I have a skinny dishwasher, like the Danby. Its awesome- fits way more than you would imagine! And it is quite the conversation piece when people come over

If the dishwasher is that little, why not just wash the dishes by hand?

I have an 18-inch dishwasher that we retrofit. As a person who doesn't mind washing dishes, I still love it. We now handwash only pots and pans and the very best part: the counters are always clean! There are never dirty dishes waiting or wet dishes drying or dry dishes waiting to be put away. With the counters clear, I can keep them all clean and shiny. I can put a cute lamp on the counter now. Really, huge difference in the look of the kitchen, and less work. Double rainbow!

@Jasmineisdomestic dishwashers still take less energy and water than hand washing. Also....you don't have to hand wash!

I wish more apts would consider doing this. We have a tiny kitchen but a full-size dishwasher that we have trouble filling up every week. We could really use the extra cabinet space one of these would free up.

I have a regular sized dishwasher and wish it was smaller like the one in the photo. I'll actually be doing my dishes by hand (haven't moved yet!) since it's only me and I only have a set for four, but a small one would be nice for entertaining.

I love smaller dishwashers! Like folks are saying, it probably wouldn't work for a larger family. But for a couple, trying to fill up a dishwasher can take DAYS. So you're left handwashing things because you don't want to wait a week to use that mug again, or you have to waste electricity and water to wash a half or quarter load.

My mother in law actually has two small drawer-type dishwashers, which is the best of both worlds, because you can do large washes just like a regular dishwasher, or only fill up one and do small loads. Best of all, you can have one running while you're still filling up the other, which is awesome for parties.

We have a small kitchen but I love having the full sized dishwasher. It's really nice to just run a whole load of plates and pans. I cook a lot, so there's a lot of turnaround and smaller dishwashers probably can't handle a large pan.

@JasmineIsDomestic, aside from being far more energy and water efficient than they used to be, most new dishwashers actually have a "sanitize" cycle and can prevent the spread of sickness throughout the household...unlike hand washing.

I agree with all the folks that favor the smaller dishwashers. I am saving to remodel my small condo kitchen and plan on replacing the larger dishwasher that I NEVER use with these more compact ones.
Just note that through my research, the cost HIGHER than a full size one. Maybe because they aren't as popular.
I plan on putting in recycle bins in the extra space I'll have from removing the full size washer.

@JASMINEISDOMESTIC because a dishwasher allows you to not have to wash dishes by hand and because it sterilizes dishes, which hand washing does not.

I really like the drawer model (#1).

Our apartments have all had regular dishwashers, and it usually takes several days for us to fill it up enough to run it.

I would also love the smaller dishwasher! Maybe when we buy a condo!

I have the Supentown, and love it, but it isn't a dishwasher- it's only a dish dryer. So, I wash by hand, then stick it in the dryer, which also heats up the plates.

It makes me feel like they get more clean that way, or sanitized.

My last place had the Fisher & Paykel drawer style dishwasher. It worked very well and was quiet. It's 24" wide but only half the height of a regular dishwasher. We had a big storage drawer below. These are the perfect size for a 2 person household if you don't do a ton of cooking. The only problem for me was that large baking items didn't fit. Now in a new place I chose to get a full sized Bosch dishwasher. I can put baking sheets and oven racks in it and they come out clean.

As I have a small kitchen I needed the smallest appliances around -- and chose a single-drawer dishwasher. It allows me a drawer below for all my pots (which otherwise I wouldn't have). Since most of the time I don't have enough dishes at once for a full load I use it as an easy-access under-cabinet drying rack, keeping my counters available for cooking.

I've been without a dishwasher most of my life and when I finally had my tiny kitchen renovated, I wanted a dishwasher. Dishes and pans were never as clean as with a dishwasher, most of the time. Since I cook a lot, the amount of time and water I spent washing dishes daily would add to a couple of hours/week.

