Dishwashers are very convenient. Although I've spent a long time without one, once you get used to having one around, it's hard to let go of it because you simply pop your dirty dishes inside and before you know it, you've got clean dishes. Slimline dishwashers are made for smaller places, perfect for the small studio or apartment where you'd usually omit a dishwasher.
The Gorenje Slimline GV51010 is a good fit for smaller households. There are more and more slimline dishwashers available, which seems to indicate that more people are finding room for them in their kitchens, no matter how much space they have available. It measures about 18 inches in width and uses 3.5 gallons per load.
The ATAG VA4511AT is a slimline and fully integrated dishwasher. It's supposed to be a very quiet dishwasher, making as little as 47dB. A normal conversation is rated at about 50 dB, so these dishwashers are pretty quiet.
The Bosch SRI 45T35EU is another slimline dishwasher that also measures only 18 inches in width. It's energy efficient and uses only 2.9 gallons of water per load. This one is also pretty quiet, at 45dB, but almost costs twice the amount of the ATAG.
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SMEG also has an 18" and a 20" set of dishwashers that are very quiet (equivalent to the Bosch one). The STA4645U is about the same price as the Bosch but well worth it.
Danby, Avanti, and GE also had products in the market when we were looking a couple of years ago.
I have a stainless steel GE Spacemaker® 18" Built-In Dishwasher in my tiny apartment in Brooklyn Heights. It does the job, looks good, and didn't break the bank!
@trishuh79- I've been looking for the Spacemaker, do you mind spilling where you purchased yours?
Spacemaker is available at both Lowes and Home Depot for $579 - on sale at HD right now for $521!
My first dishwasher 30+ years ago was an 18" Kenmore. It was great except it didn't hold large skillets or pans. In this house, we installed a 24" dishwasher and I love it. I'd probably give up cabinet space for a larger dishwasher.