We’ve never had an issue with tablets (Finish, EarthChoice) used in the DW (Miele, Bosch) door compartment. We also use powder plus rinse aid in the F&P drawer DW. A tablet is a waste for a drawer.
None have provision for more than a single dose of powder or tablet. In respect of performance, we have experienced issues with some powders being less effective than others. Rinse aid if using a powder does make a difference.
In my mini dishwasher, Finish and Earth Choice both leave a small amount of soap residue after the full cycle (one is 3 hours, one is one hour) however, Aldi’s Logix 18 in 1 leaves nothing behind and does a decent job. Everything comes out really clean.
My mother, an early adaptor, had a small dishwasher called a Pony. I don’t know if this was the brand or model or a mispronunciation. It didn’t have a dispenser. I thought it was probably designed for washing glassware in a restaurant or bar, as it was two trays and couldn’t accommodate medium to large plates. It is decades old and still going. She washes plates etc in the sink.
If it has a very short cycle (2-5minutes) most likely.
They are not suitable for dishes as the wash cycle is designed for fast turn around in a pub, bar etc. the lift out tray/trays reduce the need to re-handle the glasses.
EG
‘https://www.classeq.co.uk/product-category/warewashers/undercounter-glasswashers/
Optional research required leaning up against the local pub bar with a ‘sherbet’ or two to observe in action. The current commercial models include automated chemical dosing and temperature control to meet cleaning and hygiene requirements.
We had a early model dishwasher (I believe it was a Dishlex) where there wasn’t a disperser unit for detergent. I recall there was a dispenser for the rinse aid. The inner lower door panel was stamped showing the location to place the detergent. I remember issues with reopening the door after detergent placement to add items as detergents, especially liquid ones, would leak into the lower crack between the door and body - my mother used to have words to the dishwasher when it occurred.
Hi @AusMichael , thanks for your comment, and you raise some interesting points.
I’m glad to hear you’re getting great results from your dishwasher - clearly reading the instructions properly is an underrated activity and more consumers should be doing it.
Unfortunately though, most of us don’t read instructions, and this is true of our dishwashers as much as anything. We find most people will just full the detergent dispenser and go, whether they’re using powders or tablets, and aren’t aware of using ‘pre-wash’ detergent, be it powder on the bottom of the door or via a dedicated dispenser. (for what it’s worth, we do the same thing in our lab that you do in that regard when we’re reconditioning our load from a dishwasher test). So we need to test the way most people use their dishwashers in order to provide relevant results.
The other issue is consistency - in order to make a fair comparison we need to test in the same conditions, which means the same dishwasher. Given the huge number of different dishwashers available it wouldn’t be possible for us to test each detergent in every dishwasher available (or even just the market leaders) in order to follow the dishwasher manufacturers instructions, not the detergent manufacturers. You may be right in that this would give a more accurate result, but perhaps not a real-world one for most people.
With regard to placing a tablet in the bottom of the dishwasher instead of the dispenser, this is helpful if you’re finding your tablets aren’t fully dissolving during the cycle. Yes you’re correct in that tablets are designed to dissolve in different stages, but we’ve found this isn’t an exact science, and they do tend to just dissolve all in one go (we sacrificed a video camera and light inside a dishwasher to record it).
At the end of the day though, you should do what works best for you - we can tell you what we found, which is a good starting point, but it would be great if more people paid more attention, and did the sort of research you’ve been doing here.
I hope this helps.
The latest test results are here from the lab. Check out our 2023 dishwasher detergent review:
Back to Logix 18 in 1 for me. I’ve been using earth choice tabs but in my mini dishwasher, they sometimes leave residue on cutlery and other items. Its random, but too often for me to continue.
For smaller dishwashers and especially Drawers is there either an effective powder or (smaller) tablet for what is essentially half size dishwashing?
Hi @Jude , I merged your query to this existing topic where detergent performance has been discussed.
Your point about powders (as well as gels - anything that can be measured) that might work better in smaller and drawer dishwashers is well taken but a first response would be that a high performing powder or gel would work equally well in any size dishwasher with an appropriate adjustment for dosing.
Unfortunately gels and powders did not work the best in the general test and it is probably impractical to impossible to try halving most tablets. A comparison of the best gel and powder against the top rated tablet is (tab-gel-powder ordering)
The top rated tablet looks as if it could be more successfully halved than those with fancier form factors such as those with embedded balls or multiple liquid pouches, so maybe worth a very careful try? Could halving be replicated for reliability?
I personally have never seen a ‘smaller’ tablet and while detergent strips might seem enticing for the purpose they do not work in full sizes units because they apparently do not have sufficient detergent and Choice concluded they were no more effective than water in a full size.
Hi @Jude
I recollect previous suggestions in the community included cutting a DW in half. Possibly easier with some and not others.
We’ve used F&P drawer DW’s for more than 15 years. Certainly some powders work better than others.
Not much of a surprise.
Unfortunately any revenue collected through penalties flows to general revenue rather than directly to funding further investigations and action.
Would an ever growing piggy bank for the ACCC to investigate and pursue business deliver greater consumer benefit. One could suggest businesses would be more considered. The greater the accrued funds available, the more considered the product promotion and marketing claims.
Is anyone else unable to find the Aldi Logix Platinum 18 in 1 Dishwashing Tablets, recommended in the recent review.
They’ve not been available near me for a few months. They seem to be replaced by a fancier more expensive version - gel type tablets.
I bought a box two weeks ago at ALDI Carlton ( NSW ).
I’ve been to 3 Aldi stores near me in inner north of Melbourne and it seems to have been replaced by Logix Platinum Capsules 46pk
I today purchased the older cardboard packet of platinum 18 in 1’s at Redbank Plaza Aldi. What has changed is the original 10 in 1 type has now been replaced by a 12 in 1 packet that is roughly $2.50 dearer than the 10 in 1 and only about $1 cheaper than the platinum ones. The 12 in 1 may contain more tablets as well but I have not checked that detail.
In a world already drowning in plastic trash, I try hard to choose items that don’t unnecessarily include plastic packaging - especially soft plastics, which aren’t being recycled. Many businesses are gradually converting to alternatives such as cardboard, which is good.
So … why is Aldi now moving from cardboard boxes to plastic bags for dishwasher tablets when the former has served the purpose perfectly well to date?
I believe the plastic containers are for the gel type capsules. The Platinum dry tablets are still in the cardboard boxes as are the new 12 in 1 dry tablets. Reason for the plastic packaging is probably to do with reducing risk of gel contents leaking, the plastic packet would stop leakage to the exterior. If the gel was in cardboard there is a risk that liquid could be contaminating anything in contact with the box including our skin cells if any of the capsules leaked or burst.
Oh, OK - I didn’t realise it was pods, not tablets.
For me, the fact that pods must be in a plastic bag or container is a good reason not to buy them.
CHOICE’s dishwasher detergent tests have rated both tablets and pods among the top performers. To me, that means there would be no reason to choose pods, with mandatory plastic packaging, over tablets that only need a cardboard box.
“The top four recommended products in our dishwasher detergent review, with scores of 75% and above, are all either tablets or pods. And our bottom three performers are all powders.”
