Welcome to the 838th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? We were having a tease of spring here in Georgia, but it’s gone now and winter is back! This happens every year, of course, that little tease of spring that lasts about a week before the cold returns. At least it doesn’t look like what I’m seeing through my RING doorbell in Ohio. I’m so glad I’m not there right now!
I have a cute little opossum who has started visiting the Dollhouse at night. Opossums are really great to have around since they eat a lot of the things that we don’t especially want around our houses. 
2-Drawer Dishwashers: A few days ago I shared a list of things I’d like to get done in the Dollhouse during the coming months. One of those goals was to replace the ancient dishwasher here in the kitchen. I’ve been looking for a dishwasher with just two racks since I don’t like how much lower to the ground the bottom rack is in dishwashers that have a top, third rack. (Note: The bottom rack ends up about 4 inches lower to the ground than you’ll find in two-rack dishwashers.) When I load my son’s dishwasher, it always feels awkward to me since I’m so used to my 2-rack KitchenAid Superba dishwasher back home in Georgia. Plus, I know I would never use the top/third rack since I prefer washing smaller items (like plastic lids and such) by hand. 
I’m so glad I mentioned my dishwasher quest in that previous post! A lovely BNOTP reader, Janet, left a comment that has sent me off in a completely different direction. Janet said,
If you have room in your budget for dishwasher drawers, I highly recommend them! We usually use the top drawer but having the bottom is ideal when we have dinner parties or at the holidays. We’re seniors so having everything at waist level is great. The washer easily has enough room for service for 6 in just the top drawer and we run it about twice a week. We have used drawers since 2008 and I put them in 2 remodels. Ours are Fisher Paykel but I think there are other brands out there. Good luck with your plans!
Ohhh, dishwasher drawers! After doing a bit of research online which involved looking at a lot of photos, reading reviews at various stores, including an interesting thread I found on Reddit, and watching several YouTube videos, the drawer-style dishwasher sounds like something I would really enjoy using. My only concern was if I’d have enough room in the small Dollhouse kitchen. Turns out, they don’t take up any more room than your average dishwasher! Awesome!
After reading Janet’s comments, I did a bit a little research online, checking the many reviews on various drawer-style dishwashers. The brand that appears to have the best reviews is Fisher & Packel. Their reviews looked really good!
GE makes a two-drawer dishwasher that’s part of their Cafe line of appliances, but the reviews/ratings I found online didn’t appear as favorable as those for the Fisher & Packel 2-drawer dishwasher. If you are ever appliance shopping, I very much recommend reading all the reviews you can find online. The more information you have, the better! Best Buy carries both the GE and the Fisher & Packel brand online, but my Best Buy sales guy in Ohio informed me that they only have the GE Cafe one on the floor to see. So before I head back to Ohio, I should check out some of the local stores here in Metro Atlanta since I’d like to see the Fisher & Packel dishwasher in person before ordering it.
I do have one concern that my sales guy brought up: I need to verify the plumbing situation in the Dollhouse kitchen to see if a two-drawer dishwasher will work there. I’m pretty sure a 2-drawer dishwasher requires an extra plumbing line, but I’m not positive about that. That would add to the expense, if it can even be run. I think it could done since the area below the kitchen is partially unfinished, so the plumbing is visible there. If it’s possible, I’ll need to decide if I want to invest the extra $$$ for the plumbing and the extra cost for the 2-drawer dishwasher. That’s a lot to think about since I’m not sure how many years I will be living in that home. Also, would the next buyer like a 2-drawer-style dishwasher? I guess they could replace it if they didn’t.
One thing I really like about the 2-drawer dishwasher idea is it’s perfect for us empty nesters. It can take me 4-5 days to fill up a regular dishwasher enough to justify running it. A 2-drawer dishwasher is perfect for just one of two people, but that second drawer is always available when having family/friends over for dinner.
While reading reviews online, I found that some people use one drawer for their china/dinnerware and the other drawer for pots and pans. I never place my pots/pans in the dishwasher for fear of damaging the handles. Also, they take up too much space inside the dishwasher. But if I ever have cookware without handles that can be damaged, I like the idea of placing those in the lower drawer. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, you can run both drawers at the same time. That was one of the questions I had. 
