But what exactly is the history of the dishwasher? Who invented it? How did the early models work? And when did they really start popping up in homes all across the world? Join the Reliant tech experts to find out now!
Though we’ve yet to invent time travel, we’ve taken an in-depth look at the storied history of the humble dishwasher. From its early inception, through to its innovative present! We’ve traced a path through every milestone moment in the rich history of the dishwasher, and outlined it all below!
The 1800s – The First Ever Dishwasher
1850 – The First Ever Mechanical Dishwasher
The first-ever mechanical dishwasher was actually patented in 1850, by an inventor named Joel Houghton. This first dishwasher was incredibly archaic and needed to be hand-cranked. Cranking the handle caused the dishes in the central chamber to rotate. These dishes would then be sprayed with water from above. Though it helped to make the task of washing the dishes much easier, it still proved incredibly laborious to use. Thus, it never truly took off.
The first-ever mechanical dishwasher was patented in 1850, by inventor Joel Houghton. It proved unsuccessful, as many people believed it would devalue the contributions of housewives. It would be some years before dishwashers would truly take off!
Not only was the world’s first dishwasher tiresome to use, but it was also subject to some controversy when it was first shown off. At the time, many housewives spent hours of the day washing dishes, amongst other chores. The obviously very outdated view was that household chores like washing the dishes gave women value. To create a mechanical means for carrying out the chore would be to devalue the contributions of women! Luckily, this is a sentiment that has since fallen into obscurity!
1886 – Josephine Cochrane’s Dishwasher
Josephine Cochrane is easily the most significant name within the storied history of the dishwasher. Cochrane’s dishwasher was first invented in 1886. It would quickly prove to be the first-ever successful dishwasher, paving the way for dishwashers as we now know them today!
Cochrane actually invented her dishwasher in order to safeguard her collection of fine china. Up until the invention of her dishwasher, Cochrane relied on the services of personal servants to wash all of her dishes. However, she found that her servants weren’t handling her fine china correctly. The china was being scratched and damaged during the washing process. So, Cochrane set out to find a hands-free way to clean them!
Cochrane’s first dishwasher operated quite similarly to Joel Houghton’s model, and involved the dishes being slowly rotated beneath spraying water!
1893 – Cochrane’s Dishwasher At The World’s Fair
Cochrane quickly put her brand new dishwasher to use, and for several years largely kept it for private use. It kept her fine china safe and made the task of dishwashing much less laborious. Eventually, however, Cochrane began to see the commercial potential of her dishwasher.
However, Cochrane’s journey to success would not be an easy one. After filing the patent for the dishwasher in 1885, Cochrane worked tirelessly to bring the invention to life. Despite help from local mechanic George Butters, Cochrane had to work almost entirely alone. Inventing was also a largely male-dominated space, so Cochrane also faced a lengthy uphill battle on account of her gender!
Cochrane showed off her first dishwasher at the 1893 World’s Fair. It proved immediately successful, with hotels and restaurants quickly adopting models into their premises. However, they were still a little too costly for the average consumer.
Cochrane had been recently widowed and had independently designed, patented, and advertised her own dishwasher by the time it was shown off at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. The display at the World’s Fair proved immensely enticing to hotel and restaurant owners, who saw the potential in the device.
Very soon, Cochrane was beginning to sell hundreds of dishwashers to businesses across the United States. Including a number of prestigious hotels and restaurants. Despite the success of these dishwashers, they still weren’t a hit with average consumers. They were still far too bulky and expensive for the average household to afford! Many households at the time also didn’t have stable access to plumbing, let alone hot water.
1898 – Cochrane’s Empire Expands
Over the following years, Cochrane would offer her dishwashers to more and more prestigious businesses across the nation. To facilitate this, she opened up her first factory in 1898, alongside mechanic George Butters. Cochrane’s new factory was then able to expand its reach and its product offerings.
The factory would go on to manufacture a number of interesting kitchen goods outside of dishwashers. Following the death of Cochrane in 1913, the factory was sold to the KitchenAid company. All products produced by the factory would now bear the KitchenAid name. A name still recognised to this day!
The 1920s – New Dishwashers Abound!
1924 – The First Modern Dishwasher
Over the years following the invention of Cochrane’s dishwasher, many other inventors and manufacturers would try their hand at creating their own variations on the device. The following decades saw the rise of numerous dishwasher models, as more and more businesses and homes began adopting them. Many dishwashers at this time now operated via electricity. This meant that users didn’t have to laboriously crank a handle for hours at a time!
