The Strategic Place To Put Your Dishwasher If You Have A Small Kitchen

If you have a small kitchen, you might believe you're facing a lifetime of doing dishes by hand because an automatic dishwasher simply won't fit. However, there are options for adding the appliance to a small kitchen. You might start by placing a full-size dishwasher in a non-traditional location, such as a room corner. You could also select a dishwasher smaller than average, allowing you to squeeze the machine into your tiny kitchen.

Certainly, it can't be all about size. Choosing a suitable dishwasher for your kitchen must also be part of the equation. A small dishwasher may not fit your needs if you have a large family or cook most of the time. If you are living alone or with another person, you can use a small dishwasher successfully.

You can try to install your dishwasher without hiring a pro, but this can be a tricky job to do on your own. In a non-traditional location in a small kitchen, you may have to move electrical wires and water lines to serve the dishwasher, and you also may have to remove existing cabinets. If you are comfortable doing this type of work, installing the new dishwasher is certainly something you can do, even in a tiny kitchen.

A typical dishwasher measures 24 inches wide, and you might not feel comfortable sacrificing this much cabinet storage space in a small kitchen. Don't forget that you also need to create space for electrical wiring and water and sewer pipes in a nearby cabinet. With this in mind, consider placing the dishwasher in the corner of the small kitchen. Corner cabinets are awkward and difficult to use because they are deep, and removing them to install a new dishwasher may not bother you much. If the sink is near the kitchen corner, it becomes a more straightforward process; you can connect directly to the existing water supply.

Another option is to install the full-size dishwasher away from the sink. This isn't necessarily efficient, but you may have some free space farther from the sink and from traditional food prep areas that would work for the dishwasher. Maybe you have a bathroom on the other side of the kitchen wall opposite the sink, allowing you to tie into a water source from the area. You could also consider purchasing a narrow dishwasher to take up less space or a portable option that you can store when not in use outside the tiny kitchen.

If you don't need a full-size dishwasher or can't find a suitable space for one in your small kitchen, consider a miniature dishwasher that may better fit the layout and size of your cooking space. Understand that a small dishwasher cannot handle as many dishes as a standard option, so you'll have to run it more often.

Consider starting with an 18-inch-wide dishwasher, like the Frigidaire FFBD1831US. This compact-sized dishwasher works like a standard dishwasher but doesn't require as much space. Although a 6-inch difference may not sound like much, it can be significant in a tiny kitchen. Some 18-inch dishwashers may even fit in the cabinet under your sink. Consult a plumber about this idea in case you need to move pipes. However, you will have far fewer choices for models of 18-inch dishwashers versus 24-inch dishwashers.

Finally, consider portable dishwashers, like the COMFEE Countertop Dishwasher. Because an on-the-counter dishwasher is tiny, it has limitations on the sizes of plates it can wash. However, it may work well for a home with one or two people. Another option is a portable rolling dishwasher, like the SPT SD-9263SS. This appliance is on wheels and connects to the faucet on your kitchen sink to obtain water, and it drains into the sink. Roll it into the kitchen to wash dishes and roll it into another when you finish.