Have you had any experience with 2-drawer dishwashers? I would love to hear your experiences and how you liked it!
Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters linked for this week’s Met Monday! Pssst: Did you know Between Naps On The Porch is on Instagram? You’ll find me on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch. Like to know when a new blog post is up? Subscribe for email updates (it’s free) and your e-mail will never be shared. Subscribe for free post updates here: Subscribe.
We bought a two drawer dishwater years ago when we did a small remodel job in our kitchen. It is a Fisher Paykel and we love it. It is just my hubby and I but we like that we can start loading up dishes while another set is washing plus for parties it is great. We got custom wood fronts for our drawers to match the island cabinetry as you can see the dishwasher when you are in the foyer of our house.
We need a new dishwasher, but muddling thru with a 10 year old version. Your opossum friend is a cutie. Did you read about the poor guy online that ate an entire Costco chocolate cake? Thanks for having us over. Have a great week!
That’s funny – I did some research about the two drawer dishwasher after Janet’s comment too! I love the idea of one drawer for just us, and one for when we entertain. Thanks for doing some of the research for us. I’ll be curious to see what you end up with if anything. And thanks as always for the party! Love to see what everyone’s up to. Hapy Monday!
I noticed on a friend’s two drawer dishwasher that the lower one is smaller than the upper. It is not a Fisher and Pakel so maybe the F&P has identical drawers. It is something to be sure to look for.
Call the top appliance stores in Atlanta and let them tell you what brands they recommend as there are so many out there. I had Thermador, Kitchenaid, and Bosch all stainless inside and out and loved each one. I know Ferguson has a showroom and there may be other showrooms as well. This way you can see if any work for you and also let them measure before buying.
I’ve never heard of a two-drawer dishwasher. I hope we don’t need another one for a while, but I’ll keep that in mind. As far as height for a dishwasher, my MIL lived with us when we built this house, and we had that cabinet elevated, so the DW was higher than normal to enable her to load and unload the DW without bending so much. Now I’m really glad we did because of my back issues. We have friends with a DW about counter height which enables to them to do the same.
The opossum is very cute.
What is the primary advantage to a drawer dishwasher? I’ve never owned a Fisher Paykel dishwasher, but I did have both their washer and dryer until they finally lived their lives, and had to be replaced, and I did like those appliances. My biggest suggestion would be to look at service options in your area before investing in any major appliances. If the retailer offers an extended warranty when purchasing, be sure to know who is doing the servicing. Is it the manufacturer, or is it farmed out to some independent appliance repair? My experience is that the independents are a bit fly-by-night, and are not always qualified to service the brand you purchase. I prefer to purchase a brand that services their own products, even if I have to pay a little more.
I bought a house that has a Fischer Paykel two drawer dishwasher. After two years I would say I do like the ability to do smaller loads. I am single and it takes me a while to create a load. It cleans well and it is convenient to be able to start loading the second drawer while the first is washing. I do have a bit more trouble arranging dishes. Also, it is supposed to require only a small amount of dry detergent but I have ended up using the pods in order achieve true cleaning. The only other negative I have is that I can’t load really big pieces like soup pots or large mixing bowls; they must be washed by hand. But I can say the dishwasher has been very reliable and consistent. It is definitely more efficient than a full size dishwasher.
I think a drawer dishwasher has possibilities. It seems perfect for a butler’s pantry if you have one. I didn’t know how they operate so your post is very informative. I can only vouch for the company since I had both a washer and a dryer made by them. My dryer just quit on me after 19 years. I suppose we could have looked at repair (heat sensor) but since it was so old and electronic parts, decided on new. The only con I can think of is repair service. Be sure there is available service in your area. Two drawers seems ideal in the kitchen. Hope you can find a display model!
We put in Fisher and Paykel dish drawers when we built our house 21 years ago, and I love them! We also have a full size DW, since we built a B&B, and at one point had lots of guests. We have 4 children, married, and 9 grands, so we’ve had a house full at times. We have 5 guest bedrooms, so lots of room. We put full size F&P “top drawers,” one on either side of the sink. We are looking to downsize and build another house, so I will add F&P dish drawers again.
