A countertop dishwasher is a small appliance with a narrow job: to give you a real wash in a kitchen with no room or no plumbing for a built-in. Renters, RV owners and anyone cooking in a tiny galley kitchen are the people it was made for. After a night of enchiladas, nobody wants to stand at the sink for an hour.
The choice comes down to one question: will you fill a tank by hand, or connect a hose to the faucet? That decides how much the machine holds and how much of your counter it takes. This guide sorts out that choice, names seven machines worth a look, and explains what to measure first.
Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a working kitchen looks for in a dishwasher, the makers’ specifications, public energy records and independent reviews, which we name. We have not used these products ourselves.
Quick verdict: which countertop dishwasher to buy
For one or two people, the best countertop dishwasher is the Comfee’ 6L Miniplus: it needs no hookup, and its door opens by itself so the load dries. For three or four people, get the Comfee’ 6-Place Energy Star model, which connects to the faucet. If water use is what you care about, the EdgeStar 6-Place has its numbers on record with ENERGY STAR.
The rest of this page explains who each one suits and what to check before it arrives.
Five countertop dishwashers compared
Our five standout picks side by side, one for each kind of kitchen, with the details each maker, listing or public record states. All seven machines are reviewed in full below.
| Dishwasher | Best for | Water supply | Capacity | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Comfee’ 6L Miniplus Countertop DishwasherBest overall
|
Two people, no hookup | 6L tank or faucet | About 2 settings | View on Amazon |
Comfee’ 6-Place Energy Star Countertop DishwasherBest for bigger loads
|
Family of three or four | Faucet | 6 settings stated | View on Amazon |
EdgeStar 6-Place Countertop DishwasherBest on water use
|
Watching water use | Faucet | 6 settings, 2.0 gallons a cycle | View on Amazon |
Magic Chef 6-Place Countertop DishwasherBest stated noise figure
|
Open-plan rooms | Faucet | 6 settings, 52 dB stated | View on Amazon |
EUHOMY 8-Program Countertop DishwasherShortest stated cycle
|
Short cycles, small spaces | 5L tank or faucet | 30+ items stated | View on Amazon |
Product images from Amazon. Capacity is as stated by each maker or record; real loads tend to be smaller. Check the listing before you buy.
Our picks for the best countertop dishwasher
The first two machines are small tank models. The next four connect to a faucet and hold more. The last can do either, and it is the only Amazon-first brand on the page. Each section explains who the machine suits and gives one honest reason to skip it.
1. Comfee’ 6L Miniplus Countertop Dishwasher – Door Opens to Dry the Load
This is the machine to start with if you live alone or with one other person and the sink is the thing you are trying to get back. Fill the 6-liter tank by hand and it runs anywhere with an outlet, or connect it to the kitchen faucet with the included quick-connect hose and adapter.
America’s Test Kitchen named a Comfee’ 6-liter tank model its top pick in its 2025 review of six countertop dishwashers, and the deciding detail was the door: it was the only one that opened at the end of the cycle, which helped the dishes dry. The review prints no model number, but the listing for this Miniplus describes the same tank and the same door, plus a small fan that pushes the steam out.
Be realistic about capacity. Test Kitchen counted roughly two place settings in the tank models, not a family’s dinner. The listing says it takes a 10.5-inch plate, which is generous for a machine this small, and that a cycle uses 6 liters of water. For a Mexican kitchen that means the plates, glasses and forks from a weeknight dinner, with the comal and the big salsa bowl still going in the sink.
The listing also promotes a UV Hygiene program and a high-heat Hygiene cycle. Treat those as extras. Test Kitchen measured its smaller models near 160°F and noted that baby-care cycles do not promise sterilization.
