Washing the dishes while living off the grid can be a challenge, most people who live off the grid do not actually use a dishwasher, as it is faster, cheaper, and easier to wash the dishes by hand. However, if you live off the grid with your family then it is probably a good idea to get a dishwasher. If you have ever used a normal dishwasher then you know that these are also limited, you have to rinse everything before you put it in the dishwasher, at that point you might as well just wash them manually.
The best off grid dishwasher is the hOmeLabs Compact Countertop Dishwasher, followed by SD-9263W: 18″ Energy Star Portable Dishwasher, Farberware FDW05ASBWHA, EdgeStar DWP62BL, Sunpentown SD-2213W, Danby DDW621WDB, SoloRock 6 Settings Countertop Dishwasher, and the FreshCUP Countertop Dishwasher.
Using a dishwasher off the grid comes with a couple of problems, and it is vital that you get one that is as efficient as possible. The 3 main things to look out for when buying an off grid dishwasher are, low energy consumption, and low water usage and it also needs to be as small as possible. Traditional dishwashers use a lot of water, even if they have the “eco” settings enabled, they still tend to use more or less the same water as you would use with manual washing.
The second biggest problem is power, the actual dishwasher doesn’t actually need that much power to function properly, but most dishwashers do need hot water, and this can easily put a drain on your batteries. This is why it is essential to get one that uses as little water as possible, the less water the less time will your heater work to heat up the water. People who have a large family tend to have a large dishwasher, however, there are not that many dishwashers that are large enough and you can also use them off the grid.
If you are living alone off the grid then you should be fine without a dishwasher, as using a dishwasher off the grid can get complicated. There are some high-end dishwashers that use a lot less energy than traditional dishwashers, although these high-end ones tend to have onboard computers and a lot of sensors. My personal recommendation is to avoid these, as they are hard to repair and they will often stop functioning entirely if a sensor is broken. If you are wondering what are your options when it comes to harvesting rainwater then check out my recent article Best ways to collect rainwater ( Top 11 Ways ).
Best Off Grid Dishwashers
When living off the grid, finding efficient and convenient appliances that operate without reliance on traditional power sources is essential. One such appliance is an off-grid dishwasher, designed to clean dishes while minimizing water and energy consumption. The best off-grid dishwashers are specifically designed for off-grid living, incorporating features that make them highly suitable for this lifestyle.
These dishwashers typically have low power requirements and can operate efficiently using alternative energy sources like solar power or generators. They often come with water-saving features, such as efficient spray arms and sensors that optimize water usage. Additionally, some models have specialized wash cycles that accommodate limited water availability, making them ideal for off-grid living in areas with water scarcity.
1. hOmeLabs Compact Countertop Dishwasher
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
This is one of my favorite off grid dishwashers, it comes with the same bells and whistles as a traditional dishwasher but needs a lot less energy, water, and space. If you are worried about installing this dishwasher, don’t be as it is extremely easy. You can easily hook it up, right on the faucet if you don’t want to connect it to your water supply. It comes with all the tools which you need to hook it up and start using it.
At first glance, you wouldn’t think it would fit a lot, but trust me it does, the user manual includes a handy guide on how to stack the dishwasher so it can fit as many things and possible and still wash them thoroughly. This dishwasher also uses a lot less power, it only needs around 2.7 amp, although the starting amperage of every electric device is somewhat higher than the working amperage, but you will have no problem powering this dishwasher with a similar panel.
Specifications:
- Height: 17.2″ (438mm)
- Width: 21.6″ (550mm)
- Depth: 19.6″ (500mm)
- Power supply: 120V/60Hz AC only
- Amperage: 2.7 amp
- Hot Water Connection: 120˚F (49˚C)
- Water Pressure: 6-145 PSI (0.04-1.0MPa)
- Capacity: 6 Place Settings
2. SD-9263W: 18″ Energy Star Portable Dishwasher
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
This is actually a portable dishwasher, basically, it is a tall dishwasher on wheels. The great thing about this dishwasher is that you can easily hook it up to your faucet, and when you are done you can simply just push it back to its corner. This dishwasher has everything that a conventional dishwasher has, and it is probably one of the largest which I do recommend if you live off the grid. This dishwasher is mostly for households with around 3-5 persons.
When it comes to power and amperage this dishwasher uses a lot less power than conventional dishwashers of the same size. It has a capacity of 8 place settings, which is around 20% higher than the above-mentioned dishwasher. This is an excellent dishwasher for people who live in a small homestead, as every inch counts, what it doesn’t have in-depth it has in height.
3. Farberware FDW05ASBWHA
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
This compact dishwasher comes with a lot of functionality which most off grid dishwashers simply do not have. This is a portable dishwasher, so it has everything you need to hook it up to your faucet as easily as possible. In addition to this, the dishwasher comes with an inbuilt water tank, which holds enough water to wash the dishes. It has 5 washing programs and it does a good job of cleaning the dishes.
It also has a Baby Care cycle, which basically uses steam to clean, this is great for people with newborns, and if you want to get your wine glasses sparkling like in the movies than just use this cycle.
4. EdgeStar DWP62BL
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
This dishwasher is Energy Star rated, with a capacity of 6 place settings and an amperage of around 5.7A. This is one of the quietest dishwashers, as the noise levels are only around 52.3dB, so if you have a small child then it will definitely make too little noise to wake him up. This is also a portable dishwasher and it comes with everything that you need to hook it up to the faucet, and the hose is around five feet. It has 7 different washing cycles and it has an inbuilt heater which heats the water up to around 149F.
5. Sunpentown SD-2213W
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
This is one of the smaller dishwashers on this list, its height is lower than 18″. For normal dishes, it will do the job fine, although if you are using larger-sized plates then you might want to take a look at a dishwasher that can fit them. This dishwasher doesn’t use a lot of power and amperage, it has 6 different washing cycles. This dishwasher doesn’t need to be permanently hooked up to the water supply as it has faucet adaptors so you can simply connect it to the faucet.
The dishwasher comes with three different filters, a coarse filter, a fine filter, and the main filter. You will need to clean the filters out from time to time for optimal function, although this is the case for most dishwashers. The user manual has all the info on how you should clean these filters as easily as possible.
6. Danby DDW621WDB
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
This is a countertop dishwasher, and it is one of the most silent ones when the dishwasher is working it only makes around 52db of noise. It has the standard 6 placement settings as most countertop dishwashers have. It can be easily hooked up to the faucet and the sink, and while it is running it only uses around 3.1 gallons of water. The dishwasher comes with 6 different cycles, including the eco cycle.
7. SoloRock 6 Settings Countertop Dishwasher
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
This dishwasher is probably the cheapest on this list, so if you are on a tight budget then this will be your best option. It comes with the standard 6 placement settings as most countertop dishwashers, and you can easily hook it up to the faucet. Honestly speaking the functionality of this dishwater is almost the same as most of the listed dishwashers, although with a lot lower price point.
8. FreshCUP Countertop Dishwasher
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
This is probably the smallest dishwasher you will ever see, it has fairly limited functionality due to its small size but it comes with 3 washing programs. The washing programs are extremely short, the shortest one is only 30 seconds. This dishwasher also has a washing program that generates steam, this way you can clean out the baby bottles extremely fast. The bad news is that this dishwasher is only for cups and not dishes, but if you constantly have to wash the cups then this will save you a lot of time.
In conclusion
As you can see you have plenty of options when it comes to off grid dishwashers, however, my personal recommendation is to make some calculation on what kind of dishwasher you actually need based on the size of your family, how much water you have, and how much power you can generate. Generally speaking, you will have no problem powering a countertop dishwasher with a couple of solar panels.