Author Topic: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?  (Read 15448 times)

moustacheverte

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Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« on: July 03, 2016, 04:24:33 PM »
Hi Mustachians,

We want to move out of our place which is noisy, polluted, and in a bad area. We currently have a dishwasher and we love it. We cook everything we eat and even though we are only two, we fill a dishwasher daily.

However, it seems that having a dishwasher hookup in that city is a rarity in most regular apartments and a luxury only amenity. Condos all have hookups but cost 1.5x the rent of any other place. Apartments in general don't have a lot of counter space in the kitchen and surely not enough space to put enough racks to dry everything.

I guess we only have two options: either suck it up and pay the higher rent in condos (for a swimming pool we don't need, a sauna we don't need and a doorman we don't need) or drop the dishwasher hookup requirement.

Which makes me wonder: how do those of us who cook a lot and make a lot of dishes dirty but don't own a dishwasher? Where do you dry your dishes? How much of a pain is it to wash everything by hand?

Rezdent

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2016, 04:35:03 PM »
how do those of us who cook a lot and make a lot of dishes dirty but don't own a dishwasher?
Dishwasher owner here.  Haven't used it in over 7 years. For reference, ate in restaurants less than three times in the last four years, so 99% of meals cooked and eaten at home.

Where do you dry your dishes?
Put a clean dry towel on the counter.  Let drip dry a few minutes before finishing with a towel.
 How much of a pain is it to wash everything by hand?
Less than the pain of a dishwasher.  Really.

thunderball

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2016, 04:40:58 PM »
Plus 1 the above.  We've rented the last few years and a dishwasher wasn't available.  I was horrified at first, but once you get used to the habit it's not bad at all.  And the latest house we've been renting even has a dishwasher, but it's so old we only used it twice before falling back into the hand-wash habit.

We do it just like Rezdent, except we let them air-dry.  I do 90% of the washing (Mrs. most of the cooking) and it does help to have a 12-year old once the dishes dry.

kamille

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2016, 05:08:58 PM »
I have a dishwasher but it's broken and didn't bother to pay for it being fixed because hand washing wasn't so bad. Just hand wash the dishes as you cook and don't let the dishes stay dirty long. I also don't have a lot of dishes so in order to use more dishes, you have to clean the dirty ones first. Dishwashers don't necessarily clean dishes better than hand washing either.

letired

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2016, 05:14:33 PM »
When I bought my house, a dishwasher was a hard and fast requirement.

That said, for the previous 3+ years, I lived without a dishwasher. Once you get into the habit, it gets less painful.

Tips from a person who absolutely hates handwashing:

 - Have several/many dishtowels. The cheap Ikea ones work well. You want something that dries pretty quickly so they're dry in time for the next meal. Also so they don't start smelling like mildew instantly. Also helpful: dedicated space for them to hang dry. A string and some laundry clips works well, if you have the wall space.

 - Air-drying is the least work-intensive, but not always practical. For more drying space, as mentioned above, I would layout more dish towels on the counter, let drip while I finished washing up, and then finish drying by hand and put away. If I was too tired/out of fucks, I would leave stuff over night and put away in the morning, though with roommates and virtually no counter space, I tried to avoid doing this too much. You'll experiment to see what works best for you. I think a fair number of people do the coffee and put away dishes in the morning routine.

 - When drying stuff on towels on the counter, leave an air gap/set stuff at an angle. It helps the water drain off and a glass that is placed upside down with no air gap will still be wet on the inside in the morning.

 - Clean as you go. Again, a practice thing, and for fast-moving meals, isn't always doable. You'll get a lot better at doing all the prep work, doing a quick round of clean up, and then cooking. If there are two of you, have one person doing clean up while the other cooks will make everything a lot easier.

 - Cook larger batches. You make the same amount of dirty dishes for twice (or whatever) the amount of food.

 - Cook simpler meals. Look for stuff that can be done in fewer pots/bowls/pans. Experiment with your favorite recipes to cut down on the number of dishes it takes to make.