Why we like it
- Matches the tank model America’s Test Kitchen made its top pick
- Door opens by itself at the end of the cycle
- Runs from its 6-liter tank or from a faucet
- Takes a plate up to 10.5 inches, per the listing
- Child lock and leak protection, per the listing
Key specifications
| Model | CDC17P2AWW |
|---|---|
| Water supply | 6L tank or faucet, hose and adapter included |
| Capacity | About 2 place settings (America’s Test Kitchen, tank models) |
| Largest plate | 10.5 in |
| Programs | 5 programs plus 2 functions |
| Size | Not stated |
| Noise | Not stated |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Why we recommend it
It suits couples, renters and anyone with a faucet that will not take an adapter, because the tank removes the hookup question altogether. The sink stays free while it runs, and the waste water can go into a bucket.
Skip it if you cook for four or more. It will fill up with one meal’s dishes and you will still wash by hand.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Works without any hookup
- Self-opening door helps drying
- Leaves the sink free
- Faucet option if you prefer it
Cons
- About two place settings
- Tank needs filling by hand each run
- Pots stay in the sink
2. Midea 1.59-Gallon Tank Countertop Dishwasher – A Big Tank and a Delay Start
This is a close relative of our top pick, and we say so plainly. Comfee’ is a Midea Group brand, and the two machines share the same idea: a small cabinet, a hand-filled tank of about 6 liters and a door that opens itself when the cycle ends so a fan can clear the steam.
The differences are small but real. The Midea listing gives you a delay start, which the Comfee’ listing does not mention, and it includes a filling guide to stop spills while you pour. The listing sets the largest plate at 10.6 inches and puts water use at 1.6 gallons per cycle, with five programs: Normal, Rapid, Hygiene, Fruit and Glass.
Measure before you order. Midea asks for more than 20.8 inches between the counter and any wall cabinet above it, and many kitchens have less than that. If yours does, the machine has to sit on a table or a cart. The listing describes hand filling, with no tap connection, so plan on pouring water for every run.
Why we like it
- 1.59-gallon tank, about 6 liters
- Door opens at the end of the cycle, with a fan
- Delay start listed as a function
- Takes a plate up to 10.6 inches
- Child lock, leak protection and a viewing window
Key specifications
| Model | MDC17P2DWW |
|---|---|
| Water supply | 1.59-gallon tank, filled by hand |
| Capacity | 30+ items, per the listing |
| Largest plate | 10.6 in |
| Programs | 5 programs plus 2 functions |
| Size | Needs over 20.8 in of height under cabinets |
| Noise | Not stated |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Why we recommend it
It fits a small household that wants the dishes washed overnight or during the workday. Set the delay, walk away, and the door opens at the end so the load is not sitting in steam.
Skip it if your wall cabinets are low. That clearance is the highest stated among these picks.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Delay start
- Self-opening door
- Filling guide included
- No plumbing
Cons
- Needs over 20.8 inches of height
- Hand filling for every run
- Very close to the Comfee’ Miniplus
3. Comfee’ 6-Place Energy Star Countertop Dishwasher – Room for a Family’s Plates
Once you cook for three or four, a tank model stops making sense, and this is the size to look at. The listing rates it at 6 place settings, up to 70 pieces of tableware and plates up to 10 inches across, in a box 17.2 inches high, 21.7 wide and 19.7 deep.
Test Kitchen’s warning applies here too. It found that faucet-connected machines held about four settings once loaded with real plates, and that some claimed six could not be fit. Expect four and you will not be disappointed.
This one connects to the kitchen faucet, and the listing says a suitable adapter may be needed. It can also sit in a cupboard rather than on a counter, if you have a space that size. The Speed program runs 45 minutes, the Heavy program reaches up to 154°F, and the listing gives a low of 2.77 gallons per cycle.
The eight cycles are Heavy, Normal, Baby-Care, ECO, Glass, Speed, Mini-party and Rinse. Use rinse aid: Test Kitchen found it left dishes on the larger machines a bit cleaner and much drier.
