How to stack your dishwasher properly

Knives up or knives down? Dishwasher stacking can be a contentious kitchen discussion…

A few decades ago, humans could never have imagined a magic machine that washes up the dinner mess for us, making home cooking a breeze. But these days, a family lunch filled with delicious memories doesn’t have to lead to 4 hours washing up.

The only problem? Even within families, there is endless debate on how to stack your dishwasher correctly. Some people are steadfast in their “forks must go handle up” beliefs, others cringe at the sight of a mug in the bottom drawer.

So whether you’ve got a NEFF dishwasher or not, we’re sharing our NEFF dishwasher packing guide to settle the argument once and for all:

1. Cutlery Drawer

This useful slide-out tray keeps your utensils separate from the rest of your dishes for a more thorough clean. Its height is adjustable, allowing it to be used for large pieces of cutlery, espresso cups or cooking utensils.

Be sure to remove large food remnants before stacking, and then make sure all items are secure and cannot tip over. All utensil openings should face down and any parts with curves or indentations should sit at an angle to allow water to drain.

Arrange the cutlery in the cutlery drawer in groups of what they are. For example, knives with knives, forks with forks, and so on. Lastly, you’ll need to make sure nothing obstructs the rotation of the spray arms above!

1. Bottom Basket

Your dishwasher’s most powerful spray jets are positioned down in the depths of the body. So, any heavy duty items like pots, pans, big plates, colanders or large bowls should be placed neatly in the bottom rack to get the most effective clean.

NEFF dishwashers come with our RackMatic feature, allowing you to adjust the height of the top basket to create more space for big plates in the bottom basket – ensuring everything is cleaned properly.

There is also  a removable cutlery basket that also goes in the bottom rack, in which you can put your knives, forks and spoons (handles down) through separate holes for a quick and efficient clean. Place cutlery in the basket with the tips facing down. It’s best to mix up your cutlery in the basket to avoid them stacking together and limiting the cleaning potential.

3. Upper Basket

Mugs, glasses, cups and small plates or bowls go here. Make sure all openings are facing down, and use the folding spokes available to organise according to your load. NEFF dishwashers also have an etagere that folds out to keep fragile items like wine glass stems steady, and wooden spoons or serving cutlery can be rested on top.

Cooking utensils like ladles, tongs and longer knives can also go in the cutlery drawer.

These are our golden rules. What are yours?