I decided on an 18" to save space but sadly, in the US, there are not a lot of affordable options with good quality. I had either the low end $500 Sears washer which is incredibly loud and takes forever to clean (per my cousin) or higher end brands like Bosch & Miele. I opted for an 18" Bosch, but I must say, it's incredibly quiet, no maintenance so far (2+ years) and cleans beautifully and quietly. One of the best investments I've made.

Do not get FISHER-PAYKEL!! Their dishwashers break often. We have two friends each with FISHER-PAYKEL dishwashers and both say they were repair nightmares.

It's not exactly an elegant solution, but GE makes an undersink dishwasher that could be about the only option in some kitchens:

http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/html/GEAResults.htm#Category=Dishwashers&Filters=STYLE!Under-the-Sink

It has a reduced upper rack to allow for the sink.

Oops, that link got mangled a bit. GE Under-Sink Dishwashers

Has anyone tried the IKEA dishwasher?
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10091976/

I have an 18" from Sears, which I bought when I remodeled my small kitchen a couple years ago. I love having a dishwasher (didn't have one at all before), but mine is not nearly as powerful or effective as most full-sized ones. It was the best I could do in my budget, but it sounds like a Bosch, or even a drawer dishwasher, may have been better. But, it's still nice to have, and I can fit a pretty good number of dishes in there.

CLODE: This won't be a help, but just about everything I've purchased at IKEA has failed or broken. So I'm very shy about making purchases from them anymore. My sister told me that one of her neighbors in the condo she owns has an IKEA kitchen and loves it. I saw a designer on a home show purchase an entire kitchen from IKEA so who knows...maybe their kitchen appliances/cabinets are okay. :o}~

I've never had a problem with my Fisher Paykel dishdrawers. One will be seven years old soon! Super quiet and even though I only use the "fast+eco" setting, does an outstanding job! Highly recommend!

@Lauri the Sunpentown Countertop that you link to isn't a dishwasher at all. It's just a dish dryer. It has no hookup to water and no functions which would wash any dishes. It just circulates hot air to dry and sterilize dishes.

Went with the 18" GE Monogram for my tiny kitchen rehab, mainly for the price--I really didn't want to spend another $800+ for the higher end German brands. So far, I am extremely happy with the performance and size of this machine. It's very quiet, the dishes come out sparkling clean, and it holds just the right amount for 1 or 2 people. I did not get to see the Monogram in person--had to order it blindly and hoped for the best. The only thing I'm disappointed in is the higher than normal kickplate. As far as I can tell, most 18" dishwashers have a shorter door than the 24" models which results in a taller kickplate. It's very noticeable and doesn't look quite right. Still trying to figure out how to remedy this...otherwise I'm happy.

Bruintoo: How odd...we have two different friends with drawer style Fisher Paykels and report a litany of problems as well.

Watch out if you think the GE 'under-sink' dishwasher is a good idea - as a designer who specializes in renovating small apartments, I thought it was fantastic!
Until I read the specs and found out it is over 26" deep AND you need at least 10" space at the side to re-route the plumbing (plus the cost of the plumber to do that), AND you can only use the approved sink which is a huge, ugly shallow monster of a thing!

@CLODE - I'm sure the IKEA dishwasher is a quality appliance. They used to be made by Whirlpool and still may be. However, it's still the size of a standard dishwasher - 24".

I just bought the Danby 18" dishwasher and love it! Maybe it's just the fact that I don't have to hand wash a big dinner's worth of prep, cooking, and dinnerware but it's worked great so far! My glasses have not been cleaner. Ever!

Have a look at the SPT Countertop Dishwasher.

This little guy works great and fits perfectly in my cozy kitchen. Cleans pretty good.. sometimes, but not often, the silverware doesn't get as cleaned as I like but otherwise I've even had my pots and pans in there and it's done a respectable job. I wish I'd bought this years ago. Great value for the money, plus its quiet and very energy efficient. I'm in love.