Introduction
Washing dishes is a daily chore that can take up a lot of time and energy, especially for those with small kitchens. If you’re tired of washing dishes by hand or want to upgrade from a portable dishwasher, the Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher might be the perfect solution. This compact and efficient built-in dishwasher can save you time and money with its low water consumption and six wash cycles. In this review, we will discuss the pros and cons of this product, its features, and who it’s best suited for.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Compact size makes it ideal for small kitchens | The dishwasher needs to be installed by a professional |
| Energy Star compliant with low water consumption | Limited capacity of 8 place settings |
| Stainless steel tub is durable and long-lasting | No automatic food disposal system |
| Quiet operation at only 52 decibels | Limited color options |
Who Is This Product For?
The Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher is an excellent choice for anyone with a small kitchen or limited space. It’s also perfect for those who are looking for a more energy-efficient option to reduce their water consumption and electricity bills. With its six wash cycles, this dishwasher is ideal for individuals or small families who don’t have large loads of dishes to wash.
The Features of Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher
The Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher is packed with features that make it a standout option for anyone looking for a compact and efficient dishwasher for their small kitchen. Here are four features that make the Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher stand out from other dishwashers in the market.
Six Wash Cycles
The Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher offers six wash cycles, including Heavy, Normal, Eco, Rapid, Glass, and Rinse. This feature allows you to choose the perfect cycle for your dishes, whether they’re heavily soiled or delicate. The Heavy cycle is great for pots and pans, while the Normal cycle is perfect for everyday dishes.
The Eco cycle is an energy-saving option that uses less water and energy, while the Rapid cycle is ideal for when you need your dishes washed quickly. The Glass cycle is designed to be gentle on delicate glassware, and the Rinse cycle is perfect for giving your dishes a quick rinse before loading them into the dishwasher.
Stainless Steel Tub
The dishwasher’s stainless steel tub is not only durable and long-lasting but also helps to reduce bacteria growth, making it a more hygienic option for washing dishes. Unlike plastic tubs that can absorb odors and stains over time, stainless steel is more resistant to these issues, ensuring that your dishes come out clean and fresh every time. Additionally, stainless steel is more durable than plastic, which means that your dishwasher will last longer and require less maintenance over time.
Low Water Consumption
The Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher is Energy Star compliant, meaning it uses less water and energy than other dishwashers. This feature not only helps to conserve resources but also saves you money on your monthly utility bills. The dishwasher uses only 2.85 gallons of water per wash cycle, which is less than half of what other dishwashers use. This means that you can wash your dishes without worrying about wasting water or contributing to your carbon footprint.
Delay Start Feature
The delay start feature is a convenient option that allows you to schedule your dishwasher to start at a later time. This feature is perfect for those who want to save energy by running their dishwasher during off-peak hours. You can set the delay start for up to 24 hours in advance, giving you complete control over when your dishwasher starts. This feature is especially helpful if you want to take advantage of lower electricity rates during certain times of the day or night.
Other Features
In addition to these four standout features, the Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher has other features that make it a great option for small kitchens. The dishwasher has a capacity of up to eight place settings, which is perfect for individuals or small families. It also comes with a silverware basket, which makes it easy to load and unload your cutlery. The dishwasher’s electronic controls with digital display provide easy select options with the touch of a button, and the dishwasher’s quiet operation ensures that you can maintain a peaceful ambiance in your kitchen.
One of the unique features of this dishwasher is its Smart Wash technology. This feature automatically detects the level of washing needed and chooses the best cycle to ensure that your dishes come out clean every time. This means that you don’t have to worry about selecting the right cycle for your dishes – the dishwasher does it for you.
Final Verdict
Overall, the Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher is a great choice for anyone with a small kitchen or limited space. Its compact size, six wash cycles, and low water consumption make it an efficient and practical option for individuals or small families. The dishwasher’s stainless steel tub is not only durable but also more hygienic than plastic tubs, and its quiet operation ensures you can maintain a peaceful ambiance in your kitchen.
While there are some downsides to the product, such as limited capacity and color options, these are minor compared to its benefits. If you’re looking for an affordable and efficient dishwasher that can fit into your small kitchen, the Danby 18-Inch Built-In Dishwasher is definitely worth considering. Its six wash cycles, stainless steel tub, and low water consumption make it a great option for anyone who wants to save time and money while still enjoying clean and hygienic dishes.