 - Reuse dishes. Things like water glasses don't need to be washed every day, or even every other day. I would typically wash my bedside glass maybe once a week. If I just had toast for breakfast, I'd brush the crumbs off the plate into the sink and use it again the next morning. YMMV, etc etc.

 - Depending, you might want a good pair of rubber gloves. If I was doing a lot of washing, my hands would start to get dry and irritated.

 - Any pots or pans that need soaking should be started before you start eating. That way, 90% of the time they'll be ready to wash when you are done with dinner.

 - Leave stuff to soak overnight if it isn't coming off. Most stuff with come off with either more soaking time or more scrubbing. I strongly favor more soaking time as you are less likely to damage the finish on anything delicate and by the time I got to that stuff, I was too tired to really care and would end up with badly washed dishes.

 - Squeeze out the sponge when you are done every time. This helps it not get manky  instantly. I've tried the brushes and what not, but they never felt as effective as a sponge. Also, set the sponge on it's short side so it has more surface area to dry.

 - Experiment with what cleaning tools you like. You might like the brushes and hate sponges. Be careful with the extra-abrasive sponges. Some sponges can be cut in half, making them easier to use and less expensive overall.

Good luck! It can be done! Whether you grow to prefer it, who knows ;) I am madly in love with my insanely loud dishwasher because I really do dislike handwashing that much, but at the end of 3 years handwashing, it got a lot more automatic and less uuuuuugh.

SoccerLounge

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2016, 05:42:12 PM »
How much of a pain is it to wash everything by hand?
Less than the pain of a dishwasher.  Really.
This. I do not own a dishwasher and will never own one. Despite my other topic about restaurants, I also cook from scratch most of the food I eat. Of course, YMMV based on family size etc.

ender

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2016, 05:44:45 PM »
Put a clean dry towel on the counter.  Let drip dry a few minutes before finishing with a towel.

I will also say that if you quickly lift the dishes up and gently put them down, you can use gravity to pull most of the water off them and not actually get as much on your towel.


moustacheverte

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2016, 06:20:37 PM »
Thanks for the replies. I don't really get people who say that a dishwasher is more hassle than hand washing: you just load a bunch of dirty dishes after rincing them roughly and let the dishwasher do its thing while you enjoy your life. And about 2 hours later you have clean dishes ready to be used or put away.

That said, I don't think a dishwasher hookup is worth an extra 400-600$ per month. For that price, I could pay someone to wash our dishes for us.

So, I'm going to try it all of next week: only hand washing, no dish washing.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll try to source some micro-fibre clothes to wipe the dishes before Canada Post goes on strike next week.

Spork

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2016, 06:53:23 PM »

We lived 6 years in our own temporary housing.  The "kitchen" (I am required by bonds of marriage to always put quotes around that word in that context) was so small that you could stand in one place and reach all of the walls.  There was never a reason to move your feet... only turn.  Needless to say, during those years the dishwasher was not mechanical.  It was me.  The wife cooked a crapton of stuff.  Sometimes really messy, complicated stuff.  We managed.  My biggest complaint wasn't the lack of the dishwasher ... it was the lack of counter space.  Cleanup was a juggling act of moving stuff from one point to another.

We have a dishwasher now.  It's easier.  But it never felt awful when we didn't have one.

SoccerLounge

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2016, 06:57:34 PM »
Thanks for the replies. I don't really get people who say that a dishwasher is more hassle than hand washing: you just load a bunch of dirty dishes after rincing them roughly
Thing is, you just add a soapy sponge or one of those neat little cheap dish-soap loaded brushes to this step and what do you have? ;)

Obviously, some dishes do take more work. But, honestly, most don't. I spend barely any more time washing my dishes by hand than I spend rinsing the ones we take turns loading into the dishwasher at work. Of course, I air dry; if you towel dry, add another 5-10 minutes on. Most - not all, but most! - dishes are very easy to hand-wash.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2016, 06:59:42 PM by SoccerLounge »

teen persuasion

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2016, 07:17:13 PM »
Fold up rack on the drainboard next to the sink for drip drying dishes.  Pots and pans go back on the stovetop to airdry.  Silverware drains in a large upright cylinder.  Personal cups are retained all day, and washed at end of day.  When I begin dishwashing I fill pots to soak on the stove while I begin on the glasses & plates first.

