How to find the best 33-inch dishwasher

July 1, 2013 8:02 AM

After much searching, I found the perfect dishwasher. When the plumber came to install it, he broke the news that it was just slightly too large to fit under the counter. Now that I need to find a new one, what's the least tedious way to search for dishwashers with a specific height (or range of heights)?

Only a 33-inch dishwasher will fit under my countertop because of the thick floor tile. Unfortunately, most dishwashers are about half an inch taller than that.

Looking at the specs for every dishwasher is really tedious, but I can't find a Web site that will let me search for a specific height (or range of heights). Do you know of one?

Alternatively, do you have a recommendation on the perfect 33-inch high (24-inch wide) built-in dishwasher?

posted by tomwheeler to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

What kind of dishwasher did you previously have in the space? We just purchased a dishwasher ourselves, and I don't really recall seeing different heights.
posted by checkitnice at 8:06 AM on July 1, 2013

The AJ Madison site will let you search for dishwashers by height. Of course, once you find one you like, you can buy it from anywhere you like.

These models run between 32 and 33 inches tall.
posted by maudlin at 8:18 AM on July 1, 2013 [3 favorites]

These are 24" wide and between 32-33" tall.
posted by maudlin at 8:19 AM on July 1, 2013

Yep, that AJMadison site is the Appliance Google. I love it!
posted by wenestvedt at 8:50 AM on July 1, 2013

Response by poster: checkitnice: the old one is just under 34" but about 3/4" is below the floor surface. The previous homeowner installed it just before laying the tile floor in front of it. The installer said he has to dismantle the old dishwasher before removing it, and since I have a tile countertop that's attached to the cabinets, the new one must be 33" or less in order to slide into the space.

maudlin: I hadn't seen this site -- thanks!

Most of the models on AJMadison weren't rated very well (which is probably going to be the case for anything constrained by height), so I'm still open to suggestions.
posted by tomwheeler at 9:02 AM on July 1, 2013

I cannot say enough good things about Miele dishwashers. There are at least 4 on the AJ Madison site that meet your dimensions. Things I love about Miele: very effective at cleaning dishes and don't have to rinse before putting in dishwasher, very very quiet, super smart internal configuration allowing loading flexibility, top tray for utensils is genius, and simple to operate/change settings.
posted by donovan at 9:03 AM on July 1, 2013

Check out this thread about the exact same situation. The homeowner in that case elected to jack up the counter to allow his new dishwasher to slide in. At the end he also needed to trim back the tile (with the cut being hidden by the dishwasher's kick plate). Your counters should be screwed in from underneath and liftable.
posted by beagle at 9:33 AM on July 1, 2013

Response by poster: beagle: unfortunately for me, the counter tile is also used for the backsplash and part of the wall. It's unusual tile and probably at least 15 years old, so I doubt I'd be able to find any more to match.
posted by tomwheeler at 9:41 AM on July 1, 2013

have you looked at Drawer dishwashers? These can run about 17".
posted by Gungho at 11:07 AM on July 1, 2013