more benefits, the higher the savings. Most modern dishwashers comply with energy classes from A to
A+++(the latter is 30% more economical than the original class A).
Other things being equal, more efficient models cost more, but the difference can be recouped in energy savings. Note that the energy consumption class does not describe efficiency in general but in comparison with other similar models; therefore, the actual consumption of a small class A machine may be lower than that of a large class A++ model.