Updated on Jan. 29, 2025
Tired of washing dishes by hand? We researched and evaluated the best countertop dishwashers to help you find the perfect compact solution for your kitchen.
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If you live in an apartment, small home, RV or even a boat, there’s a chance your kitchen doesn’t have a full-size dishwasher. Washing dishes by hand can be time-consuming (and wasteful!). And if you’re tired of scrubbing plates and forks after each meal, it might be time to invest in the best countertop dishwasher. Simply load your dishes and press start.
Countertop dishwashers are smaller, sometimes portable versions of the full-size kind, and they typically rely on a sink or built-in water tank for operation. Most can fit between two- and six-place settings per load, and they often have several wash cycle options, just like a regular dishwasher. So it’s safe to say that they’ll make cleaning the countertop a whole lot easier with those unclean dishes out of the way.
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There’s so much to love about the Airmsen Portable Countertop Dishwasher that the higher price tag ($460) just makes sense. It has the same see-through window and built-in water tank that the other ultra-compact models have, but it’s able to hold up to four place settings, compared to the standard two. It also comes with a cutlery basket and a fruit basket and can perform five washing programs: normal, speed, glass, baby care and fruit. (The speed cycle takes only 29 minutes!)
An extra nifty feature is its automatic 72-hour ventilation after the wash cycle is complete, so even if you’re a little lazy with the unloading, you can be sure the appliance and its contents stay dry and odor-free. You may use any type of detergent, including pods, liquid or powder with this machine.
Either fill the water tank or hook it up to your sink and say hello to clean dishes! More than 1,000 happy customers already have.
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Most countertop dishwashers cost between $300 and $500, but the Hamilton Beach Portable Countertop Dishwasher is a great value, retailing for less than $210. It holds up to six place settings at a time and has both heavy and normal wash cycles, depending on your needs. Within the machine, there is an automatic detergent and rinse-agent dispenser. However, note that there is no heated drying option.
What’s nice about this dishwasher—besides its low price—is that it uses less than four gallons of water for a normal wash cycle, which helps conserve water and keep bills low. However, given that it’s a budget model, there are some design flaws that can make it less convenient to use. Some reviewers note that it doesn’t always drain fully after the cycle and large dinner plates don’t fit properly within the appliance.
Make sure you pick up a clean/dirty dishwasher magnet to keep track of each load.
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Countertop dishwashers are always compact—that’s half their appeal! But few are quite as compact as the Comfee’ Countertop Dishwasher, a roughly 17-inch cube. The small-scale appliance fits easily underneath cabinets, and you can even tuck it away when it’s not running one of its six cycles: normal, rapid, steam, fruit, glass and air refresh. (The last of which is an extra drying mode to keep dishes dry and the machine fresh.)
The portable dishwasher has a built-in 5-liter water tank so that it doesn’t need to be hooked up to a faucet during operation (though it will need to drain into a sink once the wash cycle is complete). The water is heated to up to 250 degrees for thorough sterilization. The unit has a see-through window and holds two place settings at a time—perfect for one- or two-person households. Despite its reduced size, it’s still large enough to hold 10-inch dinner plates.
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The Black+Decker Countertop Dishwasher is a worthwhile splurge, especially because you’re receiving a slightly larger footprint. Some might view the size as a pitfall, but we choose to see its spaciousness as an opportunity to clean more dishes at once. This dishwasher can accommodate up to six place settings at a time, and the interior has enough room for 10-inch dinner plates. The LED display lets you know how long is left in the cycle, and it’s even mounted on locking caster wheels, making it easier to move around your counter as needed.
The machine has an attractive stainless-steel exterior that’s more modern than that of many other models, and it’s Energy Star certified, meaning it could help save money on energy bills. The dishwasher has seven wash settings, including normal, intensive, eco, glass, 90-minute, rapid and soak, and it also features an optional heated dry setting. By the way, these are our favorite dishwashing gadgets.