Oh how I would LOVE to have dishwasher drawers. I am looking forward to all your research info, Susan. It’s just the two of us so I mostly just wash our dishes and only use my large DW when we have company. Which the older I get the less I entertain……I think a DW drawer would be perfect.
I really like the idea of two dishwasher drawers, and I will consider F&P when my 17 year old GE profile bites the dust.
Susan, give consideration to taking your flag down when you are not in Ohio. Having been through a derecho when bad weather wasn’t even in the forecast, I can tell you that flag would become a projectile.
I think it’s pretty well anchored. I love seeing it through the RING doorbell when I’m not there so I would hate to take it down. My electrician (he’s ex-military, as we are) helped me install a new holder after I moved in. The previous holder (that was already on the house) had been installed upside down, so the new flag that I purchased after moving in, would not hang high enough to stay out of the shrub below it. Once I realized the holder was upside down, I purchased a new one, but couldn’t get two of the screws out. Thankfully, my electrician had the right type of drill to get them out and then he insisted on helping me install the new one. So it’s very well anchored in place. Thanks for that warning, Cindy. I’ll check it when I’m back in Ohio just to make sure.
Concerning the flag, we discovered that squirrels were getting into our attic by climbing up on our flag, not a pole, but the flag that’s in a holder mounted to the wall. May want to look at that when you go back to Ohio.
Love the Dollhouse and all you’re doing.
Just an FYI about washing pots and pans in the dishwasher. An acquaintance took culinary arts classes and was told to never wash pots and pans in a dishwasher.
So much to think about with dishwashers! Our current home has a 3rd rack in the dishwasher, and I had never used one before. I didn’t think it would be very useful, but now I actually love it! Over the past couple of years, I have replaced everything plastic in my kitchen with glass, and that uppermost rack is fabulous for washing the glass left-over bowls! They lay flat and get perfectly clean; I can even run a sanitize cycle if someone has been ill. I understand about the water usage concerns, but this KitchenAid dishwasher only uses a total of 4 gallons of water — the same as a single flush of a low-water usage toilet. My husband uses more than that rinsing one dish …
I’m so glad that third rack is working well for you. I place my bowls in my top rack of my 2-rack dishwasher and find that works well. I don’t have any water usage concerns, that doesn’t worry me at all. The thing I don’t like is how 3-rack dishwashers shove the bottom rack, the rack that we use the most, so close down to the floor. My older 2-rack, KitchenAid Superba dishwasher is a lot higher up from the floor than 3-rack dishwashers, and I really like that. For example, from the floor to the top surface of the door when it’s open is 12 inches. The current 3-rack dishwashers on the market are around 8 inches up from the floor when measuring from the floor to the top of the door when it’s open. I first noticed this when I was loading the Bosch dishwasher at my son’s home. I’m in good shape and bending over isn’t an issue, but I don’t want a top third rack that I know I’ll never use. I’m really hoping the 2 drawer dishwasher will fit, it sounds like such a common-sense design since it places the top drawer, which is all I would use 99% of the time, right at waist height. I love the sound of that!
I have the Fisher & Packel 2 drawer dishwashers and love them. I also have a traditional 3 rack dishwasher but the Fisher & Packel is much better.
Thanks so much for hosting this charming party!!! I truly do appreciate it as I do know the time involved with it….I hope you and your family are well and enjoying your week!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Hi Susan, we are also looking for a new dishwasher and the salesman, who has been at a family run, local appliance chain for a long time, mentioned that the location of the existing plumbing often dictates the kind of dishwasher you can purchase. Whether the pipes run under or aside the existing dishwasher can make the install easy or cost extra $. Anything is possible with the willingness to spend the money, but good to know before you get your heart set on something. We are lucky because our plumbing does allow for a taller dishwasher, so we are less limited. Good luck with your project!