Why we like it
- 6 place settings by the listing, up to 70 pieces
- Energy Star, per the listing
- 45-minute Speed program
- 8 cycles
- Can go in a cupboard as well as on a counter, per the listing
Key specifications
| Model | CDC22P1BBB |
|---|---|
| Water supply | Faucet hookup; adapter may be needed |
| Capacity | 6 place settings (listing) |
| Largest plate | 10 in |
| Programs | 8 cycles |
| Size | 17.2 x 21.7 x 19.7 in (H x W x D) |
| Noise | Not stated |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Why we recommend it
It suits a family of three or four in a rental, or any kitchen with no spot for a built-in. You get the capacity of the larger class from the same brand as our top pick.
Skip it if your faucet is a pull-down or an unusual shape. Test Kitchen could not attach any model to a nonstandard faucet.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Far more room than a tank model
- Energy Star per the listing
- Fast 45-minute program
- Fits a 10-inch plate
Cons
- Needs a faucet hookup
- Ties up the sink while running
- Realistically about four settings
4. EdgeStar 6-Place Countertop Dishwasher – Lean on Water Per Cycle
EdgeStar is the pick for anyone who reads the efficiency numbers first. The ENERGY STAR product record for the DWP63 line lists 2.0 gallons per cycle and 155 kWh a year, which it puts at 43 percent and 30 percent better than the federal standards. Those figures come from the government record, not the sales page.
The same record lists 6 place settings, a width of 21.7 inches and a depth of 19.7, a hybrid plastic and steel tub, air drying and soil sensing. The listing adds seven wash cycles, a leakage sensor and a child lock. With air drying, rinse aid and opening the door after the cycle will both help.
EdgeStar has made compact appliances such as ice makers, wine coolers and kegerators for more than 20 years, according to the listing. This silver model also comes in black and white under the same DWP63 number.
Why we like it
- 2.0 gallons per cycle in the ENERGY STAR record
- 155 kWh a year in the same record
- Soil sensing, per ENERGY STAR
- Leakage sensor and child lock, per the listing
Key specifications
| Model | DWP63SV |
|---|---|
| Water supply | Faucet hookup |
| Capacity | 6 place settings (ENERGY STAR) |
| Largest plate | Not stated |
| Programs | 7 cycles |
| Size | 21.7 in wide, 19.7 in deep (ENERGY STAR) |
| Noise | Not stated |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Why we recommend it
It suits an apartment or a small house where you watch the water bill, and a cook who wants numbers from a government record rather than a sales claim.
Skip it if you need the plate limit before you buy, since we found no stated figure. Check it with the seller if your dinner plates are large.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Certified ENERGY STAR figures
- Lowest water use we could confirm among the six-setting picks
- Leak sensor
- Child lock
Cons
- Air dry only
- Faucet hookup ties up the sink
- Listing gives few details
5. SPT SD-2224DSB Countertop Dishwasher – A Plain, Simple Layout
SPT is the appliance brand of Sunpentown, and America’s Test Kitchen gave its compact model a Recommended rating alongside larger machines from Black + Decker and Danby. The review prints no model number, so read that as a verdict on SPT’s compact dishwasher rather than on this exact listing.
The listing covers the basics: 6 place settings, seven wash cycles, electronic controls with an LED display, delay start, an automatic detergent and rinse agent dispenser, warning indicators for water supply and rinse aid, and a universal faucet adapter with a quick connect. It is ENERGY STAR qualified, according to the listing.
Retailer pages for the closely related SD-2224DS give about 17.24 inches high, 21.65 wide and 19.69 deep, and 55 dBA. Treat those as a good guide rather than a promise for this exact model number. It is a box with no surprises: load it, connect it to the faucet and press start.
Why we like it
- Recommended by America’s Test Kitchen as SPT’s compact model
- Universal faucet adapter and quick connect included
- Rinse aid warning indicator
- Delay start
- ENERGY STAR qualified, per the listing
Key specifications
| Model | SD-2224DSB |
|---|---|
| Water supply | Faucet hookup, adapter included |
| Capacity | 6 place settings (listing) |
| Largest plate | Not stated |
| Programs | 7 cycles |
| Size | About 17.24 x 21.65 x 19.69 in (related SD-2224DS) |
| Noise | 55 dBA (related SD-2224DS) |
| Warranty | 1 year limited |
Why we recommend it
It suits someone who wants the simplest route to a six-setting machine, with the hookup parts in the box and an independent reviewer’s approval of the brand’s compact model.
