Our top pick, the GE 24-inch Portable Dishwasher, offers the convenience and capacity of a full-size dishwasher, yet it’s mounted on caster wheels and hooks up to a faucet for easy operation. Here, the best portable dishwashers for clean dishes in any space, large or small. If you’re looking for the convenience and capacity of a full-size dishwasher, this 24-inch portable model from GE is the way to go. It can hold up to 12 place settings at a time thanks to its spacious interior, and it even has a hard food disposer that ensures solid pieces don’t clog up its arms or your drains. The dishwasher comes in three stylish finishes to match your kitchen, and it’s mounted on swiveling caster wheels so you can move it around your kitchen as needed. This GE Portable Dishwasher is Energy Star-certified, meaning it uses less energy per cycle, and it easily hooks up to your faucet for operation. There are five wash cycles to choose from, including a heavy wash for big messes, an auto-sensing cycle that adjusts its settings to the soil level, and even a high-temperature sanitize option that reduces the amount of bacteria found on dishes. You can adjust the settings via the unit’s hidden control panel, and you can even delay its start time between one and 12 hours. This portable dishwasher is on the quieter side, operating at around 54 decibels, and the top rack is adjustable to accommodate larger pots and pans on the bottom level. The only real downside is that the unit doesn’t have a heated dry setting, which means your dishes may come out somewhat wet. Overall, though, it’s an attractive, efficient, and well-priced option for any kitchen. Price at time of publish: $949 Despite its low price, this countertop dishwasher offers a wide range of wash settings, including heavy, normal, eco, glass, 90-minute, and rapid modes. It has both upper and lower spray arms in its stainless steel tub, and there are even high-temperature washing and heated dry settings. A three-part filter system helps to keep food out of the pump and wash arms, and the unit is even Energy Star-certified. However, you will want to pre-rinse dishes to remove any large particles or caked-on food, as this unit isn’t the most effective at getting tough gunk off. Price at time of publish: $375 This Energy Star-certified dishwasher has six different wash cycles, including a high-temperature wash and heated dry options. However, the heated dry setting isn’t the best—your dishes will likely come out somewhat wet, but a rinse aid can help. The appliance has a quick-connect faucet connection, and it’s mounted on four caster wheels, two of which can be locked. The dishwasher has a durable stainless steel interior, and there are white and black finishes to choose from. Price at time of publish: $699 This portable dishwasher only offers three cycles—normal, heavy, and one-hour wash—but it does have a high-temperature option and a heated dry setting. The unit has a four-hour delay option, as well as a control lock that prevents children from accidentally starting it, and the design is even Star-K certified as Kosher Consumer Friendly. Some people do find the buttons on the control panel hard to read, but there are only a few options, so you should be able to figure them out fairly quickly. Price at time of publish: $999 This countertop dishwasher is Energy Star-certified, and it has a dish rack and silverware basket that allow you to fit more in each wash. The controls are simple to use, and the unit has a sleek appearance that isn’t an eyesore in your kitchen. However, there’s no drying cycle, which means your dishes might still be a bit wet when they come out of the dishwasher. A rinse aid can help get the contents drier, though. Price at time of publish: $275 This dishwasher is mounted on caster wheels, and it comes with a faucet adapter that makes it easy to attach to your sink. There’s an automatic detergent and rinse agent dispenser on the inner door, and you can select from six wash programs, including heavy, normal, glass, 90-minute, and more. However, the manufacturer does note that the hose may leak if it’s attached to a faucet with a detached side sprayer, so this isn’t the best option if your sink is set up that way. Price at time of publish: $758 This countertop dishwasher can hold up to six place settings at a time, and it can even accommodate 12-inch plates if you put them at an angle. There are five wash settings to choose from, including normal, rapid, and glass, as well as a baby care option that uses steam to sanitize bottles. The appliance has an air exchange function that helps to dry dishes after the cycle is complete, and the see-through window gives you a front row seat to watch your tableware being cleaned. Price at time of publish: $400 You can fit up to six place settings in this dishwasher, which features a dish rack, cup shelf, and utensil basket. Plates up to 10.5 inches in diameter fit inside the washing tub, and there are seven wash cycles to choose from, including heavy-duty, glassware, eco, and more. On a normal cycle, this unit only uses 2.85 gallons of water, and its quick-connect faucet adapter makes it easy to hook up to your sink when it’s time to clean the dishes. Price at time of publish: $433
Noise Level
The amount of noise a dishwasher produces during a cycle is measured in decibels (dBA). A standard dishwasher can be as quiet as 40 dBA or as loud as 62 dBA, which will require you to go into another room if you’re trying to have a conversation. If you live in a smaller space, you’ll want to find a model with a low decibel rating that won’t disturb your household. Many units on the market fall in the 52 to 54 dBA range, which is quiet enough for a conversation.
Extra Settings
A portable dishwasher doesn’t typically have as many specialty settings as a full-sized, built-in dishwasher. If you opt for a countertop model, your cycle options are usually normal, intensive, glass, and soak. However, some portable dishwashers come with extra features like a delayed start, which will push back your cycle for up to 24 hours, and eco-mode, which will ensure your appliance doesn’t use more resources than it needs to. These selections may cost more upfront but save you time and money down the road.
Standout Features
Convertible Design
If a portable dishwasher is convertible, that means you can install it like a built-in model at any time. A convertible dishwasher has removable caster wheels that can be used to roll the appliance into a convenient spot of your home or taken off so you can place the appliance in one place. This versatile design is most helpful for households that want their machine to be long-lasting and suitable for many different living situations.
Stainless Steel Tub
A stainless steel tub is more durable than a plastic dishwasher tub. If you opt for a stainless steel tub, the interior will look stylish, and it won’t show wear and tear as quickly as a plastic version since it’s much less likely to develop stains from food debris left on your dishes. Also, since metal is more conducive to heat, this type of tub can help effectively dry your dishes, especially when paired with a fan or a steam function.
Hard Food Disposer
Hard food disposers help eliminate food debris from your dirty dishes. After a water jet releases the debris from your cups and plates, it falls into this disposer and is filtered out of the water that will continue to circulate and clean your dishes. This feature is key to keeping the interior of your portable dishwasher free of odors and bacteria. It’s also handy for households who are in a rush or don’t want to take the extra step of rinsing their dishes before loading them.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Camryn Rabideau, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce. While researching portable dishwashers, she spoke with Ron Shimek, President of Mr. Appliance, for tips on selecting the right dishwasher for your home, including the most worthwhile features for different types of homeowners. When comparing various portable dishwasher models, she considered factors such as their capacity and features, ease of setup and operation, and noise level. She also prioritized Energy Star-certified models since they use less energy and minimize operating costs. To get the best experience out of yours, be sure to not overload the machine and clean it about once a month. If your model isn’t draining, you may have a clog. If this happens, make sure the sink’s disposer and the hose are clear and follow any additional troubleshooting tips in your user manual.