As busy mom of 5 kids, I try to simplify cooking and clean-up as much as possible, so I do reuse bowls or pots and pans if I can for successive parts of a meal.

I leave clean things in the rack overnight; while making breakfast (waiting for kettle to boil, etc) in morning I put serving bowls, silverware, pots and pans, and odd pieces away, but everyday plates and bowls for esch of us basically live in the rack, get used, get washed, go back to rack.

NV Teacher

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2016, 07:49:21 PM »
As we were growing up my mother had eight dishwashers.  But then she was cooking three meals a day for ten people.

undercover

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2016, 07:50:52 PM »
I don't understand why a place with hookups would be that much more...do you not pay for utilities separate where you're from? Even if not...that seems excessive. You're not going to use $500 more in water and electricity.

okits

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2016, 08:47:35 PM »
I much prefer having a dishwasher but have mostly lived without.  letired's post covered a lot of ground.  My preference is to keep on top of it and wash a bit at a time.  If you don't overload the drying rack (so all surfaces have air exposure) and place things on an angle, they dry quickly and you can do several mini-loads during the day (or even in the middle of meal prep.) If you hate dishwashing you'll find ways to reduce how much you have to wash (e.g. hand-cut small quantities vs. food processor).

pbkmaine

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #14 on: July 03, 2016, 09:17:33 PM »
I don't like dishwashers and would never use one but for DH's strong preference, so it is his job to unload and put dishes away. As it is, I do most of the pots and pans by hand. I just think it is so much easier to put a dish towel on the counter and quickly wash and put things away after each meal.

fishnfool

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2016, 09:39:45 PM »
We have a dishwasher but only use it 3 times a month. I wash most of our dishes by hand. I guess I'm just used to doing them that way cause we never owned one when I was growing up. DW likes to run it mostly, she feels they come out more sterile.  But I think I do just as good of job! ;)

Kaikou

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #16 on: July 04, 2016, 02:15:45 AM »
keep soapy water in the sink while you are cooking.

PFHC

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #17 on: July 04, 2016, 02:35:48 AM »
We have two kids, and I swear to you, buying a dishwasher was been the best time saver on the planet. I would never go back to being dishwasherless. We honestly cleared up three hours everyday. Three hours that we have used to help start what is shaping up to be a successful side gig.

So, for us, there is no doubt that it was a worthwhile investment.

moustacheverte

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #18 on: July 04, 2016, 06:34:44 AM »
I don't understand why a place with hookups would be that much more...do you not pay for utilities separate where you're from? Even if not...that seems excessive. You're not going to use $500 more in water and electricity.

I honestly don't know. I would guess it's because dishwasher equipped apartments are more recent and higher end, dishwasher hookups being considered as a "luxury" thing around here. But there are so many things I can't understand about real estate/construction in this city, this is just one more.

Cranky

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #19 on: July 04, 2016, 06:46:13 AM »
If you really hate washing dishes you can buy a portable dishwasher - when my kids lived in Manhattan that's what they did. They bought it cheap from someone moving out of the building, and when they left they sold it to someone else. Their apartment was small, and the kitchen was microscopic, but it was worth it to them.

I don't actually mind washing dishes, but I can't stand dishes in the sink. So when we didn't have a dishwasher, I made my self crazy washing dishes alllllll the time. With the dishwasher, I clean up as I cook - so I handwash most of the pots and pans anyway - but we can put the glasses/plates/coffee cups/cat food dishes into the dishwasher and run it once/day.

I don't like putting the dishes away, though, and I can't find a dishwasher that will do that part!

Lake161

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #20 on: July 04, 2016, 07:09:20 AM »
We had always had a dishwasher until the last year when DH and I moved overseas. Our plan was when we moved back to do a kitchen remodel so we could install a dishwasher in the small kitchen of our forever home in California.  But after a year without a dishwasher, I can say that we do just fine without a dishwasher.