In 1924, British inventor William Howard Livens created perhaps one of the most significant early dishwashers. This non-electric dishwasher actually boasted a number of design elements that are now common in modern dishwashers, including a door, wire racks, and rotating spraying arms! The dishwasher was also much more compact than many previous versions and could be directly plumbed in. The dishwasher itself was specifically designed for domestic use.
William Howard Livens took the basic idea of the dishwasher and refined it further. Liven’s dishwasher boasted many of the elements that are now standard on modern dishwashers, like doors, wire racks, and rotating spray arms!
However, despite its new target market, Liven’s new dishwasher simply didn’t take off. Despite their more compact shape and wider access to plumbing, the dishwashers were still too expensive for average households.
In fact, it would take until the 1950s for dishwashers to really start showing up in homes across the world, thanks to the postwar boom!
1929 – Europe’s First Electric Dishwasher
Though dishwashers were gaining in popularity across the United States, they still weren’t all too popular overseas. In Europe specifically, dishwashers were still an incredibly new invention, and they were also prohibitively expensive. Again, it would take a few more decades for dishwashers to start showing up regularly in homes across Europe.
It also didn’t help that all of Europe’s first dishwashers needed to be operated by hand. This made them laborious to use, and very bulky. So, the release of Europe’s first-ever electric dishwasher in 1929 proved to be a landmark moment. This special dishwasher was released by the Miele company. This is a company that still operates to this very day!
Unfortunately, much like Liven’s new dishwasher model, Miele’s electric dishwasher also did not take off. It was still prohibitively expensive, so only the most affluent households could afford one.
World War II And The Postwar Boom
1940 – World War II Halts Progress
Over the decades following the invention of the first mechanical dishwasher, inventors would continue to improve the technology. Unfortunately, with the arrival of the Second World War in the 1940s, all progress on dishwashers were halted. Many factories that were responsible for manufacturing dishwashers were now forced to manufacture weapons for war!
Thus, during the course of the war, dishwashers saw very little in the way of improvement, and very few sales.
1950 – The Postwar Boom
In the wake of the Second World War, many nations across the world experienced a period of economic boom. With the war now a distant memory, many people were now looking to the future, and looking to improve their homes. With more cash to spend, and a greater focus on the future, many homes across the world started to adopt dishwashers into their kitchens!
Sales of dishwashers boomed across the world, and soon, the appliances became commonplace.
The economic boom in the period after the Second World War allowed many households around the world to finally adopt dishwashers. However, less affluent families still could not afford them. Dishwashers quickly gained a reputation as luxury appliances!
The rise in popularity of dishwashers also incentivised savvy inventors to get back to work on innovating these handy appliances. During this decade, dishwashers started to look more and more like the ones we would recognise today. More and more households across the world sought compact dishwashers that could fit under the kitchen counter. This led to the development of standard sizes that most dishwashers adhered to!
However, though many households across the world were becoming more affluent, many were still poor. This meant that many households across the world still had not adopted the appliances into their kitchens. Dishwashers quickly gained a reputation as a luxury appliance. This is a reputation that dishwashers are still struggling to shake to this very day despite improvements in the technology!
The 1960s – The Market Expands
During the 1960s, as a direct result of the postwar boom, many manufacturers began producing their own dishwashers. Companies such as Neff, Bosch, and Indesit began manufacturing dishwashers, and they quickly proved very popular.
Many of the leading manufacturers of the time are still responsible for some of the most popular dishwashers to this day.
The 1960s also saw dishwashers growing further and further in popularity. Dishwasher prices began to slowly drop, and more and more models were now available. By the 1970s, most homes across Europe and North America had now added dishwashers to their kitchens!
The 1980s To The 1990s – Dishwashers Get Improved
Over the 1980s, with dishwashers now a common appliance in many homes, manufacturers sought ways to improve them further. Dishwashers were made more efficient and more compact. This meant they cost less to operate and were much easier to fit into the average kitchen.
As dishwashers improved over the following decades, manufacturers were focused on ways to make them more energy efficient. This involved adding soil sensors and adjustable cycle types. These ensure that only the appropriate amount of water or electricity is used!
Manufacturers were most focused on finding ways to make dishwashers more energy efficient. For many years, dishwashers had earned a reputation for consuming high amounts of electricity and water. This meant that they were often expensive to operate, and thus many potential customers were often put off.