Skip it if you want a self-opening door or a tank. This one runs from a faucet only.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Independent endorsement of the compact model
- Hookup parts included
- Dispenser warning indicators
- Delay start
Cons
- Faucet hookup only
- 55 dBA on the related model
- Weight not stated
6. Magic Chef 6-Place Countertop Dishwasher – Quiet Numbers on Paper
Magic Chef is the one to look at if you eat, watch television and do everything else in one room. The listing states 52 dB, the lowest figure we could find for a six-setting machine here, and it comes with a stainless steel interior, a cup shelf and a flatware basket.
Reviewed ran the white version of this line, the MCSCD6W5, through its stain test. It removed about 92 percent of the stains, below many of the models Reviewed covered, but left fewer dishes dirty at the end of the cycle, which means fewer reruns. It struggled with tough stains, so scrape the mole and the melted cheese off the plates before loading.
The six cycles are Heavy, Normal, Light, Speed, Glass and Rinse, and the start can be delayed from 1 to 24 hours. Inlet and outlet hoses, a faucet adapter and the quick-connect assembly are all included. This black model is sold by a marketplace seller called Magic Chef & Norpole rather than by Amazon itself, so check the return terms before you buy.
Why we like it
- 52 dB, per the listing
- Stainless steel interior
- Delay of 1 to 24 hours
- Hoses, adapter and quick connect included
- White sibling covered by Reviewed
Key specifications
| Model | MCSCD6B5 |
|---|---|
| Water supply | Faucet hookup, adapter included |
| Capacity | 6 place settings (listing) |
| Largest plate | Not stated |
| Programs | 6 cycles |
| Size | Not stated |
| Noise | 52 dB (listing) |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Why we recommend it
It suits an open-plan apartment, where a dishwasher running after dinner is part of the room. The included hookup parts should mean no extra trip to the hardware store for a standard faucet.
Skip it if your plates carry baked-on food and you would rather not scrape them first. Reviewed found tough stains were the weak spot.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Lowest stated noise among the six-setting picks
- Stainless interior
- Long delay range
- Hookup parts in the box
Cons
- Tough stains are a weak spot, per Reviewed
- Size not stated in the listing
- Sold by a marketplace seller
7. EUHOMY 8-Program Countertop Dishwasher – Quick Wash, Tank or Faucet
EUHOMY is an Amazon-first brand, and this pick rests on the listing and the maker’s details. We include it for the combination the listing gives: a 5-liter tank or a faucet hose, a 29-minute Quick program, and a stated ETL and DOE certification with a 1-year warranty.
It measures about 16.85 x 16.73 x 18.03 inches. The listing says it holds 30 or more items and plates up to 10.25 inches, and it recommends more than 19 inches of height under wall cabinets. The eight programs are Normal, ECO, Quick, Baby Care/Strong, Glass, Fruit, Self-Clean and Dry. The maker is candid that it is not for bulky pots or large baking trays.
The listing claims 40 dB. Read that with care, because Test Kitchen measured the small tank machines it reviewed at 79.8 decibels and called them a bit splashy. We would not buy any tank model on a noise promise. The faucet hookup uses a G3/4 connection, and the listing says you need an adapter if your faucet differs.