We clean as we go while we cook, avoid recipes that use three pans and many bowls, and reuse glasses and mugs during the day. I agree with the above posters that a dishwasher saves little if any time. By the time you rinse the dishes and  find somewhere to fit them in, you might as well just rinse with soap and throw them in the drainer.

Now if I was cooking for a big family, I might feel differently. We have enough space to drip dry all the dishes from a single meal.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2016, 02:51:49 PM by Lake161 »

ltt

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #21 on: July 04, 2016, 07:15:47 AM »
We recently were without a dishwasher for 2 years with 4 children.  Never again!  If it were just my husband and I and maybe 1 child, it wouldn't be an issue.  But with all the cooking that needs to be done for the 6 of us, it was such a pain to wash and dry everything by hand three times a day----and so time-consuming.  And when we had to be somewhere right after dinner, it was not fun coming home to a sink full of dirty dishes when you're tired at night.  If you cook a tremendous amount and don't particularly like doing dishes by hand, then suggest you pay the extra.  If you don't mind it and aren't on a tight time schedule, then forego the dishwasher.  It can be done, but dishwashers are just very convenient. 

frugaliknowit

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #22 on: July 04, 2016, 08:29:15 AM »
Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot:  SUX.

Washing dishers is a HUGE time waster.  I also HATE having the hideous drying rack taking up counter space.  Don't do it, you will be miserable!

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #23 on: July 04, 2016, 08:54:55 AM »
We cook a lot and have never had a dishwasher.

SoccerLounge

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #24 on: July 04, 2016, 10:09:54 AM »
In fairness, I should reveal the existence of a dishwasher in the house I live in, left behind by the previous occupant. I find it useful! ... for extra drying-rack space if I run out ;)

sparkytheop

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #25 on: July 04, 2016, 10:38:04 AM »
I've never had a dishwasher, and I cook a lot.  If I have a lot of dishes to wash I just bring my little laptop into the kitchen and play youtube videos or something, feels like less of a chore that way.  I actually do that with a lot of housework if I'll be in one room most of the time.  Just play something I don't need to concentrate on, and I'm good.  If I'm going to be going through different rooms, or up and down the stairs, I turn on the radio on both levels.

I use a drip tray and ask my son to use one glass all day instead of grabbing a clean one each time.

Tris Prior

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #26 on: July 04, 2016, 11:19:35 AM »
At the risk of sounding complainypants, I cook (and do canning) a lot and life without a dishwasher has been pretty miserable for us. We always had one before and we really miss it.

It does help to clean as you go and not let the mess pile up. And soak things that are really nasty.

Other than what's been already said, my only advice is to make sure that the place you're moving to has a decently-sized sink and decent water pressure (i.e. you don't have just a trickle of hot water coming out, which the landlord isn't interested in fixing...) We have neither and honestly that's the bigger pain. Many of our large stockpots, baking dishes, etc. don't really fit in the tiny sink. And it takes forever to rinse dishes due to the trickle problem.

So, if you have an otherwise functional kitchen, I think it'd be less of a big deal. Unfortunately, our whole kitchen is a huge PITA.

justajane

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #27 on: July 04, 2016, 11:29:35 AM »
I don't rinse my dishes before I put them in the dishwasher. Just scrape and load. They come out clean.

Now I do rinse knives that have peanut butter or cream cheese on them, as I found they wouldn't get clean, but otherwise? Who rinses? I've read your dishes actually get cleaner if you don't rinse before loading.

Here's an example of article that claims as such:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a33322/stop-prerinsing-dishes/

woopwoop

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #28 on: July 04, 2016, 11:51:34 AM »
I find it useful! ... for extra drying-rack space if I run out ;)
This is the only capacity I've ever used a dishwasher for. We never had enough dishes to even fill up a dishwasher! Everybody says that once you have kids it's different, but they're also the same people who pile their dishes up in the sink and don't clean as they go, so I don't trust them one bit!

dreams_and_discoveries

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #29 on: July 04, 2016, 12:22:38 PM »
Wow - people rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? That seems such a waste.

