Tiny Wonder - Haier Countertop Dishwasher

I owned the Haier HDT18PA 17-inch countertop dishwasher for about four years until it was replaced and given to a friend a couple weeks ago.  This is a perfect unit for a single person or couple with no space for a regular-size or portable dishwasher on wheels.

APPEARANCE:
The Haier HDT18PA comes in white, and it's a very reasonable size for daily dishes, cups, and silverware.  It's fairly large for a countertop unit: 17 inches wide, 19.5 inches deep, and 21.2 inches tall.  It weighs about 42 pounds. 

If your wall kitchen cabinets are low, you will not be able to fit this onto your counter.  My solution was to buy a small rolling microwave cart ($50 at Target) and simply roll it to my sink for use.

There are four buttons on the front panel: Power, Rinse/Hold, Normal, and Heavy.  There is also a Vented Dry light to let you know when the dry cycle is running.  All the hoses are attached out of the box.  The only thing you have to do is replace your faucet aerator with the included snap-on connector that simply screws onto the faucet.

The interior is plastic, and my unit had two spray arms, top and bottom.  I have seen new units with only the bottom spray arm, which gives you more room for large plates.  There is one rolling rack lined with tines for plates a folding shelf to accommodate mugs and bowls, and a silverware basket is included.

There is also a "filter" inside which is basically a removable screen that you rinse off to remove any food particles trapped during the cycle.  There is no true detergent dispenser, just an indent in the door where you place the detergent.  It simply falls into the tub when you close the door.

PERFORMANCE:
Loading the unit is simple.  Plates are loaded into the rear, and it can accommodate large dinner plates just fine.  You can fit about 8 plates into the unit.  With some creative arranging, you can fit about 8 more cups, 4 bowls, 8 people's silverware, and some stirring spoons in between items.  You can even fit in a frying pan and saucepan if you limit the amount of plates and correctly angle the handles.

Once loaded, you snap the fill hose onto your snap-on faucet connector, place the drain hose in the drain, turn on the hot water, and plug it in.  The drain hose is somewhat stiff, so be sure it is securely in the sink basin, or even stuck down the drain to prevent over spray during draining.

The cycles are simple and straightforward.  If you choose Rinse/Hold, the dishwasher will do exactly that: rinse, drain, and finish the cycle in about 15 minutes.

The normal cycle is really the only cycle you'll need for cleaning.  Here's something the manual doesn't tell you: if you hit the "Normal" cycle button twice, it turns off the vented dry feature, and you'll know because the light goes off.  If you hit "Normal" once, the unit will wash, rinse twice, and then dry the load. 

The full wash and dry on Normal takes about 45 minutes.  If you skip the drying, the unit completes the cycle in about 35 minutes.  I hardly ever used the drying because most things came out pretty dry without that feature.

The "Heavy" cycle takes the longest and is suggested for pots and pans.  This cycle takes over an hour, and I only used it once to try it out.  It may be useful for more baked on foods, but "Normal" always cleaned my dishes beautifully.

Once you're done with a cycle, the unit beeps, turns off the power button, and is ready to be unloaded. 

EXTRA INFO:
There is a built-in water heater which brings your water up to a very hot wash temperature.  This is great because I'm sure it improves the performance of the detergent.

I found that a powdered detergent formulated with rinse aid works the best, and you only need about a tablespoon for an entire load.  You can also use gel detergents, and they work fine too.  Avoid any of the pre-measured "packet" type detergents because it's just too much detergent for such a small unit. 

The best way to store the hoses when not in use is to fold them over the top of the machine and stick them into the tub underneath the wash rack.

OVERALL:
This unit is a great solution for people tired of doing dishes with no room for a full-size dishwasher.  The cleaning performance is excellent, and it seems pretty well built. 

I used the Haier HDT18PA for over four years without any issues, and now my friend is enjoying it in her apartment.  With some creative loading, you almost feel like you have a full-size dishwasher at less than half the size.  If you read my other reviews, you'll see that I'm very familiar with small appliances, and I'd definitely recommend this one.  Happy Washing.