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Don’t want to go through the hassle of hooking up a dishwasher to your sink for every cycle? Then the Farberware countertop dishwasher is the unit for you. It doesn’t require any hookups for operation, thanks to its built-in 5-liter water tank. All you have to do is pour water into the tank, then it’s ready to go! However, it does come with a faucet hookup if you’d prefer that route.
I’ve been using this appliance regularly for more than a month and can vouch for it. I’d been without a dishwasher for three years, so I was desperate for a dishwasher sidekick. I can confidently say this machine has cut the time it takes me to do the chore in half. Time-saving aside, it’s incredibly water-saving, too, so I feel great about using it. It’s a little cumbersome to add the water to the tank with the provided pitcher, but it’s well worth it to not have to futz with a water line.
The Farberware countertop dishwasher is smaller than most and fits two or three place settings at a time, which works well for my two-person household. It has five wash programs, including options for sanitizing baby bottles and even washing fruit. (Discover more unusual items you can wash in your dishwasher.) I recommend the lengthier “normal” setting for its drying feature.
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Between the ceiling fan whirring, the washing machine thumping and the Roomba vacuum running, you have enough noise in your household. To avoid adding to the chaos too much, try the Ecozy Countertop Dishwasher, which runs at just 48 decibels. The quiet machine can perform five washing modes to match the level of your dishes’ dirtiness. The extra dry mode blasts dishes with hot air for 60 minutes, then ventilates for 72 hours.
This model boasts a convenient water tank, as well as a water hose for faucet hookup. In the box, you’ll find a dish rack, water pitcher, water hose, drain tube and more. The space-saving unit, which is 17x17x18 inches, is sure to make your suppertime routine so much simpler, whether you live in an RV, dorm, apartment, small house or boat.
We consulted Josh Mitchell, a plumbing technician and the founder of Plumbing Lab, about what he’d pay attention to when shopping for a countertop dishwasher. “The primary aspects I always advise considering are kitchen space, dishwasher capacity, energy efficiency and the types of cycles offered,” he explains. “From my experience, a suitable countertop dishwasher shouldn’t just fit your kitchen space; it should also meet your regular dishwashing demands without skyrocketing utility bills. Look for energy-efficient models that offer different wash cycles to handle various dishware and food residue.”
Annamarie Higley, Taste of Home shopping editor, has been researching and testing small appliances, kitchen gear and consumables for more than two years. Some of her prior endeavors include reviewing the Ninja Creami and the GE Opal Ice Maker. When evaluating products on the market to test and/or recommend, Annamarie has the hands-on experience to guide her selections, which she bases on price, popularity, novelty, appearance and functionality.
We found the best countertop dishwashers by conducting our own market research, scouring online vendors’ selections, reading reviews, consulting experts in the camping and plumbing spaces, and firsthand testing. Some of those models we identified as our favorites were then also recommended by industry pros. Plus, we tested the most sought-after countertop dishwasher (based on Google searches) in our own kitchen to ensure its performance matched up with its popularity. We kept different consumers’ needs in mind and curated a list of appliances that fulfill various criteria, including affordability, portability, efficiency and more.
Countertop dishwashers are incredibly efficient. They often are able to run on less water pressure and with less water than traditional dishwashers. Countertop dishwashers typically only use a few liters or gallons of water, depending on their capacity, which is also less water than hand-washing requires. Pay attention to those models with Energy Star certification, which means they’re proven to be energy efficient by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Some countertop dishwashers, such as the hOmeLabs model, require a water line, whereas others, such as the Farberware and Comfee’ models, do not. These dishwashers instead rely on a built-in water tank, typically around 5 liters, as their source of water throughout the wash cycle. Keep in mind that these dishwashers still need a place to drain, such as a bucket or a sink.
Most countertop dishwashers do dry dishes in some capacity. Some models have a separate dry cycle, whereas others incorporate drying into preset wash cycles. The only dishwasher on this list that does not have drying capabilities is the RCA model. If this feature is important to you, be sure to read the fine print on the vendor’s website before purchasing.
Additional research was contributed by Camryn Rabideau.