I couldn't live without one now, it's so convenient when you have a busy life, and makes cooking so much more pleasurable.


SilveradoBojangles

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #30 on: July 04, 2016, 12:28:30 PM »
I love, love, love to cook (and cook pretty much every night), and I have actually never lived in a place with a dishwasher. We use a dish drainer, and we do the dishes after breakfast and lunch (taking approximately ~3 minutes each time) so that we don't end up with a huge pile of dishes at the end of the day. I'm a big fan of cleaning as I go, so any couple minutes of down time while cooking will be used to clean a few bowls and clear off the counters, which helps make after dinner cleaning quicker. It generally takes us about 10-15 minutes to clean up after dinner. One of us washes dishes while the other puts left overs away, clears out the drying rack to make space for the new dishes, wipes down the counters and stove, and sweeps up. We chat while we're cleaning, and it goes by quickly. It feels equitable, and we have a nice, clean kitchen every day. I suspect that doing the dishes by hand only takes a few minutes more than rinsing the dishes and loading the dishwasher (though again, I have never had one).

Jouer

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #31 on: July 04, 2016, 01:08:26 PM »
My wife and I also do not have a dishwasher. But we do have a double sink - one for washing and one houses a drying rack. Our nozzle has a couple of settings which is nice when rinsing stuff off pots and pans.

Our strategy is similar to others:

- efficiently use dishes - same glass all day (or longer), don't use two bowls when one will do, etc.
- clean as we go - If I am cooking, my wife is the assistant. If she is cooking, I am the assistant. (this varies based on what we are good at making)
- rinse pans as soon as we finish cooking and then wash them after we finish eating

Lunch and breakfast dishes take less than 5 minutes to wash...dinner may take 10 minutes. I mean, aside from pots/pans, we're only washing 2 plates, two glasses, two forks, two knives.
 

SoccerLounge

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #32 on: July 04, 2016, 02:02:07 PM »
I honestly think 'clean as you go' is the big differentiator here. If for some reason I was totally unable to clean as I went, I can see how a dishwasher might be helpful (large families, etc).

Tris Prior

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #33 on: July 04, 2016, 04:16:25 PM »

- efficiently use dishes - same glass all day (or longer), don't use two bowls when one will do, etc.

This!! A great workaround is just to have fewer dishes. I'm giving serious thought to packing up all but one plate, bowl, salad plate, glass, set of utensils, etc. for each of us, just to lessen the piles. Because SOME people {side-eye at Boyfriend} will use every dish in the house in one day.

jac941

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #34 on: July 04, 2016, 07:16:08 PM »
If you really hate washing dishes you can buy a portable dishwasher - when my kids lived in Manhattan that's what they did. They bought it cheap from someone moving out of the building, and when they left they sold it to someone else.

+1

Portable dishwashers are awesome. And regularly available on Craigslist for cheap.

Unlike a lot of the other posters here, I find the dishwasher indispensable. Especially with kids.

FausseBourgeoise

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #35 on: July 04, 2016, 07:30:13 PM »
I cook a lot, and I use a rack with a mat under it so that I can wash the mat and the rack itself doesn't get mouldy while dishes are drying in it.

Some people swear by washing up straight after eating, but I occasionally let things sit. I have a double sink and always keep one side of it empty and clean so things don't get out of hand.

In the mornings while I wait for my coffee, I clean my kitchen. Usually the time for the coffee to perc is the perfect amount to make sure all of the now-dry dishes are put away and to do a quick scrub of the counters and stove.

PFHC

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #36 on: July 04, 2016, 09:18:55 PM »
My wife and I also do not have a dishwasher. But we do have a double sink - one for washing and one houses a drying rack. Our nozzle has a couple of settings which is nice when rinsing stuff off pots and pans.

Our strategy is similar to others:

- efficiently use dishes - same glass all day (or longer), don't use two bowls when one will do, etc.
- clean as we go - If I am cooking, my wife is the assistant. If she is cooking, I am the assistant. (this varies based on what we are good at making)
- rinse pans as soon as we finish cooking and then wash them after we finish eating

Lunch and breakfast dishes take less than 5 minutes to wash...dinner may take 10 minutes. I mean, aside from pots/pans, we're only washing 2 plates, two glasses, two forks, two knives.
Sounds great!

