Fisher Paykel Tall Dishwasher Drawer

Only one company on earth builds a dish drawer—a dishwasher split into two tubs, whose cleaning systems and racks pull out like a set of drawers instead of sliding out from behind a single folding door.

New Zealand-based manufacturer Fisher & Paykel's DishDrawer series encompasses a wide variety of white, black, and stainless steel dishwashers, all with different handle designs, panel-ready or not, under both the Fisher & Paykel and DCS names. That lineup includes the Fisher & Paykel DD24DCHTX7, which we spent over a week installing and cleaning dishes with in our labs.

The stainless DD24DCHTX7 is a double-drawer unit, but still measures a standard 24 inches wide and has no significant capacity penalty. While it should be easy to fit in the space left behind from a traditional machine, there are some considerations to take into account before switching to a dish drawer.

While our tests found the DD24DCHTX7 did a great job cleaning, the verdicts on installation, ergonomics, and long-term reliability are less cut and dry.

(Check out our list of all the best dishwashers)

Two washers in one

Two separate, self-contained drawers make the DD24DCHTX7 essentially two dishwashers in one. The taller upper compartment draws hot water from the same inlet as the lower one, but both can run either independently and concurrently.

Many users find this setup easier to access, since washing dishes in the upper drawer requires less bending over. However, unloading dishes from the bottom drawer may be more difficult for some users. We recommend checking out this machine in an appliance showroom before committing.

Heavy stains on top, delicate glassware on the bottom? Won't be a problem. Separate timers, detergent dispensers, and even rinse aid reservoirs mean each drawer can tackle dishes in its own way. There are also separate salt compartments to compensate for water hardness.

Controls are simple: There are three small buttons (power, pause, and control lock) near the upper right corner of each drawer's face, below illuminated screens for the countdown timer. You'll need to open a drawer to select its wash cycle, and this is accomplished with an electrostatic touch-sensitive button that's painless to use. An Eco mode toggle can be paired with any cycle.

New Gallery

The Fisher & Paykel DD24DCHTX7 Dishdrawer Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The handle is nothing special, but it will get the job done. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The DishDrawer's wash option panel is touch sensitive. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The top drawer is the slightly larger of the two. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
If you're a fan of the drawer design be aware that Fisher & Paykel is pretty much your only option. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Nothing to see here, apart from some branding. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The DD24DCHTX7's unmistakable drawer design is unlike anything we have ever seen. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The DD24DCHTX7's bottom drawer Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The DD24DCHTX7's top drawer Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The DD24DCHTX7's control panel is as simple as they come. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
While slightly smaller, the lower drawer is identical in almost every other way. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
While this is the double drawer unit, shoppers can purchase single drawers as well. Credit: Reviewed.com / Jonathan Chan
The DD24DCHTX7's lower drawer interior Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison

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The Fisher & Paykel DD24DCHTX7 Dishdrawer Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
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The handle is nothing special, but it will get the job done. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
The DishDrawer's wash option panel is touch sensitive. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
The top drawer is the slightly larger of the two. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
If you're a fan of the drawer design be aware that Fisher & Paykel is pretty much your only option. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
Nothing to see here, apart from some branding. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
The DD24DCHTX7's unmistakable drawer design is unlike anything we have ever seen. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
The DD24DCHTX7's bottom drawer Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
The DD24DCHTX7's top drawer Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
The DD24DCHTX7's control panel is as simple as they come. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
While slightly smaller, the lower drawer is identical in almost every other way. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 13
While this is the double drawer unit, shoppers can purchase single drawers as well. Credit: Reviewed.com / Jonathan Chan
Slide 1 of 13
The DD24DCHTX7's lower drawer interior Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison

Of course, all those functions won't work if you don't install the dishwasher correctly. We have installed hundreds of dishwashers in our labs, but this was perhaps the most finicky. If you don't level it perfectly, water can leak out the bottom of the machine mid-cycle. Be careful with the drain hoses, too—we found that its drain pumps couldn't overcome gravity as well as other machines we've tested.

If you're having someone install the DD24DCHTX7 for you, don't let them leave until you've run test cycles on each drawer for at least 30 minutes.

While we didn't experience any reliability issues with the DishDrawer during our tests, the online user reviews we've read were more critical of this style of dishwasher than others in its price class. However, since no other manufacturer makes a dish drawer (DCS is owned by Fisher & Paykel, and Maytag no longer makes a drawer model), there isn't any competing model we could recommend instead.
The DD24DCHTX7's Normal cycle, and especially the Heavy cycle, handled just about every stain we have a test for. We had to scrape off a few flecks of baked-on spinach from our test bowls, but since you're not likely to bake a layer of spinach onto your plates in the real world, we don't anticipate much trouble here.

