“Get a life, get a dishwasher”. That’s the devastatingly effective tagline from a ubiquitous advert that ran in the UK in the early 90s. At the time it didn’t mean much but as an adult, coming home after a long day’s work to a pile of dishes, it started to make sense.
Since the time of that ad, dishwashers have become pretty common. However, the housing market’s unrelenting drive towards smaller houses and apartments means that many of us, even if we can afford a dishwasher, don’t have space for one. Meanwhile, the rental market is at its highest level since 1965, and convincing a landlord to plumb in a dishwasher to a property we might be moving on from soon anyway can be quite the hassle.
That’s what has got us all at The Grade HQ so excited about Heatworks’ latest innovation, the Tetra Countertop Dishwasher.
Measuring just 18″ x 16.75″ x 14″ this compact dishwasher can easily sit in most kitchens. However, the most genius aspect of this product is that it doesn’t have to be plumbed in. Instead, it runs off its own water reservoir.
But how does it work? Well, Heatworks is a company centered around applications of its “Ohmic Array Technology”. Traditionally, electric water heaters have worked via a metal element that gets really, really hot. You then have to wait for it to pass on this heat to the water. Heatworks’ insight is that you can pass an electric current through the water itself. This direct energy transfer means the water is heated instantly. Pretty smart huh?
The lack of metal also means you’re not going to get a build up of minerals or sediment. If you’re worried about your effect on the environment you can rest easy too – it turns out that washing by hand actually uses ten times as much water as using a dishwasher.
In terms of design, it’s is pretty eye-catching. The modular racks are modern and colorful without being too obtrusively showy. It’s versatile enough to go well in both modern and more traditional kitchens.
While we’re blown away by the science, we’re more concerned to get our hands on the product. So far it’s not on general sale but it is due at some point in 2019. Till then you’re stuck rolling up your sleeves and getting stuck in scrubbing last night’s dirty pans.