Now take away one person for two of the meals, add two F5 tornadoes bent upon eating or destroying everything in the kitchen, add in wanting to have a life outside the kitchen, and tada! suddenly a dishwasher is one very reasonable, time saving investment in ones own sanity.

Tom Bri

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #37 on: July 04, 2016, 10:15:02 PM »
Wow. Funny topic. We have a dishwasher but have used it once, or maybe twice, in ten years. Have always hand washed dishes. Personally, I don't like dishwashers because they often don't do a great job, and washing only takes a few minutes anyway, and is a pleasant task.

Dry the dishes in a drying rack, set next to the sink, or on the stovetop.

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #38 on: July 05, 2016, 12:20:04 AM »

Sounds great!

Now take away one person for two of the meals, add two F5 tornadoes bent upon eating or destroying everything in the kitchen, add in wanting to have a life outside the kitchen, and tada! suddenly a dishwasher is one very reasonable, time saving investment in ones own sanity.
Cheapest and easiest in the long run is to re-train the tornadoes.  Plus you are doing them and you a big favour. You need to all sit down and agree rules on what can be eaten, what can and can't be dirtied and what clearing up has to be done.  You were not put on this earth to be their skivvy.

theadvicist

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #39 on: July 05, 2016, 03:53:08 AM »
Wow - people rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? That seems such a waste.

I couldn't live without one now, it's so convenient when you have a busy life, and makes cooking so much more pleasurable.

Another one on team don't-bother-to-rinse.

Seriously, if you are rinsing every dish, you basically are washing up, so just add a soapy sponge and you're done.

I had to get our machine's manual out to prove to my husband that it says, "Do not pre-rinse dishes". Such a waste of water and time, plus, the chunks are then going straight down the kitchen sink instead of into the filter basket in the machine. We do scrape, obvs.

Having a dishwasher is a plus for me as I can load it after each item is used, so I'm not stacking up dishes all day (when I didn't have one I would do everything after dinner. If you wash up three times a day I guess this isn't a problem). I just don't like looking at mess.

Spork

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #40 on: July 05, 2016, 07:51:41 AM »
Wow - people rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? That seems such a waste.

I couldn't live without one now, it's so convenient when you have a busy life, and makes cooking so much more pleasurable.

Another one on team don't-bother-to-rinse.

Seriously, if you are rinsing every dish, you basically are washing up, so just add a soapy sponge and you're done.

I had to get our machine's manual out to prove to my husband that it says, "Do not pre-rinse dishes". Such a waste of water and time, plus, the chunks are then going straight down the kitchen sink instead of into the filter basket in the machine. We do scrape, obvs.

Having a dishwasher is a plus for me as I can load it after each item is used, so I'm not stacking up dishes all day (when I didn't have one I would do everything after dinner. If you wash up three times a day I guess this isn't a problem). I just don't like looking at mess.

I was a rinse-them-clean person forever.  It was something posted here on a similar thread that made me stop and try it.  The current dishwashers/soaps actually require some amounts of fats/particles to work well.  Rinsing actually makes the dishes less clean.  Use some judgment here.  You do want to scrape the big chunks off.  And I pre-rinse stinky cat food dishes, peanut butter, runny egg yolk, etc as they seem to not get clean (or stink in the case of cat food).

Sibley

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #41 on: July 05, 2016, 09:33:26 AM »
Wow - people rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? That seems such a waste.

I couldn't live without one now, it's so convenient when you have a busy life, and makes cooking so much more pleasurable.

Another one on team don't-bother-to-rinse.

Seriously, if you are rinsing every dish, you basically are washing up, so just add a soapy sponge and you're done.

I had to get our machine's manual out to prove to my husband that it says, "Do not pre-rinse dishes". Such a waste of water and time, plus, the chunks are then going straight down the kitchen sink instead of into the filter basket in the machine. We do scrape, obvs.