By lowering water and energy consumption, manufacturers could incentivise potential customers to purchase dishwasher models for their own homes.
Modern Dishwashers
Nowadays, modern dishwashers are packed full of features that help to make them more efficient and more effective. These innovations come as a direct result of years of careful innovation and iteration. Let’s take a look at some of the key features that help to differentiate modern dishwashers from their clunky early ancestors!
Lower Energy Consumption
Dishwashers have long had a reputation as energy-hungry appliances. The earliest electric dishwashers often used massive amounts of electricity for every cycle. This meant that they were incredibly costly to operate. The high operational costs paired with the high cost of the appliance itself branded dishwashers with a reputation that’s difficult to shake even to this day.
However, dishwashers have come a long way since the earliest models. Now, dishwashers are designed to use much less electricity and water, while also achieving better results.
Dishwashers are now much more energy efficient than they once were. Not only are they made up of higher-quality parts, but they’re also equipped with sensors that ensure water and electricity aren’t being wasted.
Modern dishwashers are also equipped with special “Eco” cycles, which carefully control the amount of water and electricity being used, while still delivering perfect results.
In fact, dishwashers are now so energy efficient that you might save more money by using one than by washing your dishes by hand. If you’re regularly washing dishes for the whole family, you would actually use more water, and more electricity to heat it up, when washing by hand. Dishwashers consume less water, and require less electricity to heat up!
Soil Sensors
Many leading dishwasher models are now equipped with special soil sensors. These are specially programmed to cut down on wasted electricity and water.
Essentially, these special sensors are designed to detect exactly how dirty your dishes are. If the sensor finds that your dishes are still dirty near the end of the cycle, it can automatically extend it. If it finds that the dishes are totally clean after only half a cycle has elapsed, then it will finish the cycle early. This means that the dishwasher only uses exactly the amount of electricity it needs at one time.
But how exactly do soil sensors work? How can they tell how dirty your dishes are? The soil sensor itself is actually a small reservoir built into the bottom of the dishwasher tub. On one side of the narrow reservoir is a small light, while on the direct opposite side is a light sensor. During a cycle, the dirty water collects in the reservoir. This keeps the light sensor from detecting the light on the opposite side. As the dishes get cleaner, so too does the water in the reservoir. Once the level of dirt in the water is thin enough to let the light through, the dishwasher stops!
Soil sensors have helped to make dishwashers much more efficient. These sensors are able to detect exactly how dirty your dishes are during a cycle. This ensures the appliance only ever uses what it needs, and nothing more!
This technology ensures you’re only ever using the right amount of water!
Load Sensors
One of the most difficult parts of operating a dishwasher is deciding which cycle length to choose. Often, your choice will depend entirely on how many dishes you’ve placed into the unit. Luckily, many modern dishwashers such as Bosch models now come with special load sensors. These are small weight sensors built into the loading racks that detect the weight of every load of dishes.
Using the information from the load sensors, the dishwasher can then decide just how much water is needed for a cycle. Again, this helps to cut down on wasted water and electricity.
Smart Connectivity
It’s not just our mobile phones that are smarter now. All kinds of appliances and regular household electronics are now imbued with smart features, including dishwashers! Many top dishwasher models can now be connected directly to the internet and controlled entirely remotely through your mobile phone.
Smart dishwashers can connect to your local internet, and then to your mobile phone. From your phone, you can then access more in-depth controls, or monitor the health of the appliance.
All you need is a strong internet connection, and the associated app to connect to your dishwasher. For instance, if you have a Samsung dishwasher you will need the SmartThings app. If you have a Bosch dishwasher, you’ll need to download the Home Connect app!
Once connected, you can use smart connectivity features to control various aspects of the dishwasher. For instance, you can choose from a wider range of cycle types, or create custom ones. You can also use the connected app to monitor a cycle in progress or monitor the health of the dishwasher. This helps to save you money on potential repair costs.
Perhaps best of all, smart connectivity also allows you to monitor your water and energy consumption. So you can rein in your spending and save heaps of cash.
Quieter Performance
Many top dishwasher models are now equipped with specialised motors that are designed to be quieter. This means that you won’t have to put up with an excess of noise that disturbs the peace every time you run a cycle.
This has helped to make dishwashers more accessible, especially for those with smaller homes where sound can more easily travel.
