Small dishwashers come in two genuinely different sizes: 45cm slimline machines that install like a normal dishwasher in a narrower gap, and benchtop units that sit on the counter and connect to the sink. There's also the Fisher & Paykel drawer, which is its own thing. The right one depends mostly on whether you can plumb anything in at all.
1. Best 45cm: Bosch Series 6 SPS6IKI01A
We had the Bosch 45cm at the top of this guide years ago, and its current Series 6 version is still the slimline to beat, holding 4.6 stars across 95 reviews. It fits 10 place settings in a 45cm width, runs quietly, and adds Wi-Fi with app control, which is more useful than it sounds for starting a cycle on off-peak power.
At around $1,350 it costs full-size money for a slim machine, and that's the honest price of Bosch build in this width. Owners praise the racking and the quiet; the price is the only consistent gripe.
What We Like:
- Wi-Fi cycle control
- 10 place settings in 45cm
- Quiet, with app control
What We Don't Like:
- Full-size price for a slim machine
2. Best Value 45cm: Omega ODWF4510X
The Omega does the same 45cm job for around $750, which is why it ends up in units and granny flats. Ten place settings, half a dozen programs, a stainless finish, and delivery available where the online-only listing reaches.
The review base is small and sits around 4 stars, so it doesn't carry the Bosch's weight of evidence, and owners note the drying leans on heat rather than the fancier condensation systems. As the affordable way into a slimline, it's the one to shortlist.
What We Like:
- Around half the Bosch's price
- 10 place settings
- Stainless finish
What We Don't Like:
- Small review base so far
- Basic drying
3. Best Benchtop: Devanti 8 Place
A benchtop dishwasher needs no installation at all: it sits on the counter, fills from the sink or a tap adapter, and drains back into it. Devanti's 8-place unit is the best-reviewed of the local options, averaging 4.3 stars across 70 reviews at around $390, and it's the reason renters stopped hand-washing.
It takes bench space the way a big microwave does, and plates over about 27cm need laying flat. Owners accept both for a machine that moves out when they do.
What We Like:
- No plumbing or installation
- Six wash programs
- Moves house with you
What We Don't Like:
- Takes real bench space
- Big plates need arranging
4. Best Drawer: Fisher & Paykel Single DishDrawer
The single DishDrawer is Fisher & Paykel's long-running answer to small households: a dishwasher the size of a big kitchen drawer, loaded at bench height with no bending. It takes 7 place settings, and at around $1,530 it's a design purchase as much as an appliance one.
Owner scores sit at 4.1 across a couple of dozen reviews, lower than the Bosch, with the recurring notes being capacity limits and F&P servicing costs out of warranty. It stays on this list because nothing else does what it does in a standard 60cm cabinet.
What We Like:
- Loads at bench height
- Fits a standard drawer opening
- The only one of its kind
What We Don't Like:
- 7 place settings
- Out-of-warranty servicing costs
Other small dishwashers worth a look
- Haier 45cm HDW10F1S1 — around $950 with early owners scoring it full marks, sitting between the Omega and Bosch. A newer arrival worth watching as reviews build.
How to pick a small dishwasher
Plumbing decides the category. If you can connect water and waste, a 45cm slimline washes more, dries better and lives out of sight. If you can't, the benchtop is the whole conversation.
Count your actual place settings. Ten settings in a 45cm machine covers a couple comfortably and a small family at a stretch. The benchtop's 8 and the drawer's 7 suit one or two people.
Check the gap, not just the width. 45cm machines still need standard depth and height, and freestanding models need a finished side if the cavity shows.
Benchtop users: measure the tap. Most connect via a quick-fit tap adapter, and mixer taps with pull-out heads sometimes need the included jug-fill method instead.
RELATED: The Best Dishwashers and The Quietest Kettles
FAQs
Do benchtop dishwashers actually clean well?
Owner reviews on the Devanti say yes for everyday loads, with the caveats being capacity and the loading Tetris. They run the same wash temperatures as full-size machines.
Is a 45cm dishwasher noisy?
The Bosch above is one of the quieter machines sold at any size. Budget slimline models run a little louder, and the spec sheet's dBA figure is comparable across brands.