Having a dishwasher is a plus for me as I can load it after each item is used, so I'm not stacking up dishes all day (when I didn't have one I would do everything after dinner. If you wash up three times a day I guess this isn't a problem). I just don't like looking at mess.

I was a rinse-them-clean person forever.  It was something posted here on a similar thread that made me stop and try it.  The current dishwashers/soaps actually require some amounts of fats/particles to work well.  Rinsing actually makes the dishes less clean.  Use some judgment here.  You do want to scrape the big chunks off.  And I pre-rinse stinky cat food dishes, peanut butter, runny egg yolk, etc as they seem to not get clean (or stink in the case of cat food).

Also, the 1/2 inch of solidified grease on the pan won't all come off in the dishwasher unless you get most of it off first. My roommate was very confused this weekend why the pan didn't come clean, and I told her she didn't rinse it first. She responded that she never rinses it. I told her that I know she doesn't, I did it. And didn't feel like it that time. Oh. On the other hand, I'll be moving out in a year, and I'm convinced she's gonna get bugs within a month.

Spork

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #42 on: July 05, 2016, 09:44:50 AM »
Wow - people rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? That seems such a waste.

I couldn't live without one now, it's so convenient when you have a busy life, and makes cooking so much more pleasurable.

Another one on team don't-bother-to-rinse.

Seriously, if you are rinsing every dish, you basically are washing up, so just add a soapy sponge and you're done.

I had to get our machine's manual out to prove to my husband that it says, "Do not pre-rinse dishes". Such a waste of water and time, plus, the chunks are then going straight down the kitchen sink instead of into the filter basket in the machine. We do scrape, obvs.

Having a dishwasher is a plus for me as I can load it after each item is used, so I'm not stacking up dishes all day (when I didn't have one I would do everything after dinner. If you wash up three times a day I guess this isn't a problem). I just don't like looking at mess.

I was a rinse-them-clean person forever.  It was something posted here on a similar thread that made me stop and try it.  The current dishwashers/soaps actually require some amounts of fats/particles to work well.  Rinsing actually makes the dishes less clean.  Use some judgment here.  You do want to scrape the big chunks off.  And I pre-rinse stinky cat food dishes, peanut butter, runny egg yolk, etc as they seem to not get clean (or stink in the case of cat food).

Also, the 1/2 inch of solidified grease on the pan won't all come off in the dishwasher unless you get most of it off first. My roommate was very confused this weekend why the pan didn't come clean, and I told her she didn't rinse it first. She responded that she never rinses it. I told her that I know she doesn't, I did it. And didn't feel like it that time. Oh. On the other hand, I'll be moving out in a year, and I'm convinced she's gonna get bugs within a month.

Yeah, that much grease not only won't come off... but it's hell on getting your pipes clogged.  Scrape that crap right into the trash (or into the delicious bacon grease to be used for cooking later jar).

rockstache

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #43 on: July 05, 2016, 10:23:19 AM »
I would rather live in a noisy, polluted place in a bad area than ever go without a dishwasher again. My husband and I have a list of only 3 requirements for future homes:

-must have dishwasher
-shower must have a lip
-clothes washer (or hookup) in unit

With This Herring

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #44 on: July 05, 2016, 11:10:15 AM »
I don't have a dishwasher, but I would like one...but not for a monthly increase in rent.  What is more trouble to me is the lack of a double-basin sink and a sprayer hose.  If I had those, I would be able to fill side 1 with soapy water, scrub all the dishes with the water off, and place them in the dish drainer in side 2.  Then I could just spray everything down, and it would be so much more efficient!  *sigh*  Right now I stack plates first, then bowls, with water layers between them.  That lets them soak off some of the dried stuff without filling the sink as I wash out the cups.  All the eating dishes go in the drainer on the drainer board that takes the place of a missed second basin, while the prep dishes (pots etc) go on a towel next to the drain board so that they can lean on the drainer and get airflow.  We don't hand-dry dishes anymore unless we've let things build up too long and there is a lack of space for drying.

What would be really nice is one of those Finnish drying rack shelves over the sink so that the eating dishes are put away while wet.  But, this is an apartment, so no mods allowed.