I think all dishwasher “holes” are the same size. I think builders/contractors make the hole where the dishwasher goes all the same size or people would have trouble shopping for dishwashers. Maybe some countertops are higher in kitchens, although I think that pretty standard, too. Fortunately, 2-drawer dishwashers take up the same space as a larger single dishwasher, or at least that’s what I’ve been told. I just hope it doesn’t cost too much to have the plumbing run for a second dishwasher drawer. I’ll have to see how that works once I get an estimate. Seems like everything with older home costs a lot more!
You sure are right about older houses costing more as far as doing almost anything. 🙂 They are truly a labor of love, but so worth it for their individuality and charm! As far as the dishwashers go, it is not the hole in the cabinetry for the dishwasher that is the issue, it is the placement of the pipes running to the dishwasher. Something I didn’t know was even an issue until we started shopping for a new DW. Some water and waste pipes go to the DW from the bottom, and some come in from the side. I guess you can find out by looking into the adjacent cabinet where the sink is. This may not make any sense (until you talk to a plumber or salesman who can explain it better than I can), but we found our pipes come in from the side so we could get a ‘taller’ interior DW with a 3rd rack if we wanted. Enjoy your warmer weather!!! We are at a toasty -18 this morning. 😉
Hi Susan, we completely remodeled our kitchen in 2011 and the dishwasher we bought was a Fisher Paykel. It’s just my husband and I at home. The larger drawer is perfect for us and fill it every couple of days. The bottom drawer is perfect for when we have the family over on Sundays, Holidays or parties. I always hated a dishwasher with a single door and absolutely love my dishwasher with the two drawers. I prefer to wash my pans by hand. The only thing I don’t like is a large cookie sheet will not fit in the drawer so I just wash my hand. A tip: I was told by my appliance man to add a cup of vinegar to each drawer and run empty once every other month, keeps it nice and clean and very important if you live where you have hard water. Believe me you will love your Fisher Paykel dishwasher if you decide to purchase.
This won’t help you Susan but if anyone is considering a remodel look into the dishwasher cabinets that elevate the dishwasher. We had ours put in in 2010 so they are not a new idea..what a back saver. I too am looking to replace my dishwasher but can anyone inform me about some of the models taking as long as 2 hours to do a cycle? Thanks.
Run don’t walk away from a Paykel. I had one installed in my condo because it allowed me to buy the stove I wanted and a regular dishwasher door would not allow me to open the door fully. After 3 years it would not drain. Fortunately I had bought an extended warranty. The first repair bill was $1200 just a little under what I had paid for the dishwasher. Not 2 weeks later the bottom unit went out and the bill for that was $1800. Parts are hard to get as the machine is not manufactured in the United State but New Zealand. I gave up and purchased the GE and have so far been well pleased. I am 73 and that drawer definitely saves my back. I rarely used the 2nd drawer but it does come in handy at times. Also my installation on either brand required no extra plumbing work.
I didn’t know GE made the drawer dishwashers, I will def look at those. Treva, are you able to run both drawers at the same time? I wonder if that requires extra plumbing since I’ll have two dishwasher drawers. Sorry you had such a tough time with Fisher & Paykel. Do you have hard water where you live? I have hard water in Ohio so I was looking at the Fisher & Paykel that has a built-in water softener, though I already have a whole house water softener.
Susan I have had two houses that had F&P drawer dishwashers. I absolutely recommend them for two reasons. With only two of us I load the top drawer and if we have company I can use both. I like the bottom drawer for doing wine glasses or large items. The machine is extremely quiet which is a huge plus. We have very hard water, we have an in house water softener but use Affresh or a once a month vinegar rinse. No regrets, love them!
Thanks for that great info, Barb! I like the idea of using Affresh! The F & P unit with a built-in water softener costs a bit more and you have to remember to keep it filled with the proper kind of salt for dishwashers. I’d rather just use the Affresh every so often, especially since I already have the whole-house water softener and a whole-house water filter.
I have the Fisher Paykel 2 drawer dishwasher and love it. My lower drawer is not as tall as the top, so I don’t put dinner plates in it, but still have plenty of room. I don’t remember any extra plumbing involved with installation.