Detergent packs are kinda wishy-washy (Dishwashers Explained)

Technology Connections has got you covered: > Ever wonder how dishwashers work? Are you ever bummed by the performance of yours? Well, this video can answer your question and possibly provide you with a solution! * this video

You don't have to pre-clean dishes. This video is a bit long-winded but gets the point across. this video One person doing one person's worth of dishes is pretty manageable. Once you get more people involved, or if you're getting a lot of utensils dirty while making something fancy, it can be a whole different story. Also, I think they use less water than washing by hand, but again this depends on how many dishes you put in there at a time.

Somewhat related: if you want to watch a 32 minute video about how to properly use a dishwasher, here you go: this video

Sadly, I don't think dishwashers will last 20 years any more. Since 2005, I'm on my third dishwasher. The first one lasted 9 years, the second one around 5 (with one under warranty repair). At some point the repairs/parts cost more than what the original dishwasher is worth. Regarding the algorithm, I'm not sure they make a huge difference anyways. FWIW, The Technology Connections channel on YouTube has a couple of pretty interesting videos on how dishwashers work and how to get the most out of them: this video link

I stopped using the default "eco" program and switched to the faster "auto" program on my dishwasher since watching this video on how these programs actually work: this video TLDwatch: eco programs use only one batch of water, others use two and that results in cleaner dishes with the added benefit of a faster program.

Dishwashers contain a heating element no? Not sure if booster powder is a specific product but yeah detergent on the little lip of the main detergent door is a significant help. For those interested, here is a wonderful 30min deep dive by none other than Technology Connections about dishwashers and detergent usage: this video

I've gone back and forth with dishwashers my whole life, spending years with followed by years without, etc. and I finally am team dishwasher. There are a few tips I've learned, such as immediately rinsing a dish after using (I don't bother scrubbing), running the hot water for a minute before starting, using the pre-wash detergent and shine stuff appropriately. I also don't bother entirely filling it up to run it - which may seem wasteful, but I'd imagine filling it completely and having to rewash some percent of them ends up being more wasteful. Also, just like getting a manual dishwashing routine figured out, dishwashers are all different and need to be learned like any tool. Understanding where pieces are, which cycles run when, which compartments open and close and even how they do it, are all important. It really is best to think of it as a tool. Some useful videos: this video link

For anyone who is upset with the performance of their dishwasher there is a really really easy thing to try. First, replace your pods with a box of powder detergent, then add some detergent to the prewash cup on your dishwasher in addition to the normal dispenser. If your dishwasher doesn't have one you can just put some on the door before you close the washer. This gives your dishwasher detergent to work with on two of its cycles rather than just one and in my experience it makes all the difference on really difficult dishes. The pods are effectively identical to the powder detergent but at a huge cost premium and don't give you the ability to adjust your amount of detergent to match the water hardness in your area which can result in a film on your clean dishes. for more info there is a great Technology Connections video covering it: this video Alternatively you can test this by just throwing an extra pod in the bottom of the dishwasher to start with. If it works well then you can consider switching to powder to save costs.

Relevant - since there is more to learn about operating a dishwasher: Technology Connections' series on dishwashers - this video link link link

I remember watching this[0] video by the OP a couple years ago. Never would have thought I could listen to someone talk about dishwashers for 30 minutes but it was surprisingly fascinating! [0]: this video