RyanAtTanagra

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #45 on: July 05, 2016, 12:30:02 PM »
Jeez, MMM needs to fly in here and deliver some face punches.  'How does one live life without a dishwasher'?  'Should I pay more in rent to have a dishwasher'?  Seriously?  They're dishes, you just wash them.  It doesn't even take that much more time than rinsing and loading the dishwasher, and figuring out which ones have too much food caked on and need to be scrubbed by hand.  Or which items can't be put in the dishwasher at all and need to be washed by hand anyway.  Or things you're going to need to use again before the dishwasher is full and gets run, so gotta wash that item by hand too.  Just wash things as you cook if you don't want a huge stack of dishes at the end of the night (that's what I do).  I have a dishwasher.  It's nice, it serves as my drying rack, which saves counter space!

I feel like there was a bowl of koolaid I missed whenever the dishwasher conversation comes up.  To me they're right up there with microwaves on wastes of kitchen space (and they're way bigger!).

GuitarStv

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #46 on: July 05, 2016, 01:18:23 PM »
I don't rinse my dishes before I put them in the dishwasher. Just scrape and load. They come out clean.

Now I do rinse knives that have peanut butter or cream cheese on them, as I found they wouldn't get clean, but otherwise? Who rinses? I've read your dishes actually get cleaner if you don't rinse before loading.

+1

We eat out only once or twice a year.  I've lived without a dishwasher and with one.  Life is easier with a dishwasher.  It saves 10 - 15 minutes a day easily.  If you don't know how to use a dishwasher (recommend rinsing dishes off first), I can see how you might think that it's silly . . . but once you correct the user error it's not possible to argue that it's faster or that the dishes get cleaner from hand washing.

AlwaysLearningToSave

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #47 on: July 05, 2016, 01:42:46 PM »
Dishwasher owner here. 

I would think the most important issue is WHEN you wash your dishes and HOW MANY dishes you need to wash.  If you get in the habit of washing them right after dinner and become efficient with your use of dishes when cooking and eating, then hand washing would not  be a big inconvenience.  If you leave your dirty dishes in a stack figuring you will do them later or if you use tons of pots, pans, plates and bowls when you cook, doing the dishes by hand would be a huge chore.  In my mind, the biggest thing a dishwasher does is reduce the inconvenience of laziness or inefficient use of dishes. 

Based on OP's comment about filling a dishwasher every day with two people, I think OP could make up some significant ground in the category of efficient use of dishes (unless its a smaller-than-standard dishwasher). 

SoccerLounge

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #48 on: July 05, 2016, 04:05:16 PM »
What is more trouble to me is the lack of a double-basin sink and a sprayer hose.

I agree wholeheartedly. Having two basins - even two smaller ones vs one regular sized one - and a sprayer really does make a massive difference when it comes to washing the dishes. Although, for most washing I do, I don't fill a sink; I have a water-saving faucet that I just run continually, washing things under it with a neat little brush that auto-dispenses dish soap. Filling a sink with that faucet head would be enough water to probably do about 5 sinkfuls of dishes the way I wash them.

Just the other day I was making something, and I caught myself thinking of this thread as I was - on autopilot, without thinking about it - washing up a mixing bowl while waiting for some oil to heat up. It really does become second nature.

Mikila

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Re: Life without a dishwasher when you cook a lot?
« Reply #49 on: July 05, 2016, 06:35:51 PM »
Hand washing is barely a chore if discipline and forethought are applied.  Discipline yourself to wash each dish right away (before food can dry and encrust).  Have the forethought to put a dish drying rack into one side of your sink.  Let all dishes air dry and it couldn't be more easy. 

I find that, given the time it takes to rinse a dish, it hardly takes a few more seconds to run a soapy sponge along the same dish and rinse, then set it into the drying rack.  Our house rule is that each person washes their own dish, so they never pile up.  When I cook and bake, I wash as I go as much as possible.  I RARELY towel dry anything, since that is both more work and less sanitary.

You can do it.  Hand washing dishes is not a retreat to the dark ages.

 

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