We also noticed some egg residue remaining on spoons tested on the adjustable upper shelves of the upper drawer. The height of the upper drawer means these shelves are physically further away from the water source, so expect better results from the bottom drawer and, of course, the removable cutlery baskets.

The results are unimpeachable

Regardless of whether we used the upper or lower drawer, our test dishes emerged clean. If you examine your results as closely as we did, you may notice that items positioned on the adjustable shelves near the top of each tub are less likely to get thoroughly scoured—but that's only because these items are slightly further away from the wash arms in the physically taller upper drawer. Other than that, cleaning results and utility consumption are equivalent.

Interior Gallery

The DD24DCHTX7's smaller cavity results in a more efficient wash. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The shelves can be raised and lowered depending on your needs. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
We found that the DD24DCHTX7's smaller shelves had limited application. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The main rack can be removed entirely. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The spray arm is not particularly noteworthy, but did a good job in our cleaning tests. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Due to its placement, the detergent dispenser is difficult to access. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The rinse aid dispenser Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The DD24DCHTX7's detergent dispenser Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The filter is removable, but difficult to clean. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The filter housing Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Provided you have no unusual dishes, the DD24DCHTX7 should prove easy to load. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The DD24DCHTX7's filter Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Large families will want to steer clear of this appliance. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The interior of the top cavity Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The lower drawer features an identical layout to the top, however we found that the shelves could not be lowered if plates were loaded. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Unlike the upper drawer, the lower drawer is a chore to load. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
The DD24DCHTX7's interior is constructed from suitably upscale materials. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison

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The DD24DCHTX7's smaller cavity results in a more efficient wash. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The shelves can be raised and lowered depending on your needs. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
We found that the DD24DCHTX7's smaller shelves had limited application. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The main rack can be removed entirely. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The spray arm is not particularly noteworthy, but did a good job in our cleaning tests. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
Due to its placement, the detergent dispenser is difficult to access. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The rinse aid dispenser Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The DD24DCHTX7's detergent dispenser Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The filter is removable, but difficult to clean. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The filter housing Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
Provided you have no unusual dishes, the DD24DCHTX7 should prove easy to load. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The DD24DCHTX7's filter Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
Large families will want to steer clear of this appliance. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The interior of the top cavity Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The lower drawer features an identical layout to the top, however we found that the shelves could not be lowered if plates were loaded. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
Unlike the upper drawer, the lower drawer is a chore to load. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison
Slide 1 of 17
The DD24DCHTX7's interior is constructed from suitably upscale materials. Credit: Reviewed.com / James Aitchison

Tricky stains like baked-on spinach tripped up the Fast cycle to some degree, but the Normal and especially Heavy cycles resulted in near-spotless dishes and plates. That's exactly what we'd expect from a premium dishwasher like this one. Redeposit, which happens when stains wash off one dish but back onto another, did occur, but was barely noticeable. We're talking pinpoint specks here.

For in-depth performance information, please visit the Test Results Page.
Plates and bowls emerged with, at most, a drop or two of moisture on them following either Normal or Fast cycles. They'll definitely be fine to eat off right away, otherwise any moisture will evaporate in your cupboard.
Fisher & Paykel doesn't make their full user manual available online, but in a pinch, you can read the handy-dandy User Guide for this model by clicking right here.

There's nothing else like a DishDrawer

While this is the double drawer unit, shoppers can purchase single drawers as well. — Credit: Reviewed.com / Jonathan Chan

The noble dishwasher is America's forgotten appliance, often thrown in for free with the purchase of a full kitchen suite. Eye-catching models like the Fisher & Paykel DD24DCHTX7 are rarities in the average home, and that makes them an easy way for a kitchen remodel to stand out.

With a simplified electricity hookup and streamlined water inlet, the DD24DCHTX7 is a "plug and play" drawer dishwasher that looks more advanced, more complicated, and more integrated into your kitchen design. Still, the finicky installation we encountered in our lab means we recommend patience—or professional help.

Each drawer can be regarded as its own, separate, easy-to-access dishwasher, capable of blasting away almost all stains with the Normal and Heavy cycles, not to mention some very solid results from the one-hour Fast cycle. The extra cost of the DD24DCHTX7 is divided equally between looks, features, and cleaning.

And if online user reviews or ergonomics scare you away from the whole drawer idea, the same budget will still buy a great machine. For the best of the best, consider something from Miele's Futura Dimension series, which includes some of the most beautiful and thorough washers we've ever seen.

Meet the testers

Christopher Snow

Managing Editor

@BlameSnow

Chris was born and raised less than ten miles from our editorial office, and even graduated from nearby Merrimack College. He came to Reviewed after covering the telecom industry, and has been moonlighting as a Boston area dining critic since 2008.

James Aitchison

Staff Writer

@revieweddotcom

Aside from reviewing ovens and cooktops, James moonlights as an educational theatre practitioner, amateur home chef, and weekend DIY warrior.

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