Dishwashers are now equipped with more efficient components. Not only does this help to make them more energy-conscious, but also helps to make them much quieter. Now they’re perfect even for the smallest of homes!
Early dishwashers tended to average a noise level of around 60 decibels. Modern dishwashers, on the other hand, are sometimes as quiet as 40 decibels on an average cycle!
Extra Cycle Types
Dishwashers are now equipped with a number of cycle types. This means that it’s now much safer to insert all kinds of dishes into the appliance, without risking them getting damaged. For instance, some dishwashers now come equipped with delicate cycles. These are designed for use with fine china and other delicate materials. The lower temperature and lower water pressure ensure proper care for even the most delicate of items.
Different cycle types also allow you to choose the perfect washing experience. Want to perform a deep clean on numerous dishes at once? Want to just quickly wash a few dishes? There’s bound to be a perfect cycle type for your needs.
Smart connectivity also allows you to download new cycle types at any time. So you can always clean your dishes to absolute perfection!
Flexible Storage
There’s nothing worse than having to stuff that one final plate into the dishwasher. Not only is it incredibly annoying, but it can also lead to unsatisfying results, with your dishes left dirty even after a lengthy wash.
Many modern dishwashers now come with flexible storage spaces, so you don’t have to cram everything into place. Bosch dishwashers come with special Rackmatic systems, for instance. These allow you to quickly choose the perfect height for each dishwasher rack. Need to fit in that one awkward baking tray? Just lift the top rack up to create some extra storage space.
It’s important to make sure that you fill your dishwasher efficiently. Overstuffing makes it difficult for water to travel around the tub. This results in an unsatisfying wash. Luckily, modern dishwashers now come with flexible storage space!
Some Samsung dishwasher models come equipped with additional third racks. These are located just above the top rack and offer plenty of space for cutlery and other flat items. This opens up loads of space in the rest of the dishwasher, as you won’t need to make use of a cutlery basket!
Some dishwasher racks also come with foldable tines. This allows you to lay items down flat within the rack, so it’s perfect for washing items like baking dishes.
Stainless Steel Tubs
For many decades, leading dishwasher models made use of tubs that were made entirely out of plastic. While this plastic was durable, it was often subject to wrapping or other damage. Modern dishwashers are now equipped with stainless steel tubs. These are not only better able to deal with high temperatures but are also much easier to clean. This has helped to make modern dishwashers very low-maintenance appliances!
Modern dishwashers now make use of stainless steel tubs. Stainless steel isn’t just easier to clean, it’s also more resistant to heat. This means it won’t warp even after years of use. It also retains heat better for efficient drying!
Stainless steel tubs can also retain heat. This means your dishes are able to dry more effectively before you unload them and store them away!
Leak Prevention
Older dishwashers were often prone to leakage. Even the slightest imperfections in the structure or function of the appliance could allow water to find its way out. Now, washing machines are designed to be totally airtight, so that there’s no chance of leakage.
Many dishwashers also come equipped with safeguards that identify leaks as they happen. The dishwasher can then kick into action to prevent the leak from worsening. Smart dishwasher models can even send notifications to your phone, to warn you of any potential errors. This allows you to quickly find a solution to any issues and save yourself time and money that would otherwise be spent on costly repairs!
The Future Of Dishwashers – What’s In Store?
As we move further into the future, it’s likely that dishwashers will become more energy-efficient. This is particularly necessary for ensuring the continued health of the planet. To facilitate this, dishwashers may make use of higher-quality materials and components. This will also help them to last much longer.
It’s also likely that dishwashers will get smarter. Smart technology in dishwashers will take away much of the operational guesswork, so you can simply load it up and let the appliance get to work.
Dishwashers are also likely to get more compact and more affordable. This means that they will be more widely accessible. Hopefully, it will also lead to the appliance losing its negative expensive reputation!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Invented The First Dishwasher And Why?
The first record of a mechanical washing machine dates back to Joel Houghton’s 1850 patent. However, Houghton’s washing machine was not a success. The first truly successful dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochrane in 1886. She first invented the dishwasher after being unsatisfied with her servants, who were damaging her fine china while washing by hand!
When Did Dishwashers Come Out In The UK?
The first domestically-produced dishwashers in Europe were released in 1929 by the Miele company. However, they would not initially prove successful. Unfortunately, many people at the time simply could not afford to adopt the appliance into their homes. It would take until around the 1950s, during the postwar boom for dishwashers to really take off in the country.
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