Why You Need Two Dishwashers In Your Kitchen
If you're considering a kitchen renovation, it's time to think beyond backsplashes, countertops, or cabinet finishes. Right now, it's all about installing not one, but two dishwashers. Designers are seeing an uptick in double dishwasher requests from clients who are striving for a life of convenience, and you're going to want in.
There's the obvious advantages to having a second dishwasher-one being that you can get two loads done at once-and then the perks you might not have thought of, like this trick from designer Patrick Sutton: "You can use them as designated clean and dirty machines without having to empty them. Use the clean dishes from one and fill the other with dirty dishes until it's fill, then run it and switch." This will certainly save you countertop space during holiday party season.
If now you're thinking about how badly you need this, or are simply intrigued by the thought of two dishwashers, House Beautiful spoke with Sutton and two other designers who've seen the double appliances on the rise. Here are their tips you need to know, and why people are loving the idea.
Your kitchen doesn't need to be massive to have two dishwashers.
Sutton says that a dishwasher is the equivalent of a two-foot wide base cabinet, so if you have that amount of space, you can generally install two dishwashers.
If you're tight on space, a dish drawer will do the trick.
Even in a smaller space, designer Alison Pickart says there are options. "Dish drawers can be a fantastic alternative to the full height models that tend to take up an entire bank of cabinetry. They can be paneled and will fit right above another deep storage drawer," she says. And if you're not sold on the idea of a drawer, designer Tom Stringer suggests the Miele 18" wide slimline dishwasher as an alternative.
A second dishwasher could be cheaper than a cabinet.
It goes without saying that including this in your kitchen redesign might feel like a splurge, but Stringer has workaround. "We'll often use a less expensive model for the location most likely to receive pots and pans, and we've found that many times, the second dishwasher is less expensive than the cabinet it would replace."
It's entirely about making life easier.
Having two washers isn't meant to be flashy or over-the-top. It's all about convenience, each designer says. "Life is busy and families move quickly. Having a dishwasher running, while still having the ability to load dishes out of sight makes kitchen clean up a breeze," explains Pickart.
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