Top Amazon Customer Comments
Snsmom – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: We have a very small home and wanted a dishwasher that would fit in an existing cabinet space. This dishwasher is perfect. Installation giving 4 stars because the fitting on the front is a little hard to get to, if it was a little higher that would be so much easier. Does a great job cleaning. It doesn’t do a great job drying but I discovered if you crack open the door a few inches right after running, it allows the warm air to escape and the dishes dry fairly quick. We are very pleased with the purchase.
Snsmom – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: Due to backorders galore and prices ranging from $650-1100 for most 18″ dishwashers We looked at (Do NOT get Me started on why a smaller dishwasher costs far more than a standard-size as many have asked, the simple fact is that they are just not as popular and therefore have a much slower sales rate, hence the higher cost) I took the risk on this Danby and WOW – So far i am quite amazed.
BrewCityMusic – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: very easy to use! fits perfect without taking up too much space. family or four and is able to keep up on the dishes great. run it every night to help keep a clean kitchen and have clean dry dishes every morning! very easy to install for someone with limited knowledge of DIY projects or for those that may struggle with similar tasks.
BrewCityMusic – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: This 20 inch dishwasher was a great price and is exactly what we were looking for. Despite the small size it holds lots of dirty dishes, is energy efficient, runs quietly and does a top notch job washing our dishes. The glasses come out sparkly clean and the cutlery as well- which can be a challenge. It does take a long time to complete the cycle but it is well worth it. Highly recommend.
Raider81 – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: I purchased the Danby 18-inch dishwasher after a few months of planning. I bought an older home without a garbage disposal or dishwasher, so this was part of my DIY project. I chose an 18-inch dishwasher because it fit into an existing cabinet opening. I had to remove the upper drawer and lower cabinet floor, but there was no need to widen the cabinet. In my pictures you can see the dishwasher installed, as well as another cabinet in my kitchen that has the same dimensions. The cavity width is almost exactly 18 inches wide by 32.5 inches tall, and I feel like the Danby fits perfectly. In this price range I found that there were really only 2 options: Danby and Edgestar. Although I liked the more traditional controls on the Edgestar, the Danby was about $50 cheaper and had similar reviews. The controls on this Danby unit are fine, but you definitely need to read the manual; they aren’t intuitive. If I was installing the dishwasher in a place where it would be used by a lot of different people, I would have probably gone with the Edgestar for that reason. Performance has been fantastic. I’d say the sound level is normal, and my wife said she’s pleasantly surprised with the sound as well. It also cleans by dishes just as well as the 24-inch Frigidaire model that I had in my previous home. I found that unlike in previous 24-inch dishwashers I’ve owned, rinse-aid is a must in this unit. Without rinse-aid, it does take a very long time for the dishes to become completely dry. Fortunately, the Danby has an indicator light that advises you when rinse aid is low, so this should make it hard to run out. Overall I’m very pleased with this dishwasher, especially since the more well-known brands are twice as expensive! My install took me a few days of casual working, as I was starting from scratch like I mentioned earlier. On the first day I installed a GFCI/AFCI 20 amp circuit to power both the dishwasher and garbage disposal, and installed the garbage disposal. As you can see from my photos, I wired all of the electrical into a single work box with a switch for the garbage disposal for simplicity. As I mentioned earlier, this is an older home, and it was more or less impossible to get the electrical up the wall from the shallow crawlspace below the sink. Furthermore, I didn’t want to fool with the backsplash tile and potentially damage it. A different solution would have been an air pressure switch mounted on the counter-top, but that would have taken additional time. Overall I see little to no inconvenience with the in-cabinet switch, and my understanding is this was more common in the past, anyway. The next day I modified the cabinet and installed the dishwasher. The only additional part I needed that isn’t typically included in a dishwasher install kit was a y splitter for my water supply. Obviously if you’re replacing a dishwasher you’ll already have a place to connect your water inlet hose, but given that I was starting from scratch I needed to do that. Since I wasn’t installing an air gap, I made sure to route the drain line pretty high to mitigate the risk of a drain backup. On a different day I re-plummed the drain to eliminate my outdated s-trap and to provide a more appropriate and efficient route for my new setup. I also filled some imperfections in the wood trim, sanded, and painted. Although I would have preferred a 24-inch model, this Danby has really brought my kitchen into modern times, and I couldn’t be happier. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs an 18-inch solution who’s trying to avoid the high prices of the major brands!