Extravagant? No, it’s essential AND saves water
Lynda MiLLs, 49, owns a kitchen design company. she is married to Christian, 44, a company director, and they live near Reading with daughters annabelle, 16, and Jemima, 14. Lynda says:
DISHWASHER COUNT: 2
I’VE had two dishwashers for the past seven years and I’d never go back to just one. It’s an essential in my kitchen and I’d love a third.
That’s because I like to think of our kitchen not so much as simply somewhere to cook food, it’s more of a ‘family zone’, where people can gather around the island.
The kitchen leads out onto an orangery with a ten-seater table and on the other side there’s a sofa room with a television. It’s great for a party. We often have 12 guests and the last thing I need is for the worktops to be cluttered.
I tend to alternate using each one, and one is usually going at some point in the day.
Both of mine are Miele Turbothermic Plus models. I bought the first from a shop in Slough, but got the second from eBay for £120. A bargain as they cost £500 to £1,000.
I am in charge of stacking — it’s a standing joke that no one else dares stack them because I’ll say they’ve done it all wrong. Some people ask if it’s extravagant having two dishwashers and a waste of water. But, if anything, it saves water because you’re using a controlled amount and not always filling up the sink.
When I’ve suggested to clients that they have two dishwashers next to each other, they look at me a little oddly.
If they have thought about having two in the first place, they think it’s a good idea to have one in the kitchen and one in the utility room, but if you’re going to have two, you need them in the kitchen so you can hide things away immediately.
There are a couple of downsides in that it means we have to own a lot of crockery and cutlery. We’ve got enough for about 14 place settings. Plus, when both dishwashers are on at the same time it can create quite a lot of noise — even though we have models which have a low decibel rating.
Friends who have seen our two dishwashers have copied the idea when they’ve refurbished their own kitchens. Some of them have two washing machines, too, which I’d love if I had the space.