Why we like it
- 29-minute Quick program, per the listing
- 5-liter tank or faucet hookup
- Takes plates up to 10.25 inches
- ETL and DOE certification stated in the listing
- Self-Clean program
Key specifications
| Model | DW002-5A |
|---|---|
| Water supply | 5L tank or faucet, adapter may be needed |
| Capacity | 30+ items, per the listing |
| Largest plate | 10.25 in |
| Programs | 8 programs |
| Size | 16.85 x 16.73 x 18.03 in |
| Noise | 40 dB (listing claim) |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Why we recommend it
It suits a single cook or a couple who want a short cycle after a quick lunch and do not need a brand with a long record. It also suits a dorm or an RV, as the maker suggests.
Skip it if you want a pick with an independent reviewer behind it. Our top pick has that; this one rests on the listing.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Shortest stated cycle here
- Tank or faucet
- Compact box
- Self-Clean program
Cons
- Amazon-first brand
- Rests on the listing alone
- 40 dB claim looks optimistic for this class
How to choose a countertop dishwasher
Tank or faucet
This is the first decision. Tank models leave the sink free and can drain into a bucket, but they hold about two place settings, according to America’s Test Kitchen. Faucet models hold more, about four settings in its loading test, and they tie up the faucet for the whole cycle, which it put at about two hours.
Your faucet
Standard faucets take the included adapters. Test Kitchen could not attach any model it reviewed to a nonstandard faucet. If you have a pull-down sprayer or an unusual spout, buy a tank model or ask the seller before you order.
Height under your cabinets
Measure from the counter to the bottom of the wall cabinet. The tank machines here ask for 19 to more than 20.8 inches. Leave space for the door to open and for the hoses at the back. If the counter is too tight, Test Kitchen suggests a rolling cart for the bigger machines.
Real capacity
A place setting on a spec sheet is smaller than a plate of food at your table. Measure your largest dinner plate against the listed limit, and assume fewer settings than the box says. Big pots and sheet pans will not fit, so keep a good dish rack for those.
Drying
A self-opening door helps the load dry, and so does rinse aid, which Test Kitchen found made a clear difference on the larger machines. Whatever comes out damp can finish on a small dish rack or a drying mat.
How we chose these seven machines
We did not run these machines ourselves. We started from the Amazon listings, keeping only models in stock as new, then compared what each maker states with the ENERGY STAR product record where we could read one. We read America’s Test Kitchen’s 2025 review of six countertop dishwashers and Reviewed’s guide, updated in 2024, and we say where a review covers a related model rather than the exact listing.
Several well-known models, including those from Black + Decker, Danby and Farberware, were low in stock, unavailable or not found when we checked, so they are not here. We also searched the CPSC recall database by brand, and it showed no recall of a countertop dishwasher from any brand on this page. We kept Amazon-first brands to one and left out machines whose listings gave too little to go on.
Countertop dishwasher questions, answered
Is a portable dishwasher the same as a countertop dishwasher?
Not quite. A portable dishwasher is usually a full-height machine on wheels that rolls to the sink. A countertop model is a smaller box that sits on the counter. Sellers often mix the two names, so check the height before you buy.
Do countertop dishwashers need plumbing?
No permanent plumbing. Tank models are filled by hand, and faucet models connect to the kitchen tap with a hose for each run, then drain into the sink.
What detergent should I use?
Use dishwasher detergent, never hand dish soap. Test Kitchen suggests about a tablespoon of standard detergent, and it warns against overpacking the racks. Follow your own machine’s manual first.
Do baby-care or hygiene cycles sterilize bottles?
Do not assume so. Test Kitchen notes that baby-care cycles do not promise sterilization. Follow the bottle maker’s care advice.
How hot do these machines get?
Test Kitchen measured its larger models near 150°F and its smaller ones near 160°F, and it cites a USDA figure of about 140°F for detergent to work.
The countertop dishwasher we would start with
For most small households, start with the Comfee’ 6L Miniplus, and step up to the six-setting Comfee’ if you cook for a family. Either way, a machine like this will not replace a rack for big pots, so pair it with our guide to the best dish rack. Planning a bigger dinner? Our taco bar supplies guide covers the serving side. And on nights when no one wants any dishes at all, the Julia’s menu is a